Carma June MacKenzie

Carma June MacKenzie

June 19, 1933 – September 24, 2026

Carma June MacKenzie died at home in Boise, Idaho, on September 24, 2026, at age 93. She was surrounded by her family and caregivers. June had a strong will, a generous heart, and leaves behind a legacy of love, fun and stories her family will be telling for years.

Affectionately, if a bit irreverently, known to her family as “god—with a little ‘g’,” she was born Carma June Johnson (“June”) in Pingree, Idaho, to Nadeen and Harry Johnson. The Johnsons farmed in eastern Idaho and were always willing to try something new; and they instilled that enterprising spirit in their children. June liked to recall how she enjoyed trips with her father and her little brother, Howard, into Blackfoot to sell chickens. She never reported whether the chickens liked the ride. They did, at least, get to see Blackfoot.

When June was 13, Nadeen and Harry attended a Seventh-day Adventist tent revival, joined the church, and moved the family to Payette to be nearer its Adventist community. June attended Gem State Academy in Caldwell, ID; and according to those qualified to judge, she was the prettiest girl in Payette, if not all of Idaho. To date, the rest of Idaho has had plenty of time to dispute the claim without a peep to the contrary.

As a teenager, June had a large group of friends who she knew from school and church. Always well-liked, she was also the belle of the ball on water skis. Among her tricks was riding atop two young men’s shoulders while they skied. All needed balance and bravery, but June (being several feet higher) had the better view – she also had farther to fall. Rarely put off by such things - she did it anyway.

When June was 17, she married Harold Bassford and they later welcomed two sons, David Eugene and Dennis Jay. After the marriage ended, June raised the boys with Nadeen and Harry nearby and very much a part of their lives. Between their mother and grandparents, the boys rarely got away with even petty mischief, much less serious trouble—a state of affairs they considered deeply unfair.

As her sons grew, June supported their family by doing whatever needed doing. She styled women’s hair in their small kitchen in Payette, eventually acquiring a beauty school of her own in Weiser. She also worked for Treasure Valley Labs and State Farm Insurance. June was a hard worker and an even better saver. She saved her money and, whenever possible, everything else. She even washed, folded, and reused tin foil. If the box said “disposable,” June often took that as a mere suggestion.

But, her thrift had its purpose. Over the years, June helped more people than most of us will ever know, often with a generosity that made all that saving look like careful preparation for the occasion. She had a sound idea of what things are worth and had a sounder idea still of what people are worth.

In 1973, June and her mother bought a little cabin in Garden Valley, Idaho. It held far more people than its size suggested: those who arrived early got beds; those who arrived late got stars. And, family and friends came by the dozens to raft the river, play parlor games, and dance the Chicken Dance. And, owing to the legacy that June and Nadeen created … they still do.

Under June’s watch, practical jokes were as much a cabin tradition as the dancing, and no one was ever exempt. June kept a box of spring-loaded, snake-filled, Pringles cans; whoopee cushions; and fake spiders – giving her a considerable advantage over anyone who showed up with only a swimsuit. And newcomers were always fair game. By their second visit, most had learned to inspect the snacks, check their chairs, and bring a trick of their own.

June married Jack MacKenzie in 1982. Jack called her “Daisy” and the two spent many happy hours in Garden Valley, working hard, playing hard, riding ATVs and being members of the snowmobile club. Jack ran MacKenzie Body and Fender in Ontario, OR. He had a knack for being able to fix nearly anything mechanical. The job of keeping the business books ship-shape fell to “Daisy”.

Throughout her life, Carma June was known by many names: “Daughter”, “Sister,” “Mother”, “Grandma”, “June”, “Juney-Bug”, “Daisy” and the previously mentioned “god with a little g.” The last nickname is the family’s tribute to a woman who had often solved a problem before anyone else knew there was one. June liked a plan, preferably one made early enough to be useful. She did not always get the little things right— who has time for every little thing?—but she had a remarkable way of nailing the big things. She knew when to stand firm and when to let someone else think that they were right … June never begrudged anyone the credit for carrying out her plan.

Above all, June loved without condition. She was generous with her time, her help, and her heart, especially when someone needed her most. She made people feel welcome whether in a crowded cabin or in her life. You could count on June for good judgment, a good laugh, a reassuring word, and the certainty that she would stand beside you when it mattered. June will be profoundly missed by her family and everyone who was lucky enough to know her. They broke the mold when they made June MacKenzie … June would probably have saved the pieces.

June was preceded in death by her husband, Jack MacKenzie; her parents, Nadeen and Harry Johnson; and her brother, Howard Johnson. She leaves behind her sons, David Bassford and his wife, Sara, and Dennis Bassford and his wife, Robin; her grandchildren, Sam Bassford and his girlfriend, McKenna; and Katie Ehlert and her husband, Conner; and her step-children: Kathy White and her husband Mark, Susan Hoffman and her husband Jeff, David Mackenzie and his wife Shawnee, Mark Mackenzie and his wife Kim, James MacKenzie and his wife Nicole. She also leaves a wonderful family of caretakers, Lori Keller, Susan Reed, Trisha Dabel, Bree Gager, Ally Keller, Nicole Manning, Alex Stark, Faythe Towell, and Hailee Zimmerman— all of whom were dear to her.

Arrangements are under the care of Shaffer-Jensen Memory Chapel in Payette, Idaho. A service for June will be held at 11:00 a.m. on October 23, 2026, at the Payette Seventh-day Adventist Church, 305 S. 9th St., Payette, Idaho. A luncheon will follow at the Portia Club, 225 N. 9th St., Payette, Idaho.