June Laura Usher, nee Koester, of Viburnum, Missouri passed away Friday, July 10, 2026 at Missouri Baptist Hospital at the age of 90 years, 9 months and 27 days.

June was born September 13, 1935 at Valles Mine, MO to Howard and Arvetta Cortor Koester. She had an older brother and was the first girl of three born to the couple. Growing up, June and her sister, Elsie, caught rheumatic fever and were very sick. She told her children and grandchildren stories about their illness and the hardships it caused the family.

June lived in Festus most of her life and was employed at several different jobs until securing a secretarial job at McDonnell Douglas and retiring from there after 29 years.

She met Ken Usher and on October 15, 1978 they were married. They moved to Viburnum, MO after they both retired and have lived there for 30 years on his family's farm. They enjoyed raising cattle and enjoyed country life.

She was of the Baptist faith and had been a member of the Eastern Star in Crystal City, MO.

June enjoyed working with counted cross stitch, crocheting, bowling and reading. Her favorite past time was working in her flower garden and spending time with her grandchildren and telling them stories about life during the depression.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Arvetta and Howard Koester; mother-in-law, Mildred Usher; infant sister, Violet Koester; sister, Elsie (Eldon) Douglas; brother, Herman Koester; daughter, Amy Usher Green, son-in-law, Ira Curtis; daughter-in-law, Deborah Elliott; grandsons, Dan Usher and Ron Greenwalt; and four nephews, Tom Koester, Greg Koester, Mark Koester and Paul Douglas.

She will be sadly missed by her husband, Kenneth Usher of 48 years; daughters, Diane Curtis of Viburnum, MO, Julie (Larry) Pellicano of Destin, FL; two sons, Carl Elliott of Cape Girardeau, MO and Jeff (Jeanne) Usher of Steelville, MO; nine grandchildren, Jennifer Humphrey of Viburnum, MO, Amanda (Teddy) Williams of Webster Groves, MO, Adam Green of St. Louis, MO, Thomas Green of Rolla, MO, Ben Conley of Chesterfield, MO, Lauren (Shawn) Warren of St. Louis, MO, Nicole Pellicano of Destin, FL, David (Lauren) Usher of Ballwin, MO and Sarah (Garrett) Auston of Springfield, MO; granddaughter-in-law, Ashley Usher of Olatha, KS;  eleven great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren; other relatives; and friends.

The Family received friends from 11:00 a.m. until time of service on Friday, July 17, 2026 at the Britton-Bennett Funeral Home, Steelville, MO.

Funeral services were held at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, July 17, 2026 with Rev. Paul Davis officiating. Special music of "Old Rugged Cross", "Amazing Grace", My Chains are Gone" and "Who Am I" was played.

Committal prayer and interment were in the Maple Grove Cemetery, Viburnum, MO.

Honored to be casket bearers were David Usher, Ben Conley, Josh Curtis, Shawn Warren, Larry Pellicano, Dalton Castens, Adam Green and Thomas Green.

The Usher Family was served by the Britton-Bennett Funeral Home of Steelville, MO.

Memorials in June's name may be given to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
501 St. Jude Place, Memphis TN 38105
Tel: 1-800-822-6344