June Irene Worthington

June Irene (Crist) Worthington

Born six miles north of Richfield on June 1st 1927, third daughter of Wilson Albynus Crist (Byne) and Nancy Gladys (Blackwood) Crist. June attended the North End Elementary one room school until she was eleven when she spent three months in the Shriner’s Hospital in Portland, Oregon, where she underwent spinal surgery for curvature of the spine and was under their care off and on until she was 17.

June graduated from Richfield High School in 1945, and then left for Albion State Normal School the next week. She attended that summer, the three winter terms, and the final summer term. June taught 3rd grade in Richfield that fall, and she taught in Richfield for two years.

When her parents moved to Star, June taught one year there, and then one year in Durkey, Oregon. Her parents moved to Cambridge, Idaho, and she taught two years in Midvale and two years in Cambridge.

June met and married Kenneth Worthington who was teaching at Cambridge High School in 1959. They moved to Riley where they taught in a two-room school called Suntex. From there, they moved to Hines, Oregon, where June taught kindergarten one year, then moved to French Glenn where they taught in a one-room school.

They moved back to Idaho and lived on Ken’s mothers ranch four miles west of Picabo. June was asked to start a Special Education program in Blaine County, and they sent her to summer school at Idaho State University. She attended the summer school program every summer until she earned a Master’s degree in Special Education.

June taught mentally, physically, and emotionally handicapped children for 23 years and pioneered the idea of mainstreaming; integrating intellectually handicapped children into the main school system. Her students joined the Special Olympics, and June was head coach for 15 years, driving her athletes to Boise, Pocatello and Moscow, Idaho to attend State meets for Summer Olympic competitions, and Sun Valley and Challis, Idaho and Steamboat Springs, Colorado for Winter Olympics.

They raised four children, Robert (Barbara) Worthington, now in Virginia, DuWayne (Nini) Worthington, now in Denver, Alan (Kathy) Worthington now in Shoshone, Idaho, and Lollie Worthington now in Richfield, Idaho. They have 8 grandchildren, 9 great grandchildren and one great, great grandchild.

June liked to travel, do oil painting, sew, knit, and crochet. She made many quilts by hand and loved gardening, ceramics, and has written two books. In 1980, they bought 20 acres next to the Silver Creek Preserve and built a house where they have lived for the last 38 years. She is a member of the Hailey Baptist Church where she taught Sunday school for many years. She also served as secretary for the Awana Bible clubs for many years.

June has also been the historian for the Idaho Old Time Fiddler’s Association and the Idaho Fiddler’s for many years. She is preceded in death by her husband Kenneth of 67 years, brother Bill Crist and sisters Elaine Ledbetter and Betty Bell, as well as her parents.