Charles “Charlie" H. Butler was born June 10, 1937, in Concordia, Kansas, to John J. and Neomi M. (Foster) Butler. Charlie passed on Aug. 16, 2025, surrounded by the love of family and friends due to complications of Alzheimers and dementia.
As a child, Charlie grew up on a farm in Glasco, Kansas. His siblings came about later with Patricia (1939) and John (1951). Charlie graduated from Glasco High School in 1955. After graduation, Charlie attended Ft. Hays State and Kansas State University. Charlie was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and got his degree in Grain Milling Engineering in 1960. While at Kansas State, Charlie met Colene Henson on Dec. 19, 1959, at Kites pub on a blind date. Charlie was smitten and proposed to Colene that night. Charlie was drafted into the army and served from 1960-62 and then served in the Army reserves. Charlie was honorably discharged as a specialist 4th class on May 30,1966. Upon returning home in 1962, Charlie and Colene were married Aug. 11, 1962, at Holy Name Catholic Church in Topeka, Kansas.
It was then the great Butler adventure began … Colene and Charlie moved to West Alice, Wisconsin, where he was a management trainee for Krause Milling. In October of 1963 they welcomed their daughter, Stephanie, into the world. In 1965, Charlie took a position with Archer Daniel Midland (ADM) and the family moved to St. Joesph, Missouri, where in June of that year they welcomed their son, David. They relocated a few miles south to Raytown, Missouri, in 1967 to be closer to work and in 1968 they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, where they found lifelong friends in Dan and Judy Holmes, Jim and Suzy Parker and Frank and Kathy Victor.
While in Kansas City, Charlie developed his obsession and love of golf with his neighborhood friends. While extremely happy in Kansas City, ADM promoted Charlie to Maintenance Supervisor and the family moved to Mt. Vernon, Indiana, in 1971. Charlie conveniently found a home to purchase about 300 yards from Western Hills Country Club and quickly joined. Evenings were spent taking the kids and walking to the course to hit balls or spend time on the putting green. The adventure continued in 1973 when Charlie accepted a position of Milling Supervisor with Continental Milling and the family moved to Wichita, Kansas.
Wichita, being an aviation hub, Charlie decided he should learn to fly. He achieved his goal by receiving his Private Pilot’s License (PPL) in 1975. In 1976, Charlie was hired as the superintendent of milling for the Crete Mills (Lauhoff Grain Company). The move to Crete was the family of four’s final move. While in Crete, Charlie quickly joined College Heights Country Club to continue with his passion. As fate would have it, the Mills manager retired about eight months after Charlie arrived and he was again promoted to the Mills manager position, a title he held until his retirement in 1997.
In 1985, Charlie became regional member 001 at Firethorn Golf Club, and he was extremely excited when the course opened in 1986. After retirement, Charlie worked for Lauhoff/Bunge Grain as a consultant for another five years. During that time, he spent much of his time in Queretaro, Mexico, assisting the International operations on getting the grain mills in Mexico up to United States grain standards.
Charlie did have a health scare in 2003, being diagnosed with both prostate and colon cancer. He praised the doctors at Bryan Hospital in Lincoln, University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha and MD Anderson in Houston, Texas, for his successful treatment of the colon cancer and the team of talented oncologists and staff at the Loma Linda Medical Center for his treatment of prostate cancer.
In 2003, Charlie and Colene moved to Bella Vista Arkansas. Again, they just “happened” to buy a home on a local golf course where Charlie quickly joined the men’s league and hit the links on a daily basis. Charlie achieved a life-time goal of a hole-in-one on the Bella Vista Country Club course in Bella Vista, Arkansas.
In 2020, team Butler relocated to Fayetteville, Arkansas, and officially entered retirement mode moving into an independent living community. Charlie was officially diagnosed with dementia and Alzheimer's in 2021. With the new diagnosis, team Butler elected to boomerang back to the town of their marriage of Topeka to be near Colene’s sister Jeanene and Charlies’ brother John. It took two years to finalize their last relocation and in 2023, they officially made the move back “home,” so Charlie could enter an Alzheimer's and dementia facility with Colene a floor below him in assisted living. While on different floors they still spent every day together.
Charlie was proceeded in death by his father, John; mother, Neomi Butler; and sister, Patricia Butler.
Charlie is survived by his loving wife of 63 years, Colene; daughter, Stephanie (Tim) Nielsen of Ft. Smith, Arkansas; and son, David (Heidi) Butler of Star, Idaho; as well as grandchildren, Heather and David Nielsen and Derek and Christian Butler. Charlie is also survived by his brother, John (Pat) Butler of Perry, Kansas.
The family would like to thank the caring staff at Brewster Place and Elara Caring for their dedicated care of Charlie over the last several months. In leu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Loma Linda University or a charity that is near and dear to your heart, as that would make Charlie smile.
The funeral service will be at Brewster Place in Topeka, Kansas, at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 27
Arrangements by Dove Cremations & Funerals in Topeka, Kansas.
