Life Story: June Spicer
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- This time of year, many of us have Christmas trees filled with ornaments that remind us of a special moment or memory.
For the Spicer family, those ornaments were made with love by their mom June, who passed away last month. June Spicer was a painter and a craft maker.
She loved the holidays and as discovered in this week's Life Story, developed quite a reputation for her distinctive Christmas ornaments.
As a young woman, June Spicer was a busy woman. She and her husband raised six children. But whenever she could, June made time to create art.
"A lot of these are Mom's original designs. She designed the pattern and then did the work as well. So she was very artistic, very creative," said Nina Spicer.
Now more than ever, June's daughters Nina and Rexanne are in awe of the unique decorations their Mom made for Christmas trees. They say she gave them away to family and friends.
"One of my favorites is the robin on the tree that has the cap and the little scarf. There is a little sense of humor to it. That was part of her personality. She had a real dry sense of humor," said Rexanne Spicer.
June loved nature and would often incorporate its beauty into her creations. After raising her kids and traveling the country, June decided to fulfill a dream.
When she was in her 50s, she enrolled in college and earned a degree in art."She always had the compliments from family and friends. But I think to be recognized in an academic environment, that was really pretty special. Kind of a little cherry on top to her," Rexanne said.
June's daughters say they admire their mom's approach to life.
"She was very adventurous. She taught us to be adventurous and explore the world around us. And find beauty in everything. I will carry her with me for the rest of my life. She is an amazing person... and just... she's amazing," Nina said.
June Spicer was 79 years old when she died last month.
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