June Marie (Juch) Dodd Vickery

June Marie (nee Juch) Dodd Vickery, 92, of Columbia, Missouri, entered eternal rest Wednesday, July 30, 2025, at her home in Columbia. June’s priorities were faith, family and traveling. She lived a life focusing on all three while also balancing a successful career. She often said holiday get togethers for the Fourth of July, Christmas and birthdays meant a lot to her, as seeing family topped her list. When she was younger, getting in the midst of things was important to her, as she made favorites such as spiral ham, asparagus casserole, oatmeal cookies, Paw’s barbecue sauce and Ray’s mustard. She bought Christmas and birthday gifts and wrapped them for everyone, enthusiastically watched the fireworks and called to sing “Happy Birthday” if she wasn’t there in person. As June got older, she would sit in a chair and enjoy watching all the grandkids and great grandkids as they enjoyed the special occasions. Travel? She travelled America and the world with her husband W. Ray Vickery and following his death in 2006, with her best friend and next-door neighbor Elsie Heller. June and Elise needed travel partners, so it was a perfect match. They travelled until June’s health prevented it. June lost count of the countries she visited, including Australia, China, France, England, Italy, Russia, New Zealand, Aruba, Costa Rica, Estonia, Finland, Switzerland, Spain, Ireland, Germany, Egypt, Canada, Israel, Jordan, Panama and of course, her beloved Puerto Vallarta in Mexico, where her and Ray spent many of their happiest days with friends from all over the U.S. and Canada. She loved seeing other cultures and our world’s history and getting to know people. Topping her list was faith. June was christened July 23, 1933 in the historic downtown St. Louis Cathedral, a month after her birth. She spent a lifetime of making God a priority in her life and the lives of those around her. In the 1960s when her three children were young and her first husband, James Dodd, was stationed at Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota, she made sure each week that the family attended the United Church of Christ in Grand Forks. After James retired and the family moved to Caruthersville, Missouri, they attended the Central Church of Christ there. When June married Ray Vickery Aug. 16, 1992, they attended the Salem United Methodist Church and a non-denomination church when in Puerto Vallarta. June’s last days of church attendance were spent in the United Methodist Church in Columbia. The Serenity Prayer adorned a wall in her assisted living bedroom for the three-plus years she was there. “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.” It was her motto, the way she lived her life. While family, traveling and faith were her priorities, she was an astute business person, making the transition from a housewife during Jim’s years in the service to a successful working career. She continued her education as a graduate of the U.S. Institute for Organization Management at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Basic Economic Development at the University of Illinois, the Economic Development Institute at the University of Oklahoma and then Southeast Missouri State University. From 1968-78 June worked with Missouri University Extension in Caruthersville, where she also helped coordinate the city’s observation of America’s Bicentennial. She earned a Woman of the Year Award and in 1976 received the Governor’s Leadership Award. She wrote columns for several area newspapers. She moved to Columbia in 1978 and was executive director of Mid Missouri Home Builders Association for two-plus years, then became executive vice president of the Columbia Chamber of Commerce from 1981-89. At the chamber she thrived and helped Columbia launch its growth to be the town it is today. One of the accomplishments she enjoyed talking about the most was her work with the Walton Foundation and Sam Walton personally on a building in Columbia to house the Columbia Chamber of Commerce and Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau. The building is named the Thomas G. Walton Building in honor of Sam and his brother Bud’s father and was opened in 1986. June often brought out personal, hand-written letters of thanks from the Walton family, including Sam, that were sent to her at the time. June, though, said nothing could compare to the next step in her working career. She was a talented writer when attending Normandy High School in St. Louis and wrote for the school paper. She dabbled with the personal columns while in Caruthersville. Decades later, in 1989, she left the chamber and became advertising director for the Columbia Daily Tribune. She served the newspaper, working for the Waters family, until meeting Ray Vickery and joining him as co-publisher of The Salem News in 1990. For the next nine years, until she retired in 1998 at the age of 65, she wrote stories, directed advertising and had management responsibilities at the newspaper. Ray sold the newspaper to his stepson Donald Dodd, who came to Salem in 1995 to manage it. While in Salem, June helped launch the Salem Area Community Betterment Association and the Dent County Animal Shelter. She was also instrumental in developing the Dent County Museum, which Ray’s mother Margaret Vickery started in the mid 1900s. During June’s career she served as president of the Chamber of Commerce Executives of Missouri, secretary of the Salem Area Community Betterment Association (charter member) and member of Missouri Press Women, National Federation of Press Women, Missouri Society of Association Executives, American Society of Association Executives, Missouri Industrial Development Council, Southern Industrial Development Council and the Ellis Fischel Advisory Board. June was born in St. Louis June 24, 1933. She recounted many stories of growing up in a predominately German area of the city with many German relatives – the Juchs and the Zeislers – in the neighborhood. One of June’s childhood memories is of Skippy, the family pet. Dogs became a big part of her life, and she almost always had one. There was Charlie Brown, a feisty dachshund that wound up on the back porch in North Dakota after suffering an injury in a fight. He was nursed to health and was part of the family until the mid 1970s. Then came Kit, a cocker spaniel. But no doubt June’s pride and joy was Victor, a very mixed breed. He could locate chocolate chip cookies in closets, but his plusses far outweighed his minuses. Then came Maddie, who kept her company after Ray passed away. She treated Maddie like a fourth child until she moved into assisted living. June spent her last three years at Westbury Senior Living, where she brightened the lives of those who helped take care of her and showed their love to “Miss June.” She talked often during her final days of facing death and the wonderful 92 years of life she had. She was a blessing to countless people, and her arms were always open to everyone, forgiving of everyone and positively impacting the lives of all those she touched. Visitation and a memorial service were held Saturday, August 16, 2025, in the Wilson Mortuary Salem Chapel. Arrangements were under the direction and care of Wilson Mortuary of Salem, Missouri. She will be buried next to her husband Ray Vickery in Cedar Grove Cemetery in Salem. June is survived by son Donald Dodd and wife Felicia of Salem; daughter Denise Mitchell of Columbia; daughter Cathy Dodd of Columbia. Her first husband, James Dodd, died in 1999. James and family spent a career in the U.S. Air Force – Jim and June met when they were both training at Lackland AFB in Texas and married Feb. 20, 1954 – and the family served at Scott Air Force Base in Belleville, Ill.; Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, Alaska; Kincheloe Air Force Base in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan; and Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota. James also served a tour in Korea, while the family remained in his hometown of Caruthersville, Missouri, a place they would call home after military service. June is also survived by stepson Mark Vickery and wife Mary Beth of Kansas City; stepson Bruce Vickery and Connie of Detroit; grandchildren Catherine Wynn and husband Andrew of Salem; Justin Headrick of Salem; Jordan Headrick and wife Rhi of Rolla; Cody Mitchell of Camdenton; brother Roy Juch Jr. and wife Judene, Houston, Texas; special sister/cousin Carolyn Baumgartner of Henderson, Nevada; great grandchildren Eavie and Sadie Wynn; Brayden and wife Kaitlyn, Konner and Henley Headrick; Luke and Gabby Headrick; Olivia and Collin Mitchell; Sarah, Sean and A.D. Vickery; and Brooke Vickery; great-great grandchild Scotty Dee Headrick; nieces Debbi Gore and husband Larry of Houston, Texas; Lisa Breen and husband Brian, of Seabrook, Texas; nephew Roy F. Juch III and wife Martha, of Round Rock, Texas; and special friend Elsie Heller; and many cousins, nieces and nephews and other relatives. Preceding her in death were her first husband, James Dodd; husband, Ray Vickery; father, Roy Juch Sr. and mother, Catherine Margaret (Kitty); stepdaughter Robin Vickery; aunts Gertrude Feldhaus and Dorothy Slaughter; cousins Dan Cahill and Ted Juch and many other relatives. Memorial Contributions may be made in memory of June Vickery to the Dent County Museum. Condolences may be left online at www.wilsonmortuary.com

June Marie (Juch) Dodd Vickery

June 24, 1933 - July 30, 2025