Dorchester Times: DHS Grad, Former Resident Brad June Passes At 56

Friday, August 1, 2014

DHS Grad, Former Resident Brad June Passes At 56

Former Dorchester resident and 1976 DHS graduate Bradley Dean June, 56 years of age, of Concordia, Kan., and formerly of Pilger, Neb., passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Monday, July 28, 2014 in Concordia. He was born on May 31, 1958 in Concordia to Boyd “Toby” and Patricia (Cassel) June.

UPDATE: The June family is having an open house to celebrate and remember the life Brad June on this afternoon and evening, August 1, from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the Dorchester Community Building. Please join the family in remembering good times and treasured memories.

Brad graduated in 1976 from Dorchester High School in Dorchester, Nebraska. He loved agronomy and worked at several different co-ops in both Nebraska and South Dakota. Brad’s favorite time of year at work was during the spring/planting season when he put in many hours in the field. He married Brenda Fees on March 6, 2012 in Stanton, Nebraska. Recently, Brad showed his strength once again as he survived the direct hit from the tornado that hit Pilger, Neb. on June 16, 2014. Brad enjoyed fishing, riding his Harley, his dogs, and especially spending time with his grandchildren.

Brad is survived by his wife, Brenda; four children, Josh June and wife Becky of Milford, Sarah June of Lincoln, Spencer June and wife B.J., Hannah June, both of Dorchester; five step-children, Brendon Hauder of Lincoln, Breanna Zavalaga and husband G.C. of Vista, California, Brandel Hauder and wife Taylor of Milford, Broderick Hauder of Pleasant Hill, Brittani Hauder and fiancé Richard of Lincoln; seven grandchildren; mother, Patricia June of Concordia; two brothers, Brian June and wife Lynette of Columbus, Jason June and wife Jody of Malmo; 2 sisters, Cindi Etten and husband John of Fort Collins, Colorado, Laurie Heise and husband Tim of Lincoln; and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his father, Boyd “Toby” June on May 20, 2007.

Private Memorial Services will be held at a later date. There will be no visitation. Memorials are suggested to the American Cancer Society in care of the funeral home. Chaput-Buoy Funeral Home in Concordia is in charge of arrangements.

2 comments:

AnonymousJuly 30, 2014 at 10:12 AM
I'm very sorry to hear this, passing at only 56 years of age with such young grandkids.

Brad and his wife raised very good kids. I'm glad Spencer in back in Dorchester. He's a real solid person and father.
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AnonymousJuly 30, 2014 at 11:27 PM
My sympathies to the June family and the kids. So sorry.

It's sad to think Brad passed at a young age due to pancreatic cancer, the same horrible disease that took the life too soon of Shannon Wenz a few years ago, who lived only a block or so away from Brad when he was in town.
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Dorchester: A Good Little Family Town

Dorchester, Nebraska (est. population 630) is located in northern Saline county. Close in proximity to Interstate 80, Dorchester is only 25 minutes from the state capital of Lincoln (est. population 250,000) and about 55 minutes from Omaha (metro population 725,000).

Dorchester's median resident age is 37 years. In 2005, Dorchester had a median family income of approximately $35,600. The median house value was about $63,000. About 95 percent of Dorchester residents commute to work via Interstate and highways.

The village has a quality public school, which received a $4.1 million expansion and modernization in 2008; it offers a small classrooms and individualized attention. Total enrollment of grades K-12 is around 230-250 students.

Ancestries of the Dorchester area are primarily German (42.4%), Czech (24.9%), Irish (12.5%), English (5.4%), and Dutch (4.9%).

Dorchester Historical Facts

* On July 4, 1871, the railroad reached Dorchester.
* Incorporated in 1881, Dorchester's population grew from 200 to 500 by 1882.
* In 1882, Dorchester had 90 buildings, 35 of which were businesses or public facilities. Brick buildings lined both sides of Washington Avenue for two blocks.
* Dorchester's longest-running newspaper was The Dorchester Star, which was published until the late 1940s.
* By 1889, Dorchester's population is said to have reached 800, while the town housed an opera house, a two-story brick schoolhouse with a bell tower, and four churches.
* By the 1910s, Dorchester had electricity, a water tower and a fire department.
* Dorchester's main arteries, Highways 6 and 33, were graveled in the 1940s.
* Dorchester's first irrigation well was drilled on Chris Weber's farm and rural electrification was finished following WWII.

A Village with History

Dorchester is one of the "alphabet towns" on the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad line built west from Lincoln. The town site was selected for its pleasant location in the northern part of Saline County, about eight miles west of Crete. This situation is an attractive one, being on the level prairie land, midway between the West Blue River and Turkey Creek. The first named stream is three miles north, and the latter about the same distance south from the town. Dorchester was platted in 1870 and incorporated in 1881. The name "Dorchester" came from either for a suburb of Boston by that name or a town in England. No one is sure. Two of the very first settlers were James Seely and Edward McIntyre, who both made Dorchester their permanent home.

Dorchester: In The Beginning

Here is a look at Dorchester around 1890, less than a decade after its official incorporation, as documented by Andreas' History of the State of Nebraska:
* POPULATION: "About 300, and is made up of a substantial and progressive class of citizens, who are moral and industrious. ... The town grew but very little until the year 1879, for the reason that Pleasant Hill, on Turkey Creek, a short distance south, was the county seat and naturally drew a trade for quite a large scope of country."
* BUSINESS: "The business and professional interests of the town are represented by three general merchandise stores, two drug, one grocery, one furniture, two hardware, and two millinery stores, one bank, two restaurants, two hotels, three livery stables, a post office, one newspaper office, two elevators, two lumber yards, two coal yards, two blacksmith shops, two lawyers and four physicians."
* SCHOOL: "The schoolhouse is a good one. The schoolhouse was built in 1872, since which time the public schools have been continually kept up. The present schoolhouse is 24' x 40' in size, two stories high. The school is graded and consists of three departments. The house is found too small, and arrangements will soon be made to increase its size."
* CHURCHES: "There are three substantial churches."
* HOMES: "The residence portion of the village is made up of neat houses of different styles of architecture, but none of them very large."
* NEWSPAPER: "The Dorchester Star, which was established August 21, 1881, by H. C. Bittenbender, who edited it until January 19, 1882, when he sold it to Ryerson & Bullock, the present proprietors. The Star is a bright weekly paper, five-column quarto, in size, and is Republican in politics."