Rachel Mae (DuToit) Butler
Rachel Mae (DuToit) Butler
Rachel Mae (DuToit) Butler, 96, a Montour area resident, and recent resident at Sunnyhill Care Center following a hip fracture in March of 2017, peacefully left this earthly realm on Sunday, March 4, 2018 following a life threatening cardiac event a few days prior to her passing at Unity Point Health Care in Marshalltown, Iowa.
Visitation will be Friday, March 9, 2018 at the Mitchell Family Funeral Home in Marshalltown from 5-7:00 p.m. Services will be held on Saturday, March 10, at 10:30 a.m. at the Mitchell Family Funeral Home with Pastor Brian Oliver of the Living Faith United Methodist Church in Montour officiating. She will be laid to rest in the Maple Hill Cemetery at Montour. For condolences, please visit www.mitchellfh.com. Ph. 641-844-1234.
She was born to Charles Howard and Christena (Jessen) DuToit on May 2, 1921 in rural Garwin. She enjoyed attending the Garwin area country schools and her upbringing provided common sense, good judgment, and a willing spirit to do for others. She lived the days of horse and buggy to the jet age. Being a child of the Depression, she learned thriftiness and hard work. These traits served her very well in her future role of farm wife and mother.
She married Burnell Butler on September 28, 1940 and they farmed in the Garwin area prior to purchasing their farm near Montour in 1947 and resided there the rest of their lives. They had two children, Daryl and Judy. During this time she made a house a home with her love and ingenuity making delicious and nutritious meals, recycling clothes into quilts, making feed sacks into garments of style, growing a garden, crocheting doilies, afghans, and potholders and helping Burnell with farm duties. She was the family photographer, keeper of family history, and created scrapbooks of interesting tidbits for living life.
She was a member of the Montour Methodist Church, taught Sunday school, served as treasurer and custodian and helped with church dinners. In later years she volunteered at the Tama Clothes Closet and made quilts to be used by the Toledo Juvenile Home and Camp Courageous. Local nursing homes appreciated her quilts, throws, clothes protectors, and aprons for residents.
She is survived by a daughter, Judy Butler of Marshalltown and son, Daryl Butler and his wife Bernice of Albia, IA who blessed her with the following grandchildren and great-grandchildren: Tim (Brenda) Butler of Albia, and children Daniel, Hunter, Kayla, Trevor and Justin; Jeff (Jody) Butler of Tipton and children Troy, Zach, and Carly; Amanda (Michael) Thomas of Albia and children Broderick, Blair and Whitney; Michael (Pamela) Butler of Albia and children Maxwell, Quintin and Alyssa.
She was preceded in death by her husband Burnell of 72 years in 2013, her parents, infant brother, and her sister, Idella Cleppe.
The family extends their heartfelt appreciation for the fine care given by the staffs at Sunnyhill Care Center, Tama and Unity Point – Marshalltown.