Betty June Nunley

Betty June Hamm James Nunley, 88, of Iuka, MS, died Thursday, January 7, 2021, at the North Mississippi Medical Center in Iuka. When we are blessed with the gift of life, we know at some point we must give it back. Betty June Hamm was born September 29, 1932, the first-born daughter of Raymond and Johnnie McMahan Hamm, living in the Oldham Community in Iuka, MS. Betty June was lifted back into the arms of our Lord on Thursday, January 7, 2021.

“Bet”, as she was affectionally called, married Roy Jack James in 1949. Together they had six children, Patricia, Carol, Sherry, Jackie, Debbie, and Lisa Ann. Betty June and Roy Jack lived in Chicago or surrounding areas from 1950 until 1968 when they returned home to Iuka. Needless to say, Betty was a busy full time Mom, but even with their growing family she found time to enroll in secretarial classes, soon securing a job in the medical records departments of Presbyterian-St Luke’s Hospital and St. Anthony’s Hospital in Chicago. In 1964 the family moved to the suburbs of Glendale Heights and welcomed their sixth child, Lisa Ann. Betty worked for Boise Cascade before the family moved back to Iuka in 1968. Once settled back in Iuka, Betty started her new job at the Iuka Hospital in the Medical Records Department, which later became part of the NMMC network. Betty retired in 1994 with 25 years of service.

Betty’s clerical skills were enviable, typing upwards of 80 words a minute, transcribing medical records, and typing dictation. With long slender fingers Betty June was also a self-taught artist. She loved painting folk art type crafts, and painstakingly painted nature scenes in oil and watercolors. She was also an avid dog lover, raising registered puppies as varied as her talents. She always loved treasure seeking, perusing flea markets, antique stores, yard sales, and salvage yards. Even while living in Chicago she would load up the kids for a Saturday treasure hunt at Kohlars Salvage Yard in Villa Park, once finding a 4-poster bed allegedly owned by Al Capone. Betty loved Springtime, especially when she could be outside to work in her flower beds and display her new ‘yard art’. Much like her grandmother, Maw Mac, Bet had a green thumb and could root just about anything. She found great solace tending to her flowers and azalea bushes and raking leaves, tons of leaves! This type of quietness helped soothe her before Alzheimer’s Disease stole her memory of all the things she loved, including her own children, and eventually she lost the ability to walk, feed herself, or talk. Though the last few years have been increasingly difficult for Momma, there has been no lack of love or care. Lisa Ann became Momma’s full-time caregiver, pushing the pause button on her own career and life. With skilled and loving hands and great patience, Lisa has been Momma’s ‘everything’. Roles were reversed and the baby of family was the one to feed, bathe, soothe and protect our Mother. My sisters and I are eternally grateful to Lisa for stepping up and stepping in to care for our Mother for the past eight years so she could be comfortable in her own home surrounded by familiar things.

Betty June is survived by her daughters, Pat Rader (Norm) of Mt Carroll, IL, and Carol Colin, Debbie Bowling (Wayborn), and Lisa Coleman (Ken), all of Iuka, MS; 13 grandchildren, Cindy Prats (Bob) of St Charles, IL, Debra Thompson (Greg) of Glen Ellen, IL, Theresa Colin (Paul Perini) of Florida,  Laura Yun (Merwin) of Illinois, Denise Balice (Tony) of Bolingbrook, IL, Shelly Bateman (Tony) of Springfield, IL, Jonathan Sanders of Cullman, AL, Brandi Jewell (Michael) of Hartselle, AL, Jeremy Sanders (Caroline) of Jonesboro, AR, Brian James of Texas, Jeremy James of Arizona, Melanie Robinson (Heath) of Iuka, and Whitney Dawson (Drew) of Iuka; 31 great-grandchildren; and seven great-great-grandchildren.

Including her parents Betty June was preceded in death by her first husband, Roy Jack James; her second husband, R. C. Nunley; a son, Jackie James; and a daughter, Sharon Brajkovich; her siblings, Donna Hicks (Bobby), Alice Mae Wadkins (Milford), Mary Sanders (James), Barbara Holtsford (Danny), Billy Hamm, and William Sidney Hamm; a grandson, Michael Bowling; and a great-grandson, Koty Pratts.

Cutshall Funeral Home has been entrusted with the cremation of our Mother and Nana. With the greatest respect of our Mother’s wishes there will be private interment. Due to the increasing rampage of Covid 19, the children have chosen to honor their Mother and Nana and celebrate her life with a memorial service at a later date when out of state family can safely attend. We thank you for your prayers and understanding.  Please stay safe.