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June 1, 2008 marked the 95th anniversary of June's birth. June Monasch Oberndorf Stern was a founder and active member of her Book Club for more than 50 years. She loved books, and few of her friends were aware that she struggled with a reading disability. She guessed that it took her at least three hours to read and retain the same number of pages that an average reader could digest in one hour. She spent months preparing for her turn to give an oral book report, often reading several books for contrast and comparison. She researched, took notes and composed a rough draft in longhand. June’s husband, Phil, an articulate attorney for whom reading, writing and speaking came easily, proved to be her capable and loving editor. His secretary would type the report, and June would practice her presentation. Sometimes she asked her daughter-in-law to come to the meeting and read designated passages aloud. She always passed this off as bringing a guest and graciously giving the guest something to do.
In truth, June could not read well aloud. She recalled that she had suffered terribly as a second- and third-grader when she was asked to read in class, and she could not understand why her teachers just told her to “try harder.” She said that for most of her lifetime, she doubted her intelligence. It was not until she was nearing 70 that June was diagnosed with dyslexia. Thanks to a newspaper article about the condition, she recognized her challenges and decided to be tested. Even with a better understanding of her disability, it still took some time for her to talk about it with anyone except Phil. It was only after others in the family were diagnosed with dyslexia that she shared her story with them.
After Phil died, June was left with some investments that would offer her an exciting opportunity to make a difference in the lives of many children. At the age of 88, she established a small, nonprofit foundation dedicated to helping teachers learn the best ways to teach struggling readers, writers and spellers. She did not take this mission lightly. She joined The International Dyslexia Association and attended four annual conferences. She enthusiastically recruited family members to join her cause. They listened to experts, asked questions and found mentors who would lead them in the right direction. June was advised to focus on the critical time frame for reading failure and success—kindergarten through third grade. And to make the most of limited funds, she restricted the Foundation’s reach to teachers and schools in the Twin Cities area. She knew that Phil would have been proud and pleased that his legacy had been invested in her vision. When she died at 92, she had initiated a rewarding effort that her children and grandchildren carry on in honor of both June O. and Philip J. Stern.
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