Butler, Frank 1878-1944

BUTLER, ATKIN, HUNGERFORD

Posted By: Doris Hoffman, Volunteer (email)
Date: 5/30/2015 at 20:09:49

Note: His mother's maiden name was Atkin.

Burns Prove Fatal To Frank Butler Former Resident

Third Victim Of Gas Explosion At Gurney Plant

Frank Butler, 65, of Sioux City, former Le Mars resident, was the third victim of the fire and explosion at the Leeds bulk plant of the Gurney oil company Wednesday afternoon. T. R. Gurney, 37, manager of the plant, and Harry Van Houdnos, 46, another former resident of Le Mars, both died Wednesday night after they were enveloped in flames from the exploded storage tank.

Mr. Butler, an employee of the company, was injured in the transport fire. He became a living torch when he was covered by flaming liquid from the explosion of the gasoline truck and succumbed to his injuries Thursday night.

Frank Butler was born December 21, 1878, at Simcoe, Ontario, Canada, and came with his parents, the late Mr. and Mrs. William Butler, to Le Mars in the eighties, and grew up here. He was married to Cora Hungerford in 1901 and they farmed in Plymouth and Woodbury counties until 1925 when they went to Sioux City where he was an employee of several years and later entered the employ of the gurney company.

He is survived by his wife and two sons, Kenneth H. and Robert J. Butler of Huron, S. D., and two grandsons, Gary Lee and Robert Butler of Huron, S. D., two brothers, George Butler of Oakland, Calif., and William Butler of Madison, S. D., and two sisters, Mrs. Elmer Burkeen and Mrs. Harry Haight of Sioux City.

He was preceded in death by three brothers and a sister, Harley J. Butler, John and Roy Butler, and a sister, Mrs. Ross Christy, all were well known in Le Mars.

The funeral was held saturday afternoon at the W. Harry Christy Funeral Home in Moringside with Rev. W. R. Moore officiating and burial was made in Graceland Park Cemetery, Sioux City, Iowa.

The pallbearers were Fremont Ideker of Hinton, Chet Goodrich, Martin Riediger, Melvin Shellhamer and Edward Olson of Sioux City and Lou Crow of Sergeant Bluff.

Le Mars Semi-Weekly
Tuesday, September 26, 1944
Le Mars, Iowa