June Gatewood, 96 years young, passed away April 1, 2022, surrounded by family at Blossom Creek, an assisted living facility. She was born May 10, 1925, to Harold G. Soule and Thelma (Bowermon) Soule and joined by a brother 10 years later, Raymond Soule in Wenatchee, Washington. They attended the Wenatchee schools. June met her future husband, E. H. Gatewood, in Cashmere, Washington, in early 1942. Marrying (1942) and enlisting were the trend during the WWII era. She was a “camp follower” wherever he was stationed.
After WWII, Herb and June settled in Wenatchee with employment for him driving for Pacific Fruit and Produce and June packing fruit in the warehouses. First addition to the family was E.H. (Butch) Gatewood Jr. on March 3, 1944, and Carol Anne Gatewood in Nov. 21, 1946. Parents were doting all the time, being Butch’s Boy Scout leader and being Carol’s Camp Fire group leader and going fishing and camping most weekends.
In 1961, June and Herb made a life-altering change by moving to Winthrop, Washington, after purchasing the Evergreen Grocery store. Winthrop was a great change in June’s life. She became a woman ahead of her time. She was president of the Winthrop Chamber of Commerce, helped form the Lost Splinters and Cords Hillbilly Band, was a Legion Auxiliary member who helped the ’49er Days Queen get elected, coronated and entered into the ’49er Days parades, and originated the Winthrop Antique Auto Rally parades, now known as Vintage Wheels Car Show. She was one of seven ladies who coordinated rebuilding the Winthrop Red Barn, a gathering place of many activities vital to a small town. She co-owned H & J’s Hardware store during the Westernization of Winthrop in 1972. A true cheerleader and admirer of Winthrop.
Two days before she passed, she was playing the piano and dancing the jitterbug with people. Her two children had families in Winthrop. Butch had children with first wife, Donna Loucks, Shane and Candi. Butch’s second wife, Joyce Hill, had Heidi and Jerry. Carol and husband, John Lester, had two grandchildren for June, named Kjell and Kory Lester. June had six great-grandchildren and 12 great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, her son Butch Gatewood, and grandsons Kjell Lester and Jerry Gatewood. She is survived by immediate family brother Ray Soule and daughter Carol (John) Lester.
