June Cherek
March 04, 1930 - January 22, 2022
Obituary
MCFARLAND - June Catherine “JuneBug” Cherek (nee, Baade), age 91, died in her home on Friday, Jan. 21, 2022, with her daughters by her side. She was born March 4, 1930, in Milwaukee, Wis., to parents Bill and Winnie Baade, and became the fourth child of what would become a family of 13 children. In her youth, as a Milwaukee city girl, she loved to ice skate and play baseball. With 12 kids, she always said they had their very own team at the city parks.
June married Leonard Cherek on June 2, 1951. They had five children, Wendy, Jennifer, Lennie, and twin sons, Peter and Bill. June and Len were married for 50 years. She valued and loved her family above all else.
June was a homemaker all her married life and enjoyed books and reading of any kind-- she even authored her own funny short stories. She loved nature and bird watching, music and dancing, and her indoor gardens and plants. She loved the sunny warm days and swimming at the beach. Later in life, she grew fond of politics and the Packers. June was strong-willed and sassy with a great sense of humor. She was a very pretty lady with a classic sense of style that stuck around until the end of her days.
June is survived by her children, Wendy Reilly (Kevin), Jennifer Leyer (Thomas), Lennie Franz (William), and Peter Cherek (Mindy); long-time family member and the mother of Bill Cherek’s children, Dawn Cherek; brother, Ronald (Phyllis) Baade; grandchildren, Talya (Andy) Mathien, Aidan Reilly, Lucas Weaver, Samantha (Kyle) Roberts, Chelsey (Mike) Bachner, Quinn (Kari) Reilly, Hayley (Trevor) Coogan, Wendy (Tim) Paoletti, Carli Cherek, Cierra Cherek, Brent Cherek, Tasha Franz, Tanya Franz, and Tyson Franz; great-grandchildren, Aria, Hollis, Reese, Hayes, Tessa, Cora, Sadie, Kennedy, Sullivan, Calvin, Arthur, Adelaide, Michayla, Georgia, Luca, Leo, Gage, Kailen, Liam, Ryley, Evan, Zach, Sarah, Calyssa, and Maizley; Sisters-in-law, Pat Coursin and Amy Baade; brothers-in-law, Tom Knier and Jerome VanAsten; and many, many nieces and nephews.
June was preceded in death by her husband, Leonard, in 2001; one of her twin sons, Bill, in 2020; sisters, Genevieve, Frances, Jean, Leone, Jane, and Joan; and brothers, Daniel, Jerry, Bill, Kenny, and Tom.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY CATHOLIC CHURCH, 5101 Schofield St., Monona, at 12 noon on Friday, Feb. 4, 2022, with Fr. Chad Droessler presiding. Burial will follow at the Town of Dunn Burying Ground. Visitation will be held at GUNDERSON EAST FUNERAL AND CREMATION CARE, 5203 Monona Drive, Madison, from 10 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 4, 2022. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.
Just because you cannot see me,
does not mean I am not there.
Just because I am in heaven,
does not mean I do not care.
I often see you crying,
You often say my name.
I want to hold you tight,
I want to ease your pain.
It’s easy for me,
for I know heaven is real.
If you knew the truth,
how much better you would feel.
One day we will meet again,
but only when the time is right,
when you step out of the darkness,
I will be standing in the Light
Will always love you and will never forget you, Junebug.
Gunderson East
Funeral & Cremation Care
5203 Monona Drive
(608) 221-5420