The golden heart of Ruben Walter Junes stopped beating on the sunny spring morning of Tuesday, March 20, 2018. He was born Dec. 3, 1937, to Ferdinand and Ilmi Junes near the town of Menahga, Minn.
When Ruben was age 9, his parents separated and he left Minnesota with his dad's stepfamily. They arrived in Grangeville late in the summer of 1948, and first settled in Fenn before later moving to Grangeville. Ruben graduated from Grangeville High School in 1955. He enlisted into the U.S. Army in 1957, where he served his country and supported his fellow soldiers for two years while serving in the medical corps. Ruben also was recognized as an expert rifleman.
Upon returning to Grangeville, he worked for Knapp Crushing for a period of time before going to work as a heavy diesel equipment mechanic for Brown Motors for many years, where he readily made many friends of co-workers and customers.
In the early 1960s, with the help of his brother, Archie, he built his A-frame home in the Grangeville foothills with a beautiful view of Camas Prairie. During that same time Ruben also began pursuing his remaining lifelong interest of buying and selling antiques. In the early 1980s, he moved to Lewiston, where he continued working as a diesel mechanic for Vic Allmon until he retired in 1995 and began his full-time love of scouring yard sales, attending countless auctions and perusing flea markets throughout the region.
Ruben was always generously helping family, friends, neighbors and acquaintances through endless good deeds of building, fixing, repairing almost anything and sharing his time as well as his vast knowledge of just about everything. He was commonly recognized as the "go-to" guy for helpful information about anything old.
Preceding him in passing were his mother, Ilmi; father Ferdinand; stepmother Elma; brothers Harvey and Archie; stepbrother Donald; half-sister Jeannie (and husband Jody); brother-in-law Edward; nephew Brian; and nieces Patsy and Debby. Ruben is survived by his sister, Thelma; half-sister Karen; half-brother Darrel; stepbrother Rube; and stepsisters Darlene, Nora and Stella; as well as sisters-in-law Linda, Greta and Debbie. He also is survived by an abundance of nieces and nephews, including Brent, Ethan, Cindi, Gayle, Dalen, Kenn, Jason, Hannah (and daughter Elaina), Deanna, Todd, Heidi, Gary, Marty, Scott, Randy, Mike, Eric, Amie, Tom, Aaron, Ryan, April and Carol.
Ruben was loved, and will be greatly missed by, his family and friends. Many admired his uniqueness, intelligence, kind and innovative nature. He was known far and wide as the gentleman who could readily share details and information about antiques that most could only find in books or the internet. He truly lived by the golden rule and will be fondly remembered for his kindness and willingness to help others.
Ruben has been cremated, and while he did not wish a funeral or memorial, a celebration of life is planned for later this spring that will be announced for gathering of family and friends.
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