June Carolyn Liedtke

SUN PRAIRIE - June Carolyn Liedtke, age 91, of Sun Prairie, passed away on Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025, with her son, Frank, at her side.

June Carolyn was born in Chicago, Ill., on June 13, 1934, to Walter and Pearl (Clark) Liettke. She was raised in Chicago, the eldest of three children. She studied fine arts at the School of the Art Institute, the American Academy of Art and Oakton Community College.

June Carolyn was married from 1957-1986 and had four sons, Ernest, Frank, John and Anthony. She and her husband moved to Northbrook, Ill., where they raised their children. Too busy to paint, she sketched her children whenever they were still enough and kept sketch diaries of each boy. As the boys grew older, she was able to devote time to painting again, becoming an accomplished artist specializing in watercolors with an emphasis on landscapes.

At Oakton College, she became affiliated with an outstanding group of artists who carried on the tradition of “plein air” painting (painting on location). She was a founding member and past president of the Illinois Watercolor Society. June Carolyn also founded and ran her own business, Key Publications, creating a subscription service for teachers that offered quiz games and related educational materials focused on social studies and current events. She was also an amazing cook, and one of her greatest joys was having family over for Sunday night dinner.

In 2000, June Carolyn “retired”, sold her home in Northbrook and moved to Lake Mills, Wis., to be closer to her grandchildren. She loved living in a rural area where she was constantly inspired by the ever-changing landscapes to be captured plein air. Many of her paintings can be found on her Facebook page, Keyartworks, or hanging in the homes of her friends and family. She was a member of the Lake Mills Arts Alliance, the Wisconsin Regional Artists Association, the Lake Mills Rotary Club, and a writer for the Lake Mills Leader, contributing weekly Art Scene articles on local artists and events for many years. Weather permitting, she could be found outside playing with her dogs, cultivating vegetables in her garden or painting at her easel.

June Carolyn traveled extensively throughout her life and bringing her watercolors wherever she went, painting a travelogue through the years of Italy, Ireland, France, Mexico, Costa Rica, the Caribbean, Canada and much of the United States. Her travel itineraries always reserved time for her to seek out and capture the beauty of her destination. She found painting to be tremendously rewarding, and she continued to paint and create for the duration of her life. She shared her passion, as well as decades of accumulated knowledge about her craft, with fellow artists through plein air outings, at art exhibitions, and in her book, Watercolor Journeys.

June Carolyn is survived by her sons, Frank (Mary), John and Anthony Salvi; her three grandchildren, Eric, Liza, and Ethan; extended family; and many dear friends.

June Carolyn was preceded in death by her parents, Walter and Pearl; her brothers, Lawrence and Ronald Liedtke; and her son, Ernest. Her roots on the Clark side of the family can be traced all the way back to the Mayflower.

A celebration of her life will be held at a later date.

Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.

Gunderson East
Funeral & Cremation Care
5203 Monona Drive
(608) 221-5420