Audra June Penell of Van Buren, Arkansas, died Friday, July 4, 2025, at Heart of Hospice Unit in Fort Smith, Arkansas. She was born on July 3, 1942, in Coffeyville, Kansas, to the late Aubrey Alanso Pennell and Blanche Elinor (Thiele) Penell Sherman. She was 83 years old. She was preceded in death by her parents; her beloved step-father, Gus Fred Sherman; a brother-in-law, John Strickland; and a nephew, Michael Strickland.

When June was 2 years old, their mother, Blanch Pennell relocated to San Antonio, TX with her and her sister Hellen, ages 2 and 4 years old and would be placed in an orphanage, due to financial difficulty as a single mother.   The girls were 6 and 8 years old, when their mother Blanch Thiele (Pennell) met and married Gus Sherman, at which time they would re-unite as a family.  In no time Gus took on the role of a loving father to his two daughters.   Hellen stated, " I can remember to this day, our first Christmas after we got out of the orphanage, Gus never drove  his entire adult life, he would ride the bus to get to work, one day he saw these large dolls in the toy store across from where he worked.  So he decided instead of riding the bus he would walk to work, so he could use his bus money to save up and pay for the two dolls, he brought them home wrapped up he told us that the packages were for mother and they were lamps for her.    When we opened the packages up and  there were two huge walking dolls, they were almost as big as we were.   He was a good father for both of us girls."

Another story I remember, " Our Daddy hated to spank us, so one time Mother insisted he spank us for something we had done wrong,, so he told us, you two are going to have to yell as if I spanked you and he would hit the chair instead of hitting us.  He never did spank us that I remember, he would threaten to, but he never did, he didn't have to, we knew he loved us and we never wanted to disappoint  our Daddy. "
June later  met and married Marvin Hickerson.   Marvin and June would move to Alva OK, Burns OR, Vale, OR, Anderson, CA, Gresham , OR, and later would follow their friends Loma and Butch Clouse and their two children Kathy and Norman from Redding, CA to Glover, OK.  And move from Glover, Ok to Golden, OK, to Idabel, OK back to Golden, Ok to San Antonio, Tx to Houston, Tx June said she always new when Marvin was ready to move somewhere, she would have a dream just before we would move.  Mom thought it was important to bring her sewing machine, Dad thought his tools where important, I don't know how us as children made the cut on every move but we did.  I know God was always with us and kept us safe and fed.

In 1977 we would land in Broken Bow, OK where June would continue in childcare by caring for children in her home.  One of the children she would continue to care for 10 years, and became part of our family, Tonya Phelps she still calls me Sissy to this day.  June and her former Husband, Marvin would watch their children grow into adults and continue to be family.

June loved movies, collecting porcelain dolls, elephants, she loved a good bargain and going to yard sales finding treasures, for her children, herself and those she loved.  She loved sewing, arts and crafts, making flower arrangements, painting stained glass.

June loved people, she loved children.  She always had a smile for anyone that needed one.  June loved Jesus, and would give her children, the love of Christ by sending them to church on Sunday as children and teaching them to trust in God.  June also grew up as a member of the Lutheran Church.

June had  a son Scott Hickerson and a former daughter in law Precious (Minzhi) Chen (Hickerson) and one daughter Kathy Nichols a son- in-law Jesse P. Nichols,  and their children Cathleen, Jesse Paul, and his wife Heathrynn, and their daughter Aliaña, Victoria, Colten , and Elijah Nichols.  And a son Sherman Hickerson, and daughter in law Brandy Hickerson, and their children, Ty, Sloan and his wife Destini, and Rayn Hickerson.

June would go on to babysit many children throughout the community of Broken Bow, OK one of those children, Tonya Phelps would become a part of our hearts and our family.

June made lifelong friends Tony and Cathy Martinez and family.  She resided Broken Bow, OK where she spent most of her adult life, until she relocated to Van Buren, AR where she later retired from childcare and stayed busy with her arts and crafts, sewing, and making flower arrangements.

She would meet some of her best friends and new members of her family; Yvonne Jones and Richard Smith and their two daughters Latayvia Jones and Leviyona Smith-Jones "Audra Penell.... aka...June Bug....I (Yvonne Jones) miss you so much... we didn't know each other very well at first.. then we became very close ...close like a mother and daughter...then you became MY best friend.  We enjoyed bargain hunting together, dreaming of going on trips to Florida, cruises and other elaborate things to do that gave us all hope in things to come.  You taught me a lot of things that I have very much appreciated over the years...
I never truly understood  how much we would learn from each other, you taught our girls how to do so much... how to sew, to be forgiving and kind to others. Learning new things about collecting porcelain dolls, and other crafts and floral design.

Your personal advice and guidance helped save my relationship, just having you to talk to daily helped me, I truly miss our long talks and cutting up, I listened to your voicemail recording telling me to pick up and such, to keep me on track...etc... I'd laugh and smile afterwards...then return your call.....in my mind I didn't expect them to be your last..." I have really missed being able to talk to you as frequently as we were able when you where home, I am so happy to have been able to get to come and see you just a few days before July 04, 2025. When we found out that would be our last visit this side of Heaven, I thank God for your friendship and love."

We believe friends become family that help us through this life and make it to the end of our journey here on the earth.

A family held "Celebration of Life" will be at 2:00 p.m., September 14, 2025, at Volunteer Fire Department Building, 275 Church Street in Bethel, Oklahoma 74724. The family plans to do a zoom presentation for those who live to far or are unable to attend.

She is survived by a daughter, Hellen (Kathy) Nichols and husband Jesse of Van Buren; two sons, J. Scott Hickerson of Broken Bow, Oklahoma, and Sherman Hickerson and wife Brandy of Golden, Oklahoma; a sister, Hellen Strickland of Kansas; nine grandchildren, Cathleen Nicole Nichols, Jesse Paul Nichols, III, Victoria Junee' Nichols, Colten Wade Nichols, Elijah Blaze Nichols, Ty Hickerson, Sloan Hickerson, Destini Hickerson, Rayn Hickerson; one great-granddaughter, Aliana Von Nichols; nephews, Jon Strickland, Chris Strickland, and Terry Strickland; and special close friends, Tony and Cathy Martinez, Butch and Loma Clause, and Richie and Yvonne Jones.

Cremation arrangements are under the direction of Brotherton Brothers Cremation Services in Fort Smith, 914 N. 32nd St. Fort Smith, AR  72903. (479) 434-3901 or (479) 965-8202

To place an online tribute, please visit www.brothertonbrothersfuneralhomes.com.