Share Share this page

Grieving for - Loving June with Country Western Music...

"GRIEVING FOR - LOVING JUNE WITH COUNTRY WESTERN MUSIC"

---

Stan

---

Classic Country Western Music has become my Language of or for Loving June and Grieving for her loss....Over the years since June has passed, I have sought ways to fully express my love for June as well as my grief over June's passing...I have found Classic Country Western music to be an excellent way of doing so...this is the music that both June and I grew up with and loved during our life time...over the years since that sad day in October 2008, I have modified, adapted and changed various existing Classic Country Western songs...many favorites of mine...to more correctly tell the story of my grief at my loss of June as well as my love for her...in the process of letting Classic Country speak with and for me, I have utilized sixteen (16) such favorite songs to tell my story of both love and grief...the hit songs of country western artists Stuart Hamblen, Connie Smith, Carl Smith, George Jones, Ray Price, Faron Young, Vince Gill, Buck Owens, Jim Reeves and Johnny Cash are represented. George Jones leads with four (4) pages and Ray Price has two (2). 

---

Classic Country Western Music is like no other music in this world in describing the sorrows of life, love and death…it has become Stan’s language in describing his grief at the loss of his wife June…the love of Stan’s life…a loss due to Alzheimer’s disease in October of 2008...sometimes I think my life is a country song or a series of country songs...

Classic Country Western music has been the lifetime favorite music for both June and Stan…both were born and raised during the “great depression” days…This is the music that both June and Stan grew up with and the music enjoyed by their families…they all listened to the early day “Grand Ole Opry” on Saturday nights…June and Stan later attended the Grand Ole Opry three different times over the years before Alzheimer’s became a part of the rest of their lives…For the story of June at the Grand Ole Opry see:...

"1990-1996 - June at the Grand Ole Opry."

 

Grand Ole Opry

The "Grand Ole Opry" is sometimes called the "Home of Country WesternMusic." June has always loved the unique sounds of the traditional Country - Western, Blue Grass, and old time Gospel music. Most of us who have roots in and grew up on farms, relate to this form of music. It is almost a part of our heritage. This music is linked to and influenced the early "Rhythm and Blues." Ray Charles is noteworthy for his Rhythm and Blues music in the form of "Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music". (1962) His music had its roots in the 1950's and finalized in the early 1960's. The classic country music has almost no relationship to what is now regarded as the modern Country and Western music….

”The Louisiana Hay Ride” was a contemporary of and certainly influenced the Grand Ole Opry…Other cousins in the Country-Western family of music forms are "Western Swing" (1920's) and "Rockabilly." (1950's)

June's father Henry Rolstad played Country-Western Music with his violin at the local barn dances as did June’s favorite uncle “Jake”. June's family would tune into the "Grand Ole Opry" on Saturday nights as did Stan's family.

Sixteen of the pages on June’s memorial website are pages centered around and on popular classic country western hit songs and music that also serve to describe the sorrow and grief of Stan’s loss of June…These fifteen classic country songs serve to tell and weave a story of Stan’s grief from his loss of June as well as his love for June.

The basic thought pattern or focus of the individual song is enlarged upon and becomes a “modified expression” of Stan’s love for and his grief over his loss of June.

While many will wonder and ponder at this form of grief expression… all who love the Classic Country and Western Music, will find this a natural and normal means of such expressions…

Below is the list of the sixteen (16) basic Classic Country Western songs used by Stan in his expressions of grief and love…they are not listed in a pattern of the progression of Stan’s grief as the first one on the list was one of the last to be added to June's website...instead they are more properly arranged in a representation of June and Stan's life together with the first as June and Stan's meeting...the last represents the eventual family reunion in Heaven...

Alzheimer’s is noted as an “always terminal disease” of  a slow and long progression…a disease, always measured in years and not months…for those losing a loved one to Alzheimer's, they are traveling two paths of grief...the first path is as they watch the  slow but steady march of the disease to the eventual certain death of the loved one....in June's case a 12 year journey into the shadows of Alzheimer's...then the 2nd and more traditional path of grief immediately follows after the death of the loved one...

The 16 Songs and the Country Western Artists Represented in the below listings and this page are

---

"I Overlooked an Orchid" - Carl Smith

"From a Jack to a King" - Jim Reeves

"You and Your Sweet Love" - Connie Smith

"Walk Through This World With Me" - George Jones

"Soft Rain Was Falling" - Ray Price

"When I Called Your Name" - Vince Gill

"Hello Walls" - Faron Young

"The Grand Tour" - George Jones

"A way to Survive" - Ray Price

"A Picture of Me without You" - Goerge Jones

"I'll Share My World With You" - George Jones

"Together Again" - Buck Owens

"This Ole House" - Stuart Hamblen

"I'll Walk Alone" - Marty Robbins

"You" - Connie Smith

"Will The Circle Be Unbroken" - Johnny Cash

---

 

Arrangement of the Listings

Stan’s selected songs are listed below first (1.) by the name of the page on June’s website where it is found and the date it was added to the site, (2.) followed a picture from that page. (3.) Under the page picture is the name of the country western artist noted for the introduction of the song with the date and the actual song title. (4.) Below this listed information is the web link connection to the original page location on June’s website - in bright blue. 

---

 

"I Found an Orchid While Searching for a Rose"

March 2015

June and Stan's Marriage photo

Carl Smith single of 1950, "I Overlooked an Orchid."

June's Website Page: "I Found an Orchid While Searching for a Rose"

---

 

Stan Proposes - "From a Jack to a King"

November 2012 

 Jim Reeves

Jim Reeves 1962, "From A Jack to a King"

June's Website Page: "From a Jack to a King"

 ---

 

"June and Her Sweet Love"

April 2015

Connie Smith 

Connie Smith recording of 1969, "You and Your Sweet Love."

June's Website Page: "June and Her Sweet Love"

---

 

“June, You Walked Through This World with Me!”

 November 2013

 June

George Jones hit song of 1967,” Walk Through This World With Me.

June's Website page: "June, You Walked Through This World with Me!”

---

 

 “Soft Tears were Falling When June Passed Away”

February 2014

Angels crying 

Ray Price’s hit song of 1963 “Soft Rain Was Falling

June's Website page: "Soft Tears Were Falling When June Passed Away”

 ---

 

“June, Nobody Answers When I Call Your Name

March 2013

June 

Vince Gill and Patty Loveless, 1989 hit song “When I Called Your Name”.

June's Website Page: "June, Nobody Answers When I Call Your Name"

--- 

 

“Hello Walls”

September 2012

6025 

Faron Young’s hit song of 1961, “Hello Walls

June's Website Page: “Hello Walls”

---

 

“One Lonely House and One Lonely Man”

April 2013

June and San 15 March 2005 

George Jones hit song of 1974, “The Grand Tour”.

June's Website Page: "One Lonely House and One Lonely Man”

---

 

“A Way to Survive”

 September 2012

Stan 

Ray Price’s hit song of 1961, “A Way to Survive”.

June's Website Page: “A Way to Survive”

--- 

 

"Grief Share Programs - Grieving for June"

 December 2011

Stan Grieving over June 

George Jones hit song of 1972, "A Picture of Me Without You" 

June's Website Page: "Grief Share Programs - Grieving for June" 

--- 

 

"I Shared My World With You"

April 2015

June and Stan 1991 

George Jones hit song of 1969, "I'll Share My World With You"

June's Website Page: "I Shared My World With You"

---

 

“June – We’ll Be Together Again”

June 2012

June and Stan 

Buck Owens hit song of 1964, “Together Again”.

June's Website Page: "June - We'll Be Together Again"

--- 

 

"This Ole House - 6025 Gardena Lane -"

March 2015

June by fireplace 

Stuart Hamblen  hit song of 1954,  "This Ole House."

June's Website Page: "This Ole House - 6025 Gardena Lane -"

 ---

 

June - I'll Walk Alone"

March 2014

I'll Walk Alone 

Marty Robbins, 1965 No.1 song "I'll Walk Alone" 

Connie Smith, 1969 "You" (There will never be Another)

June's Website Page: "I'll Walk Alone"

 ---

 

“Will The Circle Be Unbroken ?”

March 2013

Berg Family 

 Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash, 1972 hit song “Will The Circle Be Unbroken?”

June's Website Page: "Will The Circle Be Unbroken?"

--- 

 

Stan's Comments

Most of the Classic country stars are persons of a solid Christian background. Most of the selected songs that I utilized are ones of or with a Christian message, expectation and or overtone...the only exception would be Faron Young, however the author of his hit song "Hello Walls" was actually Willy Nelson who is a very strong and outspoken Christian gentleman...one of the earliest songs that Willy wrote was "Family Bible"...Most of the stars have Christian Gospel records...Buck Owen's was said to be a born again Christian...George Jone's last words appeared to be George introducing himself to God....Ray Price's last message to his fans was one of being at peace and expressed the expectation that he would be seeing many of them again someday...Vince Gill is noted for a number of his strong Christian Gospel songs...The Lyrics for "Will the Circle be Unbroken" were penned by the Carter-Cash family...Marty Robbins had a series of Christian videos and Connie Smith appeared on Sunday morning Christian gospel broadcasts and was a very outspoken Christian...When hearing a song that I thought expressed my feelings of love and or grief, I would examine the lyrics and make what ever changes I thought needed to be made to tell the story of love or grief in a Classic Country Western sort of way…some changes were slight and some were major…but I always gave credit to the source…the expressions all span the June website years and Stan's years of 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015.

In one case, I had little to do with the final form or content of the country western expression, other then to select the George Jones title song  of “Walk Through The World With Me” as the starting point…In this case, an accomplished lady poet and a friend from Nacogdoches, Texas, Marsha McKneely Ault, did it all…While I selected the final poem title for the page, the entire poem itself is Marsha’s original creation…Marsha selected the perspective of June speaking to me from heaven…Marsha’s research of June’s website gave her what she needed to create the contents in forming a unique and touching poem of June and Stan’s life together…

Of the featured artists on June's pages, all have now passed on except the youngest Connie Smith and Vince Gill...

 

--- 

Reader's Comments

Helen Russin  - Martins Ferry,Ohio - (15 March 2015): "Thank you Stan! I wish I knew the words to express how much I respect you. God Bless you for all you do. This world is a much better place because of you and your lovely June." 

Vicki Reeves  - Azle, Texas - (15 March 2015): "Thank you for sharing this with us Stan! This is the most beautiful tribute that I have ever seen! I can see that you still miss your wonderful wife and loved her so very much!"

Keith Reeves  - Azle, Texas - (15 March 2015): "Thank you Stan! Bless your heart..."

Patti Hanson - Sioux Falls, South Dakota - (15 March 2015): "How inspiring Stan. You've captured the essence of the love you had for and shared with your beloved June..."the love you have for". I'm not one who can share the undying love you demonstrate as I'm divorced and am decidedly not interested in meeting/dating/loving again. I have the upmost respect for what you and June have shared Stan...God Bless You"

Gilda Yen Torino  - Manila, Phillipines - (16 March 2015):"Sending warm hugs for strenght my dear friend. I know how it feels to lose a special one. Do take care please."

Paulan Gordon  - Cincinnati, Ohio - (16 March 2015): "Absolutely amazing."

Marie Crilly - Dublin, Ireland - (16 March 2015):"Love so pure beautiful, Stan god bless you...Thank  you so much for sharing your beautiful story of you and June...may God Almighty take good care of you Stan and all who suffer with this decease. I lost my father and mother to this horrible decease...Mam only a year and 3 months passed it was heartbreaking  I watched my mother fade away from me but thank God I held her hand as she took her last breath...a part of me died with her that nite."

Sharon Kay Burnett York - Springtown, Texas - (16 March 2015): "June was very blessed woman to have had a man like you.I have never seen anything like what you have done with her memories. You are a very ... Shall you never be forgotten. God Bless you 1000 times over...Y'all were blessed to have each other. That is one in a lifetime marriage. Soulmates..."... Stan’s Comments:  "Sharon, thank you for your kind comments…I consider myself to be the one who has been blessed beyond my wildest imaginations…today as I was sitting in the coffee shop of a large grocery store chain having coffee and a sandwich…watching the parade of humanity passing before me and thinking of what my life may have been like without June…I could not help but spontaneously thanking God for my amazing blessings in having June for a lifetime and all that we did together…"

Karen Glover  - Suffolk County, New York - (2 Juloy 2015): "Thanks for the link, I like the way you created it, very interesting for all to learn about the history of your life."

  

 

---

June's Passing

June 1994

After an almost 12 year journey into the shadows of Alzheimer's, early one morning in late October 2008, an exhausted June felt God's gentle touch on her shoulder and heard the words: "Come Home June!" As June lay like a wounded soldier on a battlefield, it was God's Angels that ushered June into a Heavenly Kingdom to the sound of a chorus of Angels...and into June's new home, a "Mansion on the Hilltop", where there is no pain, nor illness nor tears...June's funeral notice as published in the Minneapolis Star in October 2008 can be seen on this website in the drop down menu under the "In Memoriam" label - just Click on:

"June K. (Rolstad) Berg - In Memoriam"