Carolyn June Gifford was born in Shoals, IN on July 5, 1931 to Cecil Dillman and Alma Harrington. Her younger brother John was born 4 years later. Her parents were hardworking, devout, and honest farmers. After moving to the farming community around New Castle during the depression, June graduated valedictorian from Mt. Summit High School in 1949 and went on to attend college at Ball State University, Muncie, IN, where she graduated as a registered nurse in 1953. As a young single woman, she courageously trekked across the country and took a job at Ridgecrest Hospital in China Lake, CA, where she met and fell in love with Lincoln S. Gifford. They were married Oct. 26, 1957 in Salt Lake City. The draft took the newly married couple to Huntsville, AL, where their first son Lincoln Hugh Gifford was born Mar. 23, 1959. Soon after Lincoln’s discharge from the army, Lincoln and June moved to Tooele, Utah where their second son Cameron Douglas Gifford was born Nov. 19, 1960. During this period June contracted histoplasmosis, an incurable lung disease, but a new experimental treatment saved June’s life. This was a difficult time for June but marked the renewal of her Christian faith which remained important to her for the rest of her life. Her husband’s subsequent work relocations took June to New Jersey, Maryland, back to Salt Lake City, and finally Kingston, NY.
June resumed her nursing career at University Hospital in Salt Lake City, starting as a floor nurse, was eventually promoted to nursing supervisor, and in Kingston worked as an emergency room nurse. She also worked as a hospice volunteer for many years in Nashua, NH. Throughout her nursing career June was known as kind, competent, personable, strong under pressure, and always with a great sense of humor. June enjoyed classical music, painting, skiing, camping with her family, cooking, and women’s Bible classes.
June retired from nursing in 1994 while in Kingston, NY. She and Lincoln moved to Nashua, NH to be close to children and grandchildren and enjoyed their church family there for 13 years. June and Lincoln felt the passing years and moved to West Hartford, CT in 2010 to be near the support of son Lincoln and his wife Irene, where June’s warmth and spirituality had a remarkable effect on her Hartford church and Canterbury living communities. June’s husband Lincoln passed on May 16, 2017. June returned home to Bloomington, IN earlier this year, was well cared for by her son Cameron and his wife Chiara, and as she always does, quickly developed meaningful relationships in her church family. June passed away peacefully at the age of 89 January 7, 2021, due to congestive heart failure and kidney failure complications.
June is remembered for her indomitable faith with which she faced adversity throughout her life, even up to the very end. She was always positive, generous, encouraging, and giving. She loved being with people, and somehow always managed to create community around her no matter where she went. She also loved the Bible, was essentially a walking Bible dictionary, and effectively shared her faith with many throughout her life. One can also never forget her sense of humor. She was constantly joking with everyone, doctors, family, strangers in waiting rooms, her friends, often about herself, and it was just another way she gave to so many.
Carolyn June Gifford will be dearly missed, yet her family and friends rejoice in her new abode in the Heavenly City of God, where there is no more sickness or rehabilitation. Memories of her good deeds, love, and righteousness will live on inside of each of us.
June is survived by her brother, John Dillman (Mary Jane) of Mt. Summit IN., stepson, David Gifford (Sharon) of Pine, AZ., sons, Lincoln (Irene) of West Hartford, Cameron (Chiara) of Bloomington, grandchildren, Kathleen Bickel (Tyler) of St. Louis, Sarah of Atlanta, Cameron (Katie) of Atlanta, Emma of Somerset NJ, Daniel of Denver, and Lincoln (Haleigh) of Indiana
Funeral Services will be held, 1:00 p.m., Saturday, January 16, 2021 at Macer-Hall-Marcum & Moffitt Funeral Home, 2011 East Broad Street, New Castle, Indiana. Funeral directors and staff are honored to serve the Gifford family. On-line condolences may be made at www.macerhall.com. Attending in-person is RSVP only. Friends who would like to attend can use the following Zoom link below. Per state mandate, maximum of 25 people are allowed in building at one time and face coverings must be worn at all times.