- Born on: August 21, 1947
- Departed on: July 11, 2025
- Resided in: Wellman, IA
Junell Ellen Burroughs
Junell Ellen Burroughs passed away peacefully on July 11, 2025. She was a devoted wife, mother, and grandma who will be dearly missed by her family. The family is holding private services at the Wellman Cemetery.
Junell was born August 21, 1947 in Creston, Iowa to Nellie Margaret (Ross) and Harold Clark. Just after turning two, Junell contracted polio. This led to a six-month stay in the Blank Memorial Hospital in Des Moines, years of therapy at the Corning Hospital and significant follow-up treatment in Omaha. Initially the prognosis was that she might not sit, stand, or walk again but her hard work and grit proved that to be untrue. Understandably, she became scared of hospitals and wanted to avoid treatment. So much so that when she was around five years old she strategically waited for her mom to get out of the car so she could lock all the car doors and not have to go into the hospital. The nuns at the hospital worked hard to win Junell over so that she wouldn’t be so afraid of receiving therapy and support. She had fond memories of them and was thankful for their help. While her right leg was permanently affected, she went on to live a very active life.
Junell started school in Prescott and met a lifelong friend there, Janis (Roberts) Miller. At first, she was only allowed to attend half a day due to her medical condition. She was very unhappy with that plan so she convinced them that she could take a nap at lunchtime and stay the entire day. It wasn’t exactly a quiet rest time but she was motivated to be present for the full day of school with her classmates. When Junell was five, she began private swimming therapy at the Creston Pool with a college student who also had polio growing up. This sparked an interest in swimming that stayed with her throughout her life. When Junell’s family moved to Stringtown, Iowa they attended Stringtown Community Church and she began attending a country school there. That setting helped her catch up on some of the learning she had missed due to medical treatments. There were four students in her class and around 18 students total in the country school she attended for four years until it closed. She started at Lenox Schools in 7th grade and continued there through her graduation from Lenox High School in 1966. Junell went on to attend Commercial Extension in Omaha, Nebraska to study bookkeeping. She worked at Iowa State Bank in Creston following her studies.
Junell married Vincent Lee Burroughs on October 15, 1967. They were blessed with three children from this marriage. Clark Douglas (1968), Brenda Lee (1970), and Jessica Renea (1976). They made their home in Coin, Iowa and later in the towns of Bedford and Corning. In 1973 Vince and Junell moved their family to Wellman, Iowa. Junell was a stay at home mom and later provided child care for other families. In 1986 Junell began work as a dietary aide at Parkview Manor in Wellman. She proudly served there for 16 years. Junell then worked at Harvest Inn, a restaurant in Kalona, for three years before she retired.
Junell most enjoyed her family, especially her grandkids. She liked puzzles, sewing (and gifting cloth baby books), and “playing in the dirt” with her flowers. Junell was known for her sense of humor, her homemade noodles, pistachio pudding, and sitting on her porch watching hummingbirds. She was a member of the Asbury United Methodist Church in Wellman where she taught both Sunday School and Bible School when her kids were younger.
Junell is survived by her devoted husband of almost 58 years, Vince, her children Clark Burroughs of Norwalk, Brenda (Ray) Overholt of Wellman, and Jess (Tom) Burger of West Branch. Her grandchildren, Paitin Burroughs of West Des Moines, Seth Burroughs of West Des Moines, Kelby Burger of Carroll, Cooper Burger of West Branch, and Teresa Overholt of Wellman. She is also survived by her sisters-in-law, Shirley Thomas and Carolyn Burroughs, as well as many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by a grandson, Aaron Lee Overholt, her parents, her brother, Robert Clark, eight brothers-in-law and six sisters-in-law. The family is establishing a memorial in her name.
Junell was born August 21, 1947 in Creston, Iowa to Nellie Margaret (Ross) and Harold Clark. Just after turning two, Junell contracted polio. This led to a six-month stay in the Blank Memorial Hospital in Des Moines, years of therapy at the Corning Hospital and significant follow-up treatment in Omaha. Initially the prognosis was that she might not sit, stand, or walk again but her hard work and grit proved that to be untrue. Understandably, she became scared of hospitals and wanted to avoid treatment. So much so that when she was around five years old she strategically waited for her mom to get out of the car so she could lock all the car doors and not have to go into the hospital. The nuns at the hospital worked hard to win Junell over so that she wouldn’t be so afraid of receiving therapy and support. She had fond memories of them and was thankful for their help. While her right leg was permanently affected, she went on to live a very active life.
Junell started school in Prescott and met a lifelong friend there, Janis (Roberts) Miller. At first, she was only allowed to attend half a day due to her medical condition. She was very unhappy with that plan so she convinced them that she could take a nap at lunchtime and stay the entire day. It wasn’t exactly a quiet rest time but she was motivated to be present for the full day of school with her classmates. When Junell was five, she began private swimming therapy at the Creston Pool with a college student who also had polio growing up. This sparked an interest in swimming that stayed with her throughout her life. When Junell’s family moved to Stringtown, Iowa they attended Stringtown Community Church and she began attending a country school there. That setting helped her catch up on some of the learning she had missed due to medical treatments. There were four students in her class and around 18 students total in the country school she attended for four years until it closed. She started at Lenox Schools in 7th grade and continued there through her graduation from Lenox High School in 1966. Junell went on to attend Commercial Extension in Omaha, Nebraska to study bookkeeping. She worked at Iowa State Bank in Creston following her studies.
Junell married Vincent Lee Burroughs on October 15, 1967. They were blessed with three children from this marriage. Clark Douglas (1968), Brenda Lee (1970), and Jessica Renea (1976). They made their home in Coin, Iowa and later in the towns of Bedford and Corning. In 1973 Vince and Junell moved their family to Wellman, Iowa. Junell was a stay at home mom and later provided child care for other families. In 1986 Junell began work as a dietary aide at Parkview Manor in Wellman. She proudly served there for 16 years. Junell then worked at Harvest Inn, a restaurant in Kalona, for three years before she retired.
Junell most enjoyed her family, especially her grandkids. She liked puzzles, sewing (and gifting cloth baby books), and “playing in the dirt” with her flowers. Junell was known for her sense of humor, her homemade noodles, pistachio pudding, and sitting on her porch watching hummingbirds. She was a member of the Asbury United Methodist Church in Wellman where she taught both Sunday School and Bible School when her kids were younger.
Junell is survived by her devoted husband of almost 58 years, Vince, her children Clark Burroughs of Norwalk, Brenda (Ray) Overholt of Wellman, and Jess (Tom) Burger of West Branch. Her grandchildren, Paitin Burroughs of West Des Moines, Seth Burroughs of West Des Moines, Kelby Burger of Carroll, Cooper Burger of West Branch, and Teresa Overholt of Wellman. She is also survived by her sisters-in-law, Shirley Thomas and Carolyn Burroughs, as well as many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by a grandson, Aaron Lee Overholt, her parents, her brother, Robert Clark, eight brothers-in-law and six sisters-in-law. The family is establishing a memorial in her name.
