Mary Alice Butler (77) of Hidalgo

Mary Alice Butler, age 77, of Hidalgo passed away Tuesday, December 21, 2021 at St. John’s Hospital, Springfield, Illinois.

Funeral services celebrating Mary’s life will be held at 1:00 p.m., Wednesday, December 29, 2021, at the Crain Funeral Home, Newton with Pastor Tom Matson officiating.  Visitation will be from 10:00 a.m. until time of service Wednesday in the funeral home.  Burial will be in the Oblong Township Cemetery, Oblong, Illinois.  Memorial gifts in honor of Mary may be made to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Mary was born on March 16, 1944, in Yale, Illinois the daughter of Frank and Irene (Richards) Newkirk.  Mary married Jackie Lee Butler on March 13, 1966.  They shared twenty-one years of marriage before his death on September 8, 1987.  In addition to being a wife and mother, Mary worked and was a house mother for the children at Mooseheart.  Later, she worked at Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield, Illinois.

Mary was a member of the First Church of the Nazarene in Aurora, Illinois.  She attended the New Beginnings Church in Newton, Illinois.   She enjoyed gardening and watching the Game Show Network.  She is described at the family matriarch.  She dearly loved her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and their time spent together as a family.

Mary will be lovingly remembered by her children Sandy (Doug) McMillan of Batavia, IL, Karen (Bob) Keller of Effingham, Richard (Carrie) Butler of Yale and Leann Butler of Hidalgo; several grandchildren and great-grandchildren; siblings Marilyn Mitchell, Carolyn Zuber, and Virginia Butler all of Newton, Homer Newkirk of Crawford Co, Barbara McMillan of Arcola and Vernon Newkirk of Hidalgo; and several nieces and nephews.

Her parents, husband Jackie, son Bobby Butler, infant children Shelia and Michael Butler, infant brother Clarence Newkirk and brother Forrest Newkirk preceded her in death.

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