James Butler, Jr., 80, of Elkhart, passed away at 11:35 am, Thursday, October 1, 2009 in Elkhart General Hospital. Jim was born on August 30, 1929 in Wade, Oklahoma to the late James M. and Zela V. (Kelley) Butler. On May 11, 1954, he married Alberta Harmon. She passed away on October 11, 2008. He is also preceded in death by one brother, Boyce and one sister, Faye.
He is survived by his children, Jim D. (April) Butler of Olney, IL, Nancy Butler of Olney, IL, Sharon F. (Dennis) Collins of Elkhart, IN, and Brenda (Terry) Current of Elkhart, IN. Jim is also survived by 17 grandchildren, and 28 great grandchildren.
Jim proudly served his country in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict before becoming honorably discharged in 1953. He loved to tell stories about his time in the service and his experiences during his life. He worked for Conrail as a conductor for many years and was a member of the United Transportation Union Local 550 of Toledo, OH. He was also a member of the Meadowood Free Methodist Church.
Visitation will be held from 3:00-6:00 pm, Sunday, October 5, 2009 in Chapel Hill Funeral Home, 10776 McKinley Highway, Osceola. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 am, Monday, October 6, 2009 in the funeral home with one hour of visitation prior to the service. Rev. David Dollinger, pastor of Meadowood Free Methodist Church, will be officiating. Burial will follow in Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens, Osceola.
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