A kind, caring, loving and giving lady completed her earthly journey in the early morning hours of November 7, 2020. June Belle "Juneabelle" Buckley passed away at the Big Sky Senior Living Center. June was a lifelong resident of Butte, born October 20, 1924, the second of three children to Patrick and Mary (Peoples) Mealey. She had an older brother, Pat and a younger brother George Wesley. June was raised in one of the greatest melting pots of the world, Butte's East Side. The family lived in the 700 block of Galena, on the north side of the street four houses removed from the intersection of Shields Avenue and Galena – directly across the avenue from the old East Side Athletic Club. June was most proud of her Irish Catholic heritage. However, due to her upbringing on the diverse and colorful East Side, she developed a fondness and acceptance of many nationalities, creeds and customs-she always said of her childhood confines, "We had the greatest neighborhood. There were families and people from all walks of life -folks cared for one another and looked after each other We never locked our doors."

June attended the Sacred Heart Grade School and Girls Central High . And yes, she talked of the many harsh winter days when she and her friends would walk to school and need to thaw out their limbs before class began. June graduated from Central, class of 1942. She then attended the Butte Business College for two years before starting to work at the Butte Public Library in 1944. Several years later, she met Matt Buckley. They were married on September 8, 1951. June took a hiatus from employment to become a homemaker and start a family. She and Matt settled in a home on at1123 Caledonia. In the residence the family grew to include five children, Dan, Matt Jr., Sheila, Mary and Mike. So from the east side to the west side June made that neighborhood her home and domain. She grew to be friends with all of the great neighbors of the area and surrogate mother to all the kids—Sayotovics, Barrys, O'learys, Gillespies, Staples, Harringtons, Blinns, Quinns, McArthurs, McGuires, Swansons, Millers, Volgeslangs, Fiztpatricks, Rogers, Sullivans, Johnsons and the Morris clan.

In 1968, she returned to work at the library-she was the first married woman to work there. June loved the library. It was here she flourished because the job required helping people and helping them in academic pursuits. She was kind, patient and determined to help all, especially the young students, succeed. She notes the library provided not only books and education to many-but it was a place for rest and repose and a bit of society for the many old retired miners of the town. They frequented the place on a daily basis to read the paper and visit and in the periods of cold—to get warm. June retired from the library in 1988, not before she made many friends, coworkers and customers.

June lost her husband in 1995-Matt passed away. So June sold her house on Caledonia Street and moved into the Hilltop Apartments on west Quartz St. Not one to retire, June took on the unofficial duty of managing the Hilltop for Gary Dryden, it was just her nature, to look after places and people. She was the go-to gal in the building for the residents if they had a problem in their unit, if they were moving in or out or if they were ill or needed and errand run. In return, June was awarded a desirable apartment and a good rate on it. June was good to Gary and in return, he was good to June

June loved to sing and she had a beautiful voice. She put her talents to use in the church choir—the I.C. Church as many know and as many know when she sang Ave Maria, all things came to a standstill. She could sing.

It was solely due to a broken hip in 2016, that June was forced to give up her apartment and duties at the hilltop and move into The Big Sky Senior Center. She was not happy to move off the Butte Hill, but she made the best of it. As always Juneabelle was kind and cheerful to residents and staff at the facility. They loved her. They treated her well and the family expresses thanks.

June is survived by her children and their spouses. Dan of Helena, Matt and Sheila of Butte, Mike and Ann of Spokane, WA, Scott and Mary Dolezal of Clarkston, WA.. Also surviving are grand children Jake, Jared and Jessica Buckley and Anna Margaret and Michael Lee Dolezal. June loved life and Butte and Montana-she loved the outdoors and the times she was able to spend at the Peterson Ranch at Fairmont-the horses and all the Petersons. She loved politics and athletics-especially football-Notre Dame and the Washington Redksins. She had many friends, thank you Robbie Hanni and Connie Kenney.

May the sun shine gently on your face and the breeze be at your behind.

Tis nice to be important, and more important to be kind.

Thanks mom, you'll be missed.