June L. Gianis, BiographyPorter County biographical sketches . . . .
Transcribed biography of June L. Gianis
JUNE L. GIANIS
June L. Gianis is the daughter of Lydia Lenius Westbay and Goodwin M. Westbay whose parents, Jerusha Williams Westbay and Leander Westbay, came from Lake Co., Ind. to a farm in Porter Twp., Porter Co. in 1898. In 1919 June was born on that farm on CR100S. She went to first grade at Kenworthy School. Locally, the school was known as Mud Lake School. It was a one room red brick school on a hill above Mud Lake. Later the bricks were used for Wixson's chicken house which is still being used. June liked school and the teacher so much that she decided on the first day of school to become a teacher. In later years she taught at Morgan Twp. School with her former first grade teacher (Mrs. Joseph) Hazel Brown, who later taught in Valparaiso for many years. June and her brother Lee and sisters Juanita and Eileen attended Columbia, Gardner, Banta and Central Jr. High Schools. June was graduated from Valparaiso High School in 1937. She received her teaching license after completing two years at Central Normal College. She earned a B.S. from Manchester College in 1962, the same year her son Robert graduated from Boone Grove High School. She earned a M.S. from Indiana University in 1967. June has taught 30 years -- 23 at Boone Grove, 27 in Porter County. In 1942 she was married to H. Eugene Phillips. They have two children, Robert E. Phillips and (Mrs. Dennis) Anita Wallace. Both families live in Porter Co. Robert works at McGills. He and his wife Judy Pauley of Milwaukee have a daughter Cindy, 7 years old, and a son Dale who is 5. Anita works at Lowenstines. She has a daughter Bobbie Lynne who is 6. In 1969 June was married to William J. Gianis of Chicago. He is now a letter carrier in Valparaiso. June is active in Fine Art Dept. of Woman's Club, William Henry Harrison Chapter D. A. R. (has held all offices), Salem United Methodist Church of RR 1, Hebron, in United Teacher's Organization, Boone Grove P. T. O. and the International Reading Association.
Source: American Revolution Bicentennial Committee of Porter County. 1976. A Biographical History of Porter County, Indiana. Valparaiso, Indiana: American Revolution Bicentennial Committee of Porter County, Inc. 180 p.
Page(s) in Source: 111
This biography has been transcribed exactly as it was originally published in the source. Please note that we do not provide photocopies or digital scans of biographies appearing on this website.
Biography transcribed by Steven R. Shook