Anthony Butel

Anthony Joseph Butel died Friday, January 31, 2014 at his rural Paola home. Anthony known as Tony was born in rural Miami County, KS, March 18, 1926 to Charles D. Butel and Gertrude Dyer Butel. He was the youngest of six children. He attended the rural Centennial Elementary School and Paola High School. In 1944 he enlisted in the United States Navy. He left Kansas City Union Station on his eighteenth birthday on a troop train to a boot camp at Farragut, Idaho Naval Training Station and from there went to Camp Elliott in San Diego, California which was a dispersing base. From there he was sent to a repair base in San Diego. While in the Navy he earned the rank of Seaman First Class. He was discharged in March, 1946 and returned to the family farm where he lived up to his death. He ran a dairy operation, farmed row crops and had a beef herd a number of years. On October 8, 1949 he was united in marriage to Annetta Wolken at St. Bonifice Church in Scipio, Kansas. They were married 62 years. Annetta died in August, 2012. To this union thirteen children were born. He is survived by two sons Anthony Butel (Catherine) Scranton, PA; David Butel (Terri) Kansas City, MO., eleven daughters, Mary Butel (Bob Gress) Wichita, KS; Theresa Pritchard (Jim), Rita Wobker (Lyle), and Angela Scherman, Paola; Margie Gress (Stan) Derby, Ks; Marcella Seiler (Bob) Valley Center, KS; Diane Hund (Duane) Paxico, KS; Phyllis Peterson (Bob), Overland Park, KS; Dolores Hollar (Gary) Scranton, KS; Roberta Burghart (Steve) McPherson, KS and Karen Weigel (Derrick) Berryton, KS; thirty-one grandchildren, twenty-one great grandchildren; sister-in-laws Lillian Mayes, and Anthonette Wolken, Garnett and Jean Wolken, Paola, KS. He is preceded in death by his wife, his parents Charles Sr. and Gertrude Butel, brothers Charles Jr. and wife Evelyn, Henry and wife Lillian, Joseph and wife Raylene; brother Herman and sister Mary both who died in infancy and son-in-law Dean Scherman. He was a member of Holy Trinity Catholic Church of Paola, Knights of Columbus Council 1149, the American Legion and served on the Centennial Elementary School Board several years before the school closed. Anthony worked hard on the family farm to provide for his family. He would do anything for a friend or neighbor. He will be greatly missed. Memorials are to the Holy Trinity Church Endowment. To leave a special message for the family, please click on the Share Memories Tab. Holy Trinity Catholic Church Service: Thursday, February 06, 2014 at 10:00 AM Visitation: Wednesday, February 05, 2014 from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM