In Honor: June Deater Sorber

In Honor of June Deater Sorber
Submitted by: Claude A. Sorber

June Ellen Deater Sorber

  • Born May 26, 1922
  • 7th Child of Alvin & Ellen Deater
  • Married Robert Philip Sorber
    • Daughter: Isabelle (Married Leroy Butler)
    • Son: Claude A. (Married Eunice Oney)
    • Daughter: Judy (Married Joe Neilson)
    • Daughter: Alice (Married Larry Steltz)
    • Daughter: Julie Dee (Married Irv Markle)
  • 5 Children
  • 15 Grandchildren
  • 17 Great Grandchildren
  •  2 Great-Great Grandchildren

Mom is family oriented. She loves her kids and grand kids. She prays for them and remembers their birthdays and anniversaries. She loves going to parties for them.

She has deep roots in her home. She and dad rebuilt, remodeled, landscaped and raised their children in this home, along with several foster children. Her home is always open to guests and overnight visitors.

She is adventurous and has hunted and bagged several deer. She has fished, but does not like catching eels!

When I was five years old, she took me to church with her one Sunday evening. When she got home, dad asked, “Where is Claude?” I was still asleep on the pew at church. With no phones at the time, the pastor waited for her return.

Mom likes her morning coffee and enjoys working the daily crossword puzzle. She may have called you for an answer!

She will play you a good game of scrabble or Phase 10 and is always willing to learn a new game to play.

She faithfully feeds the birds, winter and summer. She can tell you their species without looking them up in her bird books. All of her visitors check to see what birds are visiting her feeder that day.

The squirrels steal the seeds; she grabbed one by the tail and ended up with the end of the squirrel’s tail as a souvenir.

The bears also like the seeds, so she would take the feeders in before dark. One bear showed up before dark, and she swatted it with her broom. A bear also broke the window screen and climbed into the mud room where she keeps cans of bird seed.

We had an old Jeep—no top, no sides—that she used to take us kids to the creek for a swim and picnic on a hot summer day. She still can be found by the cool water when it is hot and muggy.

She will be at the Deater Reunion in July, with a smile and a pan of baked beans.

Tell her “hello” and give her a hug.


My mother is my best friend, my mentor, my inspiration. She has been my counselor and my advisor. She has comforted me in my grief and uplifted me when I was low.—Submitted by Alice Steltz


To My Mother
By Julie Wood

My mother hardly ever calls me by my name. Alice, Judy, Belle, are a few to name.

She knows exactly who I am, but she calls me Boot again.

My mom is not mixed up or confused when she says Belle tie your shoes. She knows it’s me that she is speaking to But she calls me Beulah very often, too. I am not worried or upset To think I remind her of Beulah yet. I do the same, you know, when I talk to my children, also. I call them who they are not and they remind me very often yet.

I say, too, I know who you are. I was just thinking of your sister who moved away so far. A split personality is what I must have To be called by so many names in a conversation my mom and I had. It’s not a person she sees, But the love of God we share from seed to seed. I love you, mom. Guess Who


My Hero
By: Autumn Wood

In our world today, everyone has a hero. When I was first asked who my hero was, I said, “I don’t have one.” Whether the reader knows it or not, everyone has a hero. I would like to tell you about mine. She is June Sorber, my grandmother.

One quality I like about her is the way she is giving. We had a big grease fire in our kitchen once. Everything was black—the curtains, the ceiling, the stove—it was all black. Eight people live in our house, so we are always “going, going, going.” She came down to our house and scrubbed everything. My grandmother comes down to our house giving her time and energy, picks up a bucket of soap and water and says, “OK, where do you want me to start?” While she works, she is so happy and sings.

Another great quality I like about my gram is she is very family oriented. She loves family gatherings. Every holiday she calls everyone to get them to come for dinner. We all go to her house or Aunt Judy’s house. She goes to every family reunion and reminds us about it. She really loves her family.

The best quality I think my grandmother has is that she is so full of energy. She is seventy years old and still has a job. Besides having a job, she cleans her house. This house is spotless. This is no small house either. A four bedroom, two bath, living room, dining room, and even attic, basement, and porch. She mows and rakes her yard. She is a Sunday School teacher at her church. Sometimes I wonder who has more energy, she or I.

A hero is a great thing to have or to be. Heroes come in all different ages, shapes, sizes and colors. A hero is someone close to a person or someone a person knows by reading about them. Most of all, a hero is someone to look up to.