Obit: Butler, Wilfred S. (1925 - 2013)

Contact: Robert Lipprandt
bob@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Brand, Butler, Higgins, Hippe, Jeans, Kalmon, Moberg, Schmidt, Shin, Zittlow

----Source: The Star News (Medford, WI) 04/18/2013

Butler, Wilfred "Willie" S. (20 AUG 1925 - 14 APR 2013)

Wilfred "Willie" S. Butler, 87, Withee, died surrounded by his family and under hospice care, on Sunday, April 14 at his home. Funeral services will be held on Thursday, April 18 at 11 a.m. at The United Methodist Church in Medford, with full military honors performed by the Medford Military Honors Team, and Rev. Kyochul Shin officiating.

Interment will be at the Molitor Catholic Cemetery in the Town of Molitor. Pallbearers are his grandsons, Ken, Clayton and Travis Zittlow, Jamie, Jody and Steve Butler, Christopher Moberg and Jason Hippe, and great-nephew, Brandon Butler.

Visitation will be held at the church on Thursday from 9 a.m. until the time of service.

Hemer Funeral Homes of Medford and Rib Lake assisted the family with arrangements.

Wilfred Butler was born on August 20, 1925 in Mellen to the late Harry C. and Hilda M. (Schmidt) Butler. He attended Cozy Valley Grade School in Mellen. He worked in Portland and Vancouver shipyards until joining the United States Navy. He was stationed in Okinawa, Japan, during the Pacific Theatre from 1944 to 1946. After the military, he worked at Steel Structures in Ashland where he built quonset huts.

On March 27, 1948 at the Methodist Church in Ashland, he married Caroline M. Higgins, who preceded him in death on October 3, 2004. He worked at various places including Eggert's, Wisconsin Bottle Gas, Hartwig and Ruesch Funeral Home, and Mondeaux Millwork. In 1979, he retired from Liberty Homes in Dorchester. During retirement he chauffeured his Amish friends.

He was a member of The United Methodist Church and Taylor County Farmers Union. He enjoyed watching the Brewers, Packers and Badgers, deer hunting, the outdoors, tinkering out and about in his garage, going for car rides with his family and looking out for and helping his kids.

Survivors include seven children, Patricia (LeRoy) Zittlow, Karen (Kevin) Moberg, Rebecca (Brad) Kalmon, Holly Butler, Clinton (Debra) and Randy, all of Medford, and Donna Hippe of Dorchester; a brother, Larry (Judy) of Redville; a sister, Lillian (Matt) Brand of Yuma, Ariz.; three sisters-in-law, Sally Butler of Long Beach, Calif., Zelda Butler of Grandview and Esther Butler of Sheboygan; 14 grandchildren; and 22 great-grandchildren.

In addition to his parents and wife, he was preceded in death by a daughter Pamela Jeans; three brothers, Francis, James and William; and a son-in-law, Robert Hippe.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to his family to be designated at a later date.

Online condolences may be made at www.hemerfuneralservice.com.