JUNE KINDER
June R. Kinder, age 82, of Willow Lake (formerly of Arlington), passed away Thursday, January 29, 2026, at Prairie Lakes Hospital in Watertown.
Private graveside in Arlington Cemetery will be held by the family at a later date.
June Rae Kinder was born on June 3, 1943, to Levi and Tillie (Thaler) Nedved in Wagner. After graduating from high school, June completed a secretarial program and went on to marry the love of her life, Richard “Dick” Kinder, on February 3, 1964, in Wagner. Together they welcomed three children: Pam, Brian, and Kim.
In 1971, June and Dick moved to Arlington, where they raised their family and became deeply rooted in the community. They owned and operated the Coast to Coast hardware store together, and a few years later, June started V & S Variety Store. Their entrepreneurial spirit later led them to expand with a hardware store in Madison.
June was actively involved in the Arlington Community Club and played a key role in helping Arlington receive funding after Rand McNally left the town off the map. She also helped organize the very first Arlington Days and served on numerous boards, always willing to step up and get things done. June loved bowling and proudly bowled on the Coast-to-Coast Women’s Bowling Team for 20 years.
In 2016, June moved to Willow Lake to be closer to her grandchildren, a change that brought her immense joy. She loved cheering on her grandchildren at sports games, concerts, plays, and school events. One of the last special moments in her life was watching her oldest granddaughter get married, with all of her grandchildren taking part in the wedding, a memory her family will always treasure.
June spent a few cherished years working at the Willow Lake School, helping in the kitchen and spending time working in the library alongside her daughter, Kim. She was known in the lunchroom for sending more than a few pieces of silverware down the garbage disposal! Afterwards, she enjoyed her time at home, spending her days doing the things that mattered most to her.
No matter the time of day, you could often find June with a cup of coffee, either reading, cross-stitching, or working on a word search. She had a large collection of books and passed her love of reading on to each of her children. She especially enjoyed crafting, with crossstitched dish towels being her specialty, she had developed quite the collection over the years. June loved planting flowers and creating beautiful displays around her home, bringing color and joy to all who saw them Above all, June cherished time spent talking with her family. She was known for her sharp wit, stubborn streak, signature laugh, and no-nonsense attitude. She carefully clipped newspaper articles featuring her children and grandchildren, never missed a birthday, and always made sure a card was sent or a phone call was made.
While June battle with cancer was short, she fought until the very end, staying as stubborn and determined as those who knew her best would expect.
June is survived by her children: Pam (Troy) Forbes, Willow Lake, Brian Kinder, Arlington and Kim (Curwin) Bratland, Willow Lake; her grandchildren: Wyatt, Cody, and Jaycie Forbes, Abbie (Haden) Ewoldt, Jack and Max Bratland; her sister, Geraldine Krsnak; Brother- in-law John (Maragret) Kinder and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Richard “Dick” Kinder; her parents, Levi and Tillie Nedved; and her siblings, Raymond Nedved and Elleanor (Alvin) Wilken, sisters-in-law, Shirley (Clarence) Jussel and Kathy Kinder; and her brother- in-law, George Krsnak.
Arrangements entrusted to Crawford-Osthus Funeral Chapel www.crawfordosthus. com