From Gary Tietjen, Ernst Albert Tietjen: Missionary and Colonizer (Bountiful, Utah: Family History Publishers, 1992), 360–65
“June was born March 10, 1888, in Ramah. She was the seventh of nine children born to Ernest and Emma O. When June was about eight years old the family moved to Bluewater, New Mexico where she lived until she was 20 years old. She lived with no affluence. Their home had dry-pack dirt floors. There was no citrus fruit grown. They only got that when the train came through. Her father owned a sawmill at Bluewater Lake and he also farmed. She was a very obedient child who willingly helped with the chores assigned to her. Compassion was one of June’s strongest gifts. While she lived at home she took care of one of her half sisters, Permelia (who was her favorite). Permelia was sickly and died at the age of 13 years. June talked of her a lot. She really took care of her and loved and mothered her. It really hurt June’s feelings when she died.
“Because June’s parents were married in the Temple, she grew up within the confines of the Gospel teachings. Her testimony of the Restoration of the Gospel was ever-growing and always played an important part in her life.
“June went to grade school and high school and then on to St. Johns Academy in Arizona for two years. Here she met her future husband, Franklin Slade. Frank liked all the girls until he met June and then he settled down. He courted her for 10 years before she ‘gave in’ and married him. During her tenure at St. Johns Academy, June participated in several musicals. She was not only beautiful, but she had a lovely voice and enjoyed singing.
“When June was 20 years old she moved to Montpelier, Idaho, to live with friends. Two years later she moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, and there she remained for the rest of her life. She arrived in Salt Lake with Navajo blankets to sell to help earn money for school. Before she married she was a waitress in the Hotel Utah Coffee Shop so she could save money to go to hair dressing school.
“After moving to Salt Lake City, Franklin Slade returned from his mission and went to Salt Lake to renew his courtship with June. One of the family jokes is that Grandma finally married Grandpa just to stop him from chasing her. You can tell that June did not rush into anything by the age that she waited to marry (28 years old!) Finally, on 28 June 1916, June Tietjen and Franklin Slade were married in the Salt Lake Temple. After their wedding they walked to their new home at 13th South and 1st East. As their posterity, we have loved and appreciated this beautiful example that they set for us of being married in the Temple. Oh but that all of their posterity would follow this example!
“During the next nine years, three girls were blessed to come into this family: Geraldine (born in 1918), Frances (born in 1920), and Jackine (born in 1927). June gave birth to all of her children at home with the help of a midwife. Mrs. Laubengaier was her last mid-wife. June contracted phlebitis after Jackine was born. After the first few years of marriage, two of June’s nieces came from New Mexico to live with she and Grandpa. In the years to follow, they brought others, and thus Grandma and Grandpa pioneered the way for a great many of her relatives that live in Salt Lake now. One of these nieces was Vernice Chapman Reed. Through all the years Vernice was just like a daughter. Vernice was a great help to June to the last day of her life.
“Before 1930 Grandma and Grandpa bought a home at 1018 Blaine Avenue in Salt Lake. Their payments were $29 per month. It cost approximately $3000. At one point they nearly lost this second home. Grandma had a beauty shop in her home and perhaps that was how she was able to continue to make payments on this home. It is interesting to note that her certificate giving her authority to dress hair excluded her from cutting hair! This is a talent she has passed on. Their third home was at 19th E. 39th S. where they built a mink ranch. They then moved to 13th E. 27th S. Their fifth and last home was at 1361 S. 17th E.
“Grandpa Slade was a barber by profession and a Republican by choice. Grandma was a Democrat. She was very active in Church: singing in the Stake Singing Mother’s Choir, singing solos in church and Visting Teaching. Grandpa was a High Priest and became very active after Grandma became ill and had her stroke. Grandma went to the Salt Lake Temple every two or three months. She traveled there by streetcar. She loved to go to the Temple. Her mother, Emma, worked in the Salt Lake Temple and certainly set the example for her.
“June loved to travel. In 1933 she traveled to Bluewater, New Mexico, then on to Gallup to see her family. She went to California five times, flying two times, driving one time, and taking the train one time to see her daughter Frances in both Riverside and San Bernardino. One time she drove to San Francisco with her daughter Jackine. Both Grandpa and Grandma took one vacation together in the 1950’s and went to the Painted Desert in Arizona and then to Roswell, New Mexico.
“Among June’s greatest talents was that of singing. She sang in Church for many years. From 1944 to 1947 she sang in the Messiah production. She sang 2nd Soprano. She also sang with the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers. She took voice lessons from Jesse Evans Smith and Edna Evans Johnson. She loved to hear Jesse Evans Smith sing. She always sang around the home. She played the piano to practice her singing. Besides singing, getting dressed up (she always wore a hat, flower, and fur) and going to town shopping was one of her favorite fun things to do. She never drove a car, but instead took the streetcar. Her favorite color was red. She was a large lady, standing five feet, 10 inches and weighing 170 lbs. She was a good cook. She always had homemade bread handy and loved to cook beans and smoked salmon. She never cooked anything fancy, but it was all very good. She taught her daughters how to cook. They loved to make fudge and taffee and have a ‘taffee pull’. The girls’ favorite food was toast dipped in a big bowl of hot cocoa. Thanksgiving dinner was always at June’s home.
“June loved to read. Edgar Guest was one of her favorite authors. She loved the Relief Society Magazine, Reader’s Digest, the scriptures and many different poems. She was a member of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers and taught lessons at their meetings. Both she and her youngest daughter, Jackine, took community classes in English at Irving Jr. High School.
“When the daughters would come with their children to eat with Grandma and Grandpa, they would always offer to help clean up afterwards, but June would always say ‘Take your little kiddies and run home.’ That statement has become a traditional saying in all of our homes even down four generations.
“During the years when the girls were growing up, June was always very patient with them. She made sure that they had piano and dance lessons. She always took a nap in the afternoon and when Jackine was little she would nap with her. Before going to sleep, Jackine would safety-pin herself to Grandma and then June would get up and unpin herself before Jackine would awake. Jackine could never figure out how Grandma ‘got away.’ Francie was always ‘allowed’ to wash the dishes. Francie was always the ‘right age.’ Jerry was ‘too old’ and Jackie was ‘too young.’ There was a big rocking chair in the kitchen and in the early evenings she would tell stories, especially to her grandchildren. She loved the twilight.
“She also loved to work in the yard and grow flowers. She did not like to expose herself to the sun so she would wear a big hat and stockings on her arms and hands.
“The most important person in June’s life was her husband, who stood faithfully by her side. He never left her for any length of time and seemed to anticipate and fulfill her every wish and desire. On 9 Sept. 1964, June Tietjen Slade died in her home after having had a stroke nine years previously and a broken hip which made her bedridden for the last year of her life. Geraldine took care of her and nursed her during her last nine years. Up to the end June was a true saint and a gentle lady, displaying much compassion throughout all of her life. D&C 46:19 best describes June: ‘To some it is given by the Holy Ghost to know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that He was crucified for the sins of the world.’ June had this gift and her posterity will ever be blessed because of it and her!”