Norma "June" Abernathy passed peacefully into the arms of Jesus on May 28th, 2023 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Services will be 10:00 a.m. Saturday, June 3, 2023 at the Strode Funeral Home Chapel in Stillwater with burial to follow in the Fairlawn Cemetery. Immediately following will be a luncheon at the Elks Lodge located at 202 E. McElroy Rd in Stillwater. All family and friends of June are invited to attend.

She was born on June 2nd, 1920, in Hatfield, Missouri to H. George and Dorothy Fifer. She graduated High School in Harveyville, Kansas in 1938. While attending a USO dance, she met the love of her life, Arless Abernathy. They were married on February 19th, 1943 in Topeka, Kansas and were together for 57 years until Arless's passing in 1999. Five children were born from this union; Arlene, Kathleen, Patrick, Michael, and Dennis.

June graduated from Clark's Business School in Topeka and eventually the family moved to Yates Center, Kansas. Here they opened Abernathy's Jewelry Store in 1954 and June successfully raised her family of 5 children while she simultaneously worked at the store. Finding a perfect business opportunity, Arless and June loaded up and headed south to the college town of Stillwater, Oklahoma in 1968. They purchased Mattox Jewelry Store in downtown and shortly thereafter renamed it Keepsake Corner Jewelry. She was a savvy businesswoman and worked at the jewelry store until her retirement in 1996.

Arless and June loved to travel and sightsee. They were members of two camping clubs and visited all 50 states during their travels. Arless and June made lifelong friendships with the members of the clubs and also loved to take their young grandchildren on trips with them. Each one getting to go individually on a trip of a lifetime in the big motorhome.

June's life revolved around family whom she loved fiercely. Every Thanksgiving, everyone would make the drive to her house and gather for food, reminiscing, and laughter. She was a master gamer you could say. Skip-Bo, dominoes, crossword puzzles, and sudoku were some of her favorites. She loved to fish, garden, cook, watch Perry Mason and Lawrence Welk, and attending family reunions to catch up with her favorite cousins. She loved to crochet. She made sure all her grandchildren had a handmade blanket of their own, often picking out their favorite color yarn. She was honored in 2020 where she was one of 134 people to receive a Centenarian of Oklahoma induction and was awarded an official title of a "Golden Okie."

June was predeceased by her husband Arless Abernathy; her son Michael Abernathy; her sister Edith March; her brother Donald Fifer; her sons-in-law Ralph Hegwald and Clair Tedder, Jr.; her grandson Chad Tedder; great-grandson Andrew Hegwald.

She is survived by her daughters Arlene Hegwald and Kathleen Tedder-Lovell (Keith); her sons Patrick Abernathy and Dennis (Polly) Abernathy; 10 grandchildren, Bill, Kyle, Kelly, Tosha, Tamara, Payton, Joshua, Derick, Lacy, and Logan; 22 great-grandchildren; five great-great-grandchildren, and good friend Jayne Lane.