June Earp
March 20, 2013
June Elizabeth Mosher Earp passed away on Tuesday, March 19, in Granger, Iowa. She was 88 years young. She was born in Muscatine, Iowa, on March 25, 1924, to Benjamin Mosher and Martha Elizabeth Sprout Mosher. June graduated from Cornell College with Phi Beta Kappa honors. She taught High School English for one year at Zearing, Iowa. She moved to Des Moines and met her husband, Wyatt, while he was dating her roommate. They were married for over 40 years, loved to entertain, and traveled extensively.
June was a member of Brevity Club, one of the oldest book clubs in Des Moines. She had voracity for reading and would sometimes be reading 4 books at one time. She belonged to a philanthropic sorority and wrote copy for KRNT radio/television. While she worked for Grismer Advertising, she created the Hy-Vee jingle of “…helpful smile in every aisle.” Returning to Des Moines after a brief period in Sarasota, Florida, June continued work in advertising for Iowa Des Moines National Bank. She was the Executive Director of Merle Hay Mall Merchants Association. She also was the lead fundraiser for the initial Blank Park Zoo capital campaign. She became certified as National Society of Fund Raising Executives and worked for Iowa Children’s and Family Services. She was a leader in her field, having one of the first female-owned advertising agencies. She later worked for Goodwill Industries and helped bring the national convention to Des Moines, along with having multiple store sites in the Des Moines area.
June is survived by her son, Wyatt (Sara) Earp; grandsons, Wyatt ‘Coulton’ (Abi Hill) and Morgan Earp; great-granddaughter, Charlie Earp; and sister, Helen McKee of Santa Barbara, CA. June was preceded in death by her husband, Wyatt, and granddaughter Carly Elizabeth Earp.
A celebration gathering will be held on Friday, April 5, 2013, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., at Hamilton’s on Westown Parkway, 3601 Westown Parkway in West Des Moines.
Condolences may be expressed at:
www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com