June Marie Metcalf

She was born June 10, 1919, to Rev. Peter and Rachel Norleman in Minneapolis, Minnesota. During her childhood, she moved with her parents from Minnesota across the northwestern states, as her father was transferred from one parish to another every few years, ending up in Everett, Washington. At the age of seventeen, she met her first missionary and became interested in missions. After much reading, she felt led to go to China. She trained as a nurse and received her R.N. from Everett's General Hospital. Covenant Pastor, Walter Johnson, encouraged her in her quest to become a missionary to China.

In the fall of 1944 she enrolled in North Park College where she met Mel Metcalf. They were married September 4, 1945, and graduated from North Park in 1946. Together they served the Covenant Church in Richland, Michigan, for two years before moving to New Haven, Connecticut, where she and Mel studied Chinese for one year. At the 1949 Covenant Annual Meeting in Boston, Mel and June were dedicated for missionary service in China. On December 9, 1949, they set sail for Japan as the doors to China had been closed. During her 36 years of missionary service alongside her husband, June worked with Japanese women, served on the Christian Academy in Japan School Board, did a great deal of entertaining, and raised four children.

She and Mel retired from missionary service in Japan in 1985 and moved to Gresham, Oregon, and then four years later to Seattle, Washington. During this time she and Mel were active in First Covenant Church, Seattle. For four years June served as Stewardship Chairman for the North Pacific Conference Covenant Women. In retirement June and Mel also served the Covenant Churches in Lynnwood and Everett in visitation ministry. June and Mel moved into Covenant Shores in 1992 where they were active residents and developed many friendships over the past quarter century.

June was preceded in death by her husband, Melbourne Metcalf, by her sisters Muriel Swanson and Ruth LaSelle, and by her son-in-law, Phil Larson. She is survived by her four children, Bruce Metcalf (Kris), Judy Cleversey (Gary), Linda Nelson (Tim) and Debbi Larson; her sister, Irma Norleman; ten grandchildren and 32 great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held October 6, 2018, 3PM at Covenant Shores, Mercer Island, Washington. Peace be to her memory.

Memorial gifts for June Metcalf will be directed to Japan Missions Projects.

Checks may be mailed to:

Evangelical Covenant Church

8303 W Higgins Rd.

Chicago, IL 60631

Please note in the memo line that it is a 'gift in memory of June Metcalf'.

Or give a gift online at http://www.covchurchgiving.com/p-670-serve-globally-memorial-gifts.aspx with a note in the box that it is in memory of June Metcalf.