Sylvester M. "Butch" Winter 1919-2009

WINTER, POTTS, SCHLOSSER, LITSINGER, PITZ, KLOSTERMANN, VASKE, FISCHER, SMITH, PUTZ

Posted By: Cheryl Locher Moonen (email)
Date: 10/19/2015 at 19:45:19

Sylvester M. "Butch" Winter, 90, of 2042 Deborah Drive, Dubuque, formerly of Bankston, Iowa, died at 6:10 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 26, 2009, at The Finley Hospital, Dubuque.

Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Nov. 30, at St. Clement's Catholic Church, Bankston, with the Rev. Dennis Cain officiating. Burial will be in St. Clement's Cemetery, Bankston. Friends may call from 3 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 29, at Reiff Funeral Home, Farley, where there will be a wake service at 4 p.m., and a Knights of Columbus rosary will be recited at 7 p.m.

He was born on May 7, 1919, in Dubuque, son of Peter J. and Irene C. (Potts) Winter. He was a graduate of the former St. Clement's High School, Bankston.

He married Evelyn Schlosser on Feb. 10, 1942, at the Church of the Annunciation in Lattnerville; she preceded him in death on March 10, 2004.

Butch was self-employed as a truck driver. He was a school bus driver and was the first mechanic to open the Western Dubuque Bus garage in 1963 and was employed there until his retirement in 1983.

He was a member of St. Clement's Parish, Bankston, and a member of the Farley Knights of Columbus-Council 2001. He also served as a councilman on the Bankston Town Council.

Butch loved to spend time with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren playing Yahtzee, euchre, moon, watching sports and morel hunting. One of his greatest accomplishments was to live independently in his own home his entire life to age 90.

Surviving are seven children, Janice (John E.R.) Litsinger, of Kilmarnock, Va., Ronald M.(Carol) Winter, of Asbury, Iowa, Judy (Stephen) Pitz, of Cascade, Iowa, Cheryl (Don) Klostermann, of Dyersville, Iowa, Sandy (Alan) Vaske, of Farley, Iowa, Linda (Ed) Fischer, of Kalona, Iowa, and Randy (Judy) Winter, of Marion, Iowa; 26 grandchildren; 46 great-grandchildren; and a sister, Norma Jean Winter-Smith, of Dubuque.

He also was preceded in death by his parents; two granddaughters, Paula M. Putz and Angel Klostermann; a brother, Cletus Winter; and a sister, Cecilia Winter.

A Sylvester M. Winter Memorial Fund has been established.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.reifffuneralhomeinc.com.

Special thanks to Hospice of Dubuque and the staff on the medical unit at Finley Hospital for their special care. Also, thanks to Bob and Rosie Carr for their unending kindness and support.

Telegraph Herald (Dubuque, IA) - Saturday, November 28, 2009