Ralph O. BUTLER, III

BUTLER, ROBB, RANKIN, HALL, FORDHAM, SAMPEER, SIEMEN, LANSING, DAVIS, PILLOW, BURKE, BERRY, HAHN, MCCALL, SCHLANSER, HELSCHER

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 11/23/2006 at 14:19:44

Ralph O. Butler III, 89, of St. Clair Township, died Thursday, November 2, 2006 in Port Huron Hospital after a brief illness. He was born Jan. 24, 1917 in Galesburg, Ill., to the late Ralph O. and Nellie (Robb) Butler II. He married Alice Mae Rankin on July 4, 1942 in Hampton, Iowa. Mr. Butler graduated from Iowa State University with a B.S. in Dairy Industry. He owned and operated the Marysville Dairy, delivering milk to area schools and producing quality ice cream. He retired from Wesley's Quaker Maid, Inc. of Detroit. He was active in Boy Scouting for over 60 years, earning Eagle Scout, serving as Scoutmaster of Troop #16 in Marysville and Troop #50 in St. Clair and was awarded the Silver Beaver Award. He was selected district delegate Scoutmaster for the Boy Scouts of America Golden Jubilee Jamboree in Colorado Springs in 1960. Mr. Butler was a lifetime Rotarian, a charter member of Marysville Rotary, past president of St. Clair Rotary and a twotime Paul Harris Fellow. Education was a priority in his life and he was proud that all of his seven children had earned Masters Degrees or beyond with his support and encouragement. He was a longtime member of Marysville United Methodist Church, serving as Youth Director and active in the morning men's fellowship.

Mr. Butler is survived by his wife of 64 years, Alice; four sons, Mr. and Mrs. Ralph O. (Elizabeth Hall) Butler IV of Centerville, Ohio, Cdr. and Mrs. Arthur R. (Carolyn Fordham) Butler USCG (retired) of Plymouth, Mr. and Mrs. Brinton L. (Rosalyn Sampeer) Butler of Commerce Township, and Cdr. and Mrs. George E. (Teresa Siemen) Butler USCG (retired) of Mililani, Hawaii; three daughters, Mr. and Mrs. Jack (Barbara) Lansing of Lansing, Mr. and Mrs. Glenn (Beverly) Davis of Smiths Creek and the Rev. and Mrs. Craig (Lorraine) Pillow of Clayton; 16 grandchildren, Aileen (John) Burke, Ralph O. Butler V, Alicia M. Butler, Amy (Kenneth) Berry, Jill (Curtis) Hahn, Jack (Kelly) Lansing, William Lansing, Capt. Kristin (Lt. Jonathan) McCall, Megan (Capt. Justin) Schlanser, Todd Butler, Mark Butler, Wesley Pillow, Vance Pillow, Nathan Butler, Mathew Butler and Andrew Butler; seven greatgrandchildren; a sisterinlaw, Mrs. J.W. (Dorothy) Helscher of Washington, Iowa; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by four brothers and a sister.

Visitation will be 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. today and Sunday in Marysville Funeral Home, 1200 Michigan Avenue. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. on Monday, November 6, 2006 in Marysville United Methodist Church. The Reverend Barbara E. Welbaum will officiate. Burial will be in Morgan Cemetery in Dows, Iowa.

Port Huron Times Herald - copyright
Port Huron, Michigan
Originally published November 4, 2006