June Maren Pehrson Manning

June Maren Pehrson Manning died peacefully, surrounded by family on Friday, April 30, 2021.

June was born June 20, 1926, in Provo, Utah. She was the youngest daughter of Maren Johansen Pehrson and Oliver John Pehrson.

June had a difficult childhood, as her mother passed away of cancer when June was just nine years old. Her father remarried a few years later; and the family moved from Provo, Utah, to Pleasant Grove, Utah. June was raised during the Great Depression and through her most formative years by her widowed stepmother, who had four children of her own. Consequently, love was spread thinly in the household. June could never pronounce her stepmother’s name and started calling her “Ef.” This name was soon adopted by the entire family. Her father adored June and would take her on excursions, as he fulfilled his responsibilities as Surveyor for the City of Provo.

The family moved back to Provo, due to her father’s work as County Surveyor. June decided she wasn’t going to let that stop her from making new friends and enjoying the social life at BY High. To do this, she and her friend, Betty, tried out for the cheerleading squad. No one thought June had a chance of winning but winning she did, and she and her good friend and another boy became the cheer squad for the school.

Money was always very tight with the two blended families. During her teenage years, June found herself without a heavy coat one winter. She had a light-weight raincoat she wore every day to school. She decided that not having a warm coat wasn’t going to get her down. She brought pens and markers and whatever she could find to school and had all of her friends write their names on her coat. June’s signature coat became the hit of the school; and before long, everyone had a coat filled with signatures!

As a child, June and her siblings were picked up in an old truck early every weekday morning to pick strawberries in the fields. She always sat and waited for the truck, hoping it would forget to come by for them. It made for long days for a little girl in those fields. She asked her older brother if they could stop and take a rest and eat their sandwiches. He said, “June, let’s just do one more row.” As June told this story later in her life, she laughingly said, “It seemed like all he ever said was, “Let’s just do one more row!” As a teenager, June worked selling tickets at the movie theater in Provo. She was always industrious out of necessity. Whatever she wanted, she had to work for. This training paid big dividends later in her life.

June married Sidney Lamar Manning in Salt Lake City on February 23, 1946. He had just returned from a tour of duty in Hawaii during World War II. Their marriage was solemnized in the Salt Lake Temple on February 23, 1956, ten years to the day that they were first married.

From the time their first child was born in 1947, June was the epitome of a true “domestic queen!” There were always bottled fruit, jams, jellies, something baking, cooling, or refrigerated to take to someone in need. Hundreds and hundreds of baby booties and baby hats were made by her beautiful hands, as well as too many afghans to count. When her children were young, June made all of their clothes. She always accepted a challenge and used the expression, “I’m not going to let this get the best of me!”

She served in several callings in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Some of them were Primary President and Penny Drive Leader for the March of Dimes. In addition, June faithfully supported Sid for ten years in his callings as Bishop’s Counselor and then Bishop.

June will be dearly remembered and fondly missed for her adorable, vivacious, generous, and loving personality. So many friends and family members have spoken of receiving her kindness through delightful conversations, thoughtful acts of service and lovely hand-made gifts. And just to be clear, June was the all-around purveyor of “PARTY HEARTY!”

June and Sid had five children. From these children, they were blessed with an abundant legacy of beautiful grandchildren and great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband Sidney Lamar Manning, her son Joseph Scott Manning, her parents, an older sister Faye Pehrson Thomas, one older brother Lester Pehrson, and one younger brother Joseph Pehrson. She is survived by children Martin Sidney Manning (Shirley), Shauna Lee Manning Wadley (Verl), Ann Manning Sorensen (Richard), and John William Manning (Ann).

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, May 8, 2021, 11:00 a.m., at the LDS Church building located on the corner of 7th East and 7500 South, Midvale, Utah. A viewing will be held at the same location from 9:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. prior to services. For those unable to attend in person, please visit the Russon Mortuary & Crematory Facebook page to watch a live broadcast of the service. Interment-Lehi Cemetery.