June H. Souther, born Ha Jung Hee, passed away on December 1, 2025. She lived her life in service — service to her family, her church and, most importantly, to God. She was the first daughter and served her family by working and earning money to feed them. She even bought her parents a house. She served her three children by never wavering in her love for them, always loving them and looking for ways to help them when they needed it most. However, her greatest calling was being God’s servant, and her greatest achievement was being the person who built the Statesville Korean ARP Church. She worked tirelessly with energy, passion and love to find a home for other Koreans to freely worship God together in a small town.
June was born January 29, 1936, in Kaesong, Korea, during the Japanese occupation. Her father, being a smart man, moved his family to Seoul prior to the Korean War and before the border was established. They left everything, including family, to stay free. June knew what oppression and enslavement felt like. She married Luther Souther, now deceased, and came to America to start a new and better life. She had to learn English proper, adopt a new culture, and find new friends. She was also pregnant when she first arrived in the USA. She had three children, all born within the first three years after her arrival in 1961. She became an American citizen in 1965, learned to drive and became employed at various textile mills in Statesville to send money home to her parents. She was a very industrious woman!
She spent her life doing for others, sharing her faith, her time and her vegetables. She loved working her garden, and it was a huge garden for one little person. June loved sharing her beans with others. She showed God’s love for us all with her doing and sharing. After a number of years with Alzheimer’s, God called her home. June is survived by her three children, Julia Souther (Steven Baldash), Keith (Melissa) Souther, and Michael (Sherry) Souther. She has two granddaughters, Jaclyne Doggett and Kristin Souther, along with one great granddaughter. June has one sister Jung Won (Young Moon) Han, who lives in Atlanta. Of her other five siblings, two still live in South Korea. June has 17 nieces and nephews, most of whom are still in Korea. She has two that live in the USA, Atlanta, Ga., and Seattle, Wash.. Her parents, Ha Dong Woon and Ma Bok Jum, are deceased.
The family will hold a visitation service on Thursday, December 4, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Nicholson Funeral Home, 135 E. Front Street, Statesville. Her funeral service will be held at Statesville Korean ARP Church, 221 Ivyrun Court, Statesville on December 5 at 2 p.m. The service will be held in Korean and English. A short burial service will be held at her final resting place, New Sterling ARP Church, 580 New Sterling Road, Stony Point. Both of June’s sons, Keith and Mike, will serve as pallbearers as well as Steven Baldash, Tim Choi, John Hofman and Bradley Wood.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that a donation be made to Statesville Korean ARP Church by clicking here.
Nicholson Funeral Home is serving the family.