Elmer William Butikofer 1919-2004

FRIEDEN, BUTIKOFER, MARTIE, HOUG, THORSGARD, HELLUM, TRAFELET, SCHNEIDER

Posted By: Mary Durr (email)
Date: 11/18/2008 at 20:36:54

Elmer William Butikofer

Funeral services were held at 10:30 a.m. on August 16, 2004 at Apostolic Christian Church in Elgin, Iowa with interment in the Apostolic Christian Church Cemetery for Elmer William Butikofer, 85, of Postville, formerly of Elgin, who died Thursday, August 12, 2004 at the Palmer Lutheran Health Center in West Union, Iowa. Leonard Funeral Home, Elgin, was in charge of the arrangements.

Elmer William Butikofer was born April 2, 1919, at his parent’s home in Clayton County near Elgin. He was the son of Dan and Celia (Frieden) Butikofer. He was baptized at and a long time member of the Apostolic Christian Church, Elgin, IA. Elmer attended the Cherry Valley #8 School in Marion Township, Clayton County.

On October 1, 1958, he married Lydia Rose Martie, of Elgin, at the Little Brown Church, Nashua, Iowa. They lived in Elgin until October of 1993, when they moved to Postville. They did live briefly in Alpha, IA. Lydia passed away on October 25, 1999. Although they had no children, they had many nieces and nephews and children in their church family that they enjoyed.

Elmer, growing up on his parent’s farm, knew farming as a young man and then went on to many careers in his lifetime. He hauled cream and like many Elgin area people, worked at the Elgin Canning Factory. Also in Elgin, he worked at Capper’s Hatchery and a number of years at Hellum Produce. He worked a number of years for Fayette County Road Maintenance. He and Lydia for several years, were diligent caretakers of the East Clermont Lutheran Cemetery and of the Apostolic Cemetery. Elmer treasured his Elgin roots and his Swiss heritage. He and Lydia took many trips to Wisconsin Swiss areas and had also many Swiss mementos in their home from relatives in that country.

After it became apparent Lydia could no longer live in their home because of difficulties with Alzheimer’s, she entered the Good Samaritan Center in Postville on February 14, 1994. Elmer spent parts of each day with her until her death. Because of his health, Elmer entered that facility in February of 2001. After various health problems, Elmer passed away on Thursday, August 12, 2004, at the Palmer Lutheran Health Center in West Union at the age of 85 years, 4 months and 10 days.

He is survived by brothers, Ben Butikofer, Dan (Anna Marie) Butikofer, Elgin and Silas (Patricia), Clermont; sisters, Lorraine Houg, Elgin and Mabel Thorsgard, St. Olaf; brother-in-law, Merlin Hellum, Elgin and nieces and nephews. Besides his wife, he was preceded in death by his parents; his sisters, Carrie Trafelet, Tillie Hellum, Leah Schneider; sister-in-law, Ragna Butikofer and brothers-in-law, Fred Trafelet, Sam Schneider, Myron Houg and Willie Thorsgard.

Extracted from a funeral brochure.
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