June L. Tierney

June Lorraine Tierney June was born to Bill and Rosie Hervin and raised on a farm in Hector, MN. She met Tom Tierney at a dance in Cedar Mills. She converted to Catholicism to marry Tom, and with her new last name came an Irish heritage she embraced as her own. After they were married, they lived with Tom’s dad and sister in Litchfield. They welcomed a son, Jerry, in 1942, shortly before Tom served in WWII. After the war, in 1949 the Tierneys moved to a little house in Litchfield and welcomed a daughter, Charon. Tom died in 1959, leaving June a young widow. She was as strong as she was stubborn and worked hard to make a good life for her family. Following her husband Tom’s death, June took over Tierney Well Drilling, in a time when women weren’t working, much less running a business. In the way of civic engagement, June was a Girl Scout Leader, proud member of the American Legion Auxiliary (for 69 years!), and an ambassador and campaigner for the Democrats. She enjoyed hosting coffee parties for the politicians’ wives as they campaigned, a favorite being Joan Mondale. When Charon graduated from High School, June sold the business and house. She moved to Minneapolis, lived with her sisters, and found work at the Carriage House where June’s knack for hospitality shone through for 20 years. June worked hard so she could buy herself - and her family - nice things. She had a penchant for fine china, linens, and Ralph Lauren. June and her family loved shopping, or, more accurately, browsing at Downtown Daytons, Southdale, and Ridgedale. She loved beautiful things - from furniture to Christmas Trees - and developed a devotion to the Pottery Barn in her mid-80s. June never remarried. When she retired, she moved to Lake Koronis (Paynesville) with her daughter and helped care for her granddaughter. June enjoyed time with family in the area, made friends in the Lady Lakers, planted several gardens, and became a casual bird watcher. As a mother and grandmother, June enjoyed trips to Minneapolis to go shopping, and faithfully attended choir and band concerts, Girl Scout ceremonies, plays, and other milestone moments for her family. She was a confidant, chauffeur, and packer of lunches. June appreciated a well-made reuben sandwich, a cold can of Coke, and “something sweet” (preferably chocolate… or ice cream… or something from the Cold Spring Bakery). June’s wit was subtle, yet delightful; she was always good-humored. She never complained. In her 90s, June began reading Rolling Stone Magazine and the New Yorker (she loved the cartoons). She regularly watched Almanac on PBS, and loved Seth Meyer’s late show. Until recently, she read the Sunday Star Tribune in full every week. June was probably more up-to-date on current events and cultural trends than any of her peers. She cheered and campaigned for her favorite Democrats. June lived by the idea that you should NEVER tell people your age or they’ll start treating you like you’re old. She was young beyond her years, driving her Buick into her mid-90s. June was quiet and humble about the good that she did. She loved to pray the rosary. She tended to and visited her family members’ graves. Everyone she knew – no matter how different – was respected and important to her. True to her small town roots, June knew how everyone she met was connected to someone else she knew, and she would get that information in the first 15 minutes of meeting. She was intuitive, thoughtful, and rarely wrong. Stories about June have become legend across several generations. With her family at her side, June passed away at her home on Lake Koronis on December 27, 2021. June is survived by her daughter Charon Tierney; brother Andrew (Ethel) Hervin; granddaughters Beth Tierney (Pete Locke), Amy (Tom) Pollock, Sara Tierney, Sami Tierney; great-grandsons Jake and Adam Pollock; former daughter-in-law Lori Tierney; and many nieces, nephews, and dear friends. June is preceded in death by her husband Tom Tierney; son Jerry Tierney; granddaughter Shannon Tierney; sisters and their husbands: Florence and Rudy Remus, Mildred and Loren Asklund, Gladys and Vernon Johnson, and Dorothy and George Kaddatz; parents William and Rosa Hervin. June’s funeral is on Tuesday, January 4 at 11am at St. Philip Catholic Church, Litchfield. Visitation precedes the funeral at 10am. Arrangements through Johnson-Hagglund Funeral Home. The family requests that funeral attendees wear masks and practice social distancing.