June Coston's Obituary
June Wells Coston was the youngest of eight children born to Floyd Benton Wells,Sr. and Elsie Viola Lewis Wells in small Massachusetts town of Cheshire in the Berkshire Mountains. She was born at home, delivered by the town doctor. She attended school there through the tenth grade then moved to Florida. She did not complete high school, she became was a life-long learner.
At age 19, June moved to St. Pete Beach to live with her sister, Eleanor Beatrice Wells Isaacson Hair. After Eleanor was led to the Lord by Archie Porter, they both attended the First Baptist Mission church and were discipled by Pastor T. Paul Lorraine and wife Edie. It was there, met Robert W. Coston who also attended the church.
On June 16, 1954, Bob and June were married and moved into their little apartment. It was apparent that the newlyweds were going to face one of the first of many challenges together. His heart had been damaged by rheumatic fever as a child and later, severe deprivation after being captured at the Battle of the Bulge in 1944. He was a POW in Germany until liberation in April 1945. After a long rehabilitation, he subsequently found his way to Florida. By this time, he needed heart surgery. Leaving June in St. Pete Beach, Bob traveled alone to the Veteran’s Hospital in Memphis, TN for the risky procedure. Bob’s surgery was successfully completed in February 1955 . It was in --during his long recovery, Bob received word that his wife was expecting TWINS. One doctor noted on his medical report that Bob had a mild cardiac infarction at this happy but surprising news! By March 1955, June and Bob were reunited. June dedicated herself to learning how to care for a heart patient AND be a parent of two little girls born on Sept. 12, 1955. June began her quest to collect information on nutritional needs, medical and physical requirements of caring for her husband. She found it quite helpful to have the extra hands of her disabled husband—he was great at cradling, expert at diapering and caring for his girls.
The little family moved to their forever home on 7245-34th Street N. in St. Pete and on April 23,1958, a son, Robert Wheeler, Jr. was born. On November 15, 1962, another son, Stephen Alexander was born. Finally, October 10, 1965, a little surprise that mom called, “ her little gift from heaven” - Lynn Annette arrived!
June honed her skills at cooking healthy meals ( wheat germ in everything, NO SALT, NO FAT, only healthy ice MILK, LOW sugar, no junk food or sodas). June held the fort whenever her husband was hospitalized. She made sure the kids did their homework, attend AND participate in activities at their neighborhood church, Friendship Baptist Church. She loved teaching Sunday School for toddlers. She conscientiously bringing her own kids along to help clean and sanitize the toys and bedding in the church nursery every Saturday as well….health was always a priority.
She found ways to be generous with those less fortunate-- even when the family budget was stretched to its limits. June kept a large narrow box under her bed. It held all kinds of items that she squirreled away over the course of the year. She’d buy ‘bulk “items- a pack of ten pencils were disassembled and paired with a ten pack of note pads. .. a pack of underwear would magically appear under the Christmas tree as five individually wrapped gifts.
She clipped coupons, dragged the kids to at least three different grocery stores to shop the best deals. She’d enlisted her children to secretly bless those who were in need -delivering Christmas gifts under cloak of darkness on Christmas Eve. It became a tradition in the Coston household.
June was resourceful and creative…sometimes comical. Taking an accomplice, her son Robert, they would visit a dumpster at a local carpet manufacturer at night. Clamber up over the opening, fannies in the air, flashlights in hand, the other hand straining to pick up choicest scraps, nicest colors to carry home. As the family slept, June spent many nights over several months cutting, piecing and gluing a “Joseph’s carpet of many colors” on the living room floor! It was a wonderous sight when finished….it also was a treat to the several pairs of bare Florida feet that pounded that hard floor. Rather than sweeping a perpetually sandy floor, she found vacuuming the new carpet made quick work of cleaning!
The years seemed fleetingly full of the challenges and rewards of learning and growing, living, loving…the stuff of life with a house full of kids. In 1978, Bob’s heart had grown weaker. June’s anxiety and fear over the impending eventuality of facing life without her husband was overwhelming. Bob’s first near death experience in 1953 prepared him for his last surgery. On December 14, he underwent another surgery at the Tampa Veteran’s Hospital…it was not the Lord’s will that he survived this time. June was to face another very difficult challenge during her life.
In 1993, Eleanor asked June to share a small condo on St.Pete Beach. The sisters were together again. Although often emotionally fragile, June was of sturdy New England stock and always walked everywhere as young woman even pregnant with twins …then as a spry eighty year old. She made regular treks to the grocery store and thrift shops, stopping along her route to visit with neighbors and friends. It was when her sister, Eleanor, became ill, June discovered her natural nursing skills that helped her sister recover. Eleanor and June enjoyed fellowship and worship with friends at First Baptist of St.Pete Beach for several years before moving to Mission Hills in Clearwater, just a few blocks from her daughter, Beverly. The sisters lived together until 2013. Eleanor died at age 98 in 2017.
June spent the remaining eight years living with her daughter, Beverly and family. June was loved and cared for, able to share in the full and busy life of family. She is survived by her children: Barbara Weller, Beverly Hunkin, Robert Coston, Jr., Steven Coston, and Lynn Lawrence, her 12 grandchildren,
and 19 great grandchildren!
What’s your fondest memory of June?
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Share a story where June's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with June you’ll never forget.
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