Alice Mae (Rankin) BUTLER

RANKIN, BUTLER, LANSING, DAVIS, PILLOW, BURKE, HAHN, BERRY, MCCALL, SCHLANSER, BRINTON

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 2/10/2024 at 13:06:47

Alice Mae (Rankin) Butler
June 20, 1921 --- August 22, 2021

Alice Mae (Rankin) Butler died August 22, 2021. Age 100. Beloved wife of the late Ralph O. Butler. Loving mother of Ralph (Elizabeth) Butler IV, Barbara (Jack) Lansing, Beverly (Glenn) Davis, Brinton L. Butler, Lorraine Pillow, George (Theresa) Butler and the late Arthur R. Butler. Also survived by Daughter-in-law Carolyn Butler. She was also preceded in death by son-in-law Craig Pillow. Grandmother of Aileen (John) Burke, Ralph "Rob" Butler, Alicia Butler, Amy (Ken) Berry, Jill (Curtis) Hahn, Jack (Kelly) Lansing II., Bill (Anastasia) Lansing, Kristin (Jonathon) McCall, Megan Schlanser, Todd (Andrea) Butler, Mark (Jaki) Butler, Wesley Pillow, Vance (Jaime) Pillow, Nathan (Emilee) Butler, Mathew Butler and Andrew Butler. Great-grandmother of Emily, Hannah and Joshua Burke, Celeste, Ryan and Amelia Berry, Alexander, Julianna and Nathaniel Hahn, Jack III, Henry and Luke Lansing, Duncan, Aine and Meara McCall, Adam and Jaclyn Schlanser, and Colton and Clara Butler.

Alice was born June 20, 1921 in Garner, Iowa to the late Arthur and Mabel (Brinton) Rankin. She graduated from Hampton High School in 1939 and then proceeded to Iowa State University majoring in Home Economics. It was at Iowa State that she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and that she met and married the love of her life Ralph O. Butler III on July 4, 1942 at her house in Hampton, Iowa. A business opportunity brought the couple to Michigan where they owned and operated the Marysville Dairy. Mr. and Mrs. Butler acquired several farms in Iowa including a Centennial Farm that has been in her family for generations.
Alice had a lifelong love of music playing for 90 years, which she expressed mainly through her clarinet. She played in various musical groups in the Port Huron area including being a charter member of the International Symphony Orchestra, receiving one clarinet handed to her by Henri Selmer himself, at the Paris Factory.

Mrs. Butler was a very active volunteer and member in many organizations, including Scouts, Junior Chamber of Commerce, 50 year member of the Port Huron Musicale, Marysville Women's Club, Daughter's of the American Revolution Ottawa Chapter, Civic Theater Pit Orchestra, United Methodist Women, Paul Harris Fellow Rotarian, Bell Choir Participant and Director at Marysville United Methodist Church, St. Clair County Community College Band, and the New Horizons Band of Port Huron. She was also a world traveler having seen the Olympics in Berlin in 1936.

Visitation will be Friday, August 27, 2021 from 2-4 pm and 6-8 pm at the O'Brien/Sullivan Funeral Home 41555 Grand River Ave, Novi, Michigan. Funeral service will be Saturday August 28, 2021 at 11 am at the funeral home with visitation 10 am until time of service. Memorial contributions may be directed to Port Huron Musicale or the DAR Ottawa Chapter. Interment graveside services will be 1:00 pm Saturday, September 4, 2021 at Morgan Cemetery in Dows, Iowa near their farms.

O'Brien-Sullivan Funeral Home
https://www.obriensullivanfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Alice-Mae-Butler/#!/Obituary