Wilma P. Butler

Wilma P. Butler, 90, passed away peacefully on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 12, 2013, after a brief stay at the Halcyon House Health Care Center in Washington, Iowa. She died just as she wished, in the arms of her loving daughters, Mary, Pat, and Anne. Mass of the Resurrection will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 15, 2013 at St. James Catholic Church with Fr. Troy Richmond officiating. Visitation will begin 12:00 p.m. Tuesday at the Jones & Eden Funeral Home where the family will receive friends from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. A prayer service will be conducted at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday evening. Interment will take place at the Elm Grove Cemetery in Washington, Iowa. A general memorial has been established. Online condolences may be sent for Wilma’s family through the web at www.jonesfh.com. Written condolences will reach Wilma’s family at Mary Martin, 952 High Avenue, Newton, Iowa 50208. Wilma was born on March 15, 1923 in Lytton, Iowa to Alvin R. and Beulah M. (Ringgenberg) Wolf. After graduating from Lytton High School in 1940, Wilma attended Iowa State University, the Vogue School of Design in Chicago, Illinois, and Drake University where she received her B.A. in Psychology. At Drake, she belonged to the Chi Omega National Sorority. Wilma married John Butler in Denver, Colorado on Leap Day, February 29, 1944, shortly before he left for the service. During those years, she worked at the Bank of America in Los Angeles and Carson Pirie Scott in Chicago. After the war, she and John bought and managed a small grocery store in Lytton and in 1948, they became co-owners of the West Chester Savings Bank in West Chester, Iowa. Wilma was a familiar face at the Bank working as a teller and serving on the Board of Directors. Ever since she and John moved into the big corner house on South Iowa in 1953, Wilma has been a well-known and respected member of this community. She was a member of Fortnightly, Y Wives, TTT, and the Ladies Investment Club. She belonged to St. James Parish and was involved with St. Mary’s Circle and the Pythian Sisters. She was a member of the Washington Country Club where she loved to golf with family and friends. She participated both on the stage and behind the scenes at many of the productions of the Washington Community Theater, adding her special touch to the set and costume design. Wilma was a regular volunteer at Earthly Blessings, the Washington County Hospital, and the Washington Community Theater. Wilma was a world-traveler having visited Europe, Asia, South America, Hawaii, and the Caribbean. She was a Friendship Force Ambassador on trips to England, Germany, and Korea. The Butler family took many memorable summer vacations to exciting places like Yellowstone and Niagara Falls, but she was just as happy spending lazy fun-filled days at Lake Okoboji. She also loved to write stories, play cards, and dance. Her daughters often recall coming home to find their parents dancing to Big Band music in the living room. She designed and sewed all of her daughters’ clothing using her artist’s eye to select colors, styles, and fabrics that reflected the individual personalities of each of her girls. Easter Sundays were a highly anticipated event at St. James Church as people watched to see the family enter wearing matching coats, dresses, and hats all designed and hand sewn by their mother. But Wilma’s greatest joy was her family. She raised her three girls to be independent, creative, generous, and limitless. She encouraged these traits in her seven grandchildren and thirteen great-grandchildren – her greatest legacy. She loved each unconditionally. The children all called her Nano and she was the central grounded figure in their lives. She made special time for each of them and invented imaginative parables to teach about life’s challenges and mysteries. Each one of them wanted Nano to be proud of them, and she always was – and always told them so. She will be missed deeply. Wilma is preceded in death by her parents and her husband John. She is survived by daughters Mary Martin and husband Gary of Newton, Iowa; Patricia Filer and husband Michael of Seattle, Washington; and Anne Harrison and husband Jim of Sarasota, Florida; along with grandchildren Jeff and Aaron Martin; Jaimeson, Nicholas, and Zachary Filer; Matthew Harrison and Laura Harrison Buck; great grandchildren; Oliver, Ruby, Scarlet and Finn Martin; Aleksander, William, Maxim, Estella and Leo Martin; Caden, Fox, and Alura Filer, and Austin Harrison. She is also survived by her brother, Cal Wolf of Washington, Iowa and sister, Donna Zeller and husband Robert of Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Wilma P. Butler

March 15, 1923 - May 12, 2013