June Marie (Drees) Lulf, 84, of Jefferson, South Dakota, passed away Thursday, December 15, 2011 in Sioux City. Services will be held 10:30 A.M Monday, December 19 at St. Peter Catholic Church in Jefferson, with Rev. Ken Lulf and Rev. David Roehrich officiating. A visitation will be held Sunday evening from 5:00-8:00, family present from 6-8, with a vigil service at 7 pm at the church.

June was born January 7, 1927 to John and Mary (Kleespies) Drees in Gregory, South Dakota. She married Don Lulf on April 5, 1948 in Gregory. The couple made their home in rural Iona, South Dakota, where they farmed. They moved to Jefferson, South Dakota in 1966.

June worked in the computer department at Bomgaars in Sioux City for over 20 years. She was a member of St. Peter Parish and served several years as Parish Sacristan (preparing the altar for daily bread and weekly Masses as well as for funerals, weddings, and baptisms). She had a great love of music; playing the piano, singing, or whistling a tune. June was always ready for a game of Skip-Bo, Gin Rummy, Dominos, or Scrabble (where she claimed many a triple word score using the letters Z or Q). She did the Sunday crossword and crypto-quip puzzles in ink. She was an avid reader and note taker, always recording daily events and family news items.

Of the many gifts that June gave her family, she created a Drees family history book with pictures and great detail. She also composed a collection of the childhood memories from years on the farm and presented it to her children as a treasured Christmas gift.

Survivors include her children John of Jefferson, Donna Wattenbarger (Larry) of Brookfield, Missouri, Jim (Marisa) of Elk Point, Bill (Betsy) of Des Moines, Connie Scott of Jefferson, Marcia Deirup of Sioux City, and Reverend Ken Lulf of St. Benedict’s Parish in Yankton, seven grandchildren, eleven great-grandchildren, sister-in-law Eileen Drees of Gregory, South Dakota, and Jeannie and Pete Wilhemsen, of Burke, South Dakota, brother-in-law Jim Heying of Mitchell, South Dakota.

June was preceded in death by her husband of 50 years, Don Lulf, Sr. (passed away May 3, 1998), sons Don Lulf, Jr. and Michael Girard, daughter Alice Marie, daughters-in-law Sue Lulf and Deb Lulf, her parents John and Mary, siblings Floyd, Roy, John Jr., Marvin, Lawrence, Jerome, Viola, and baby sisters Mary Rose and Rose Mary.

The family would like to thank Dr. Noreen O’Shea for her compassion and skilled medical knowledge, the staff of Westwood Retirement Home, where June was a resident for six weeks, and Hospice of Siouxland.