Mary Adeline Butler

Mary Adeline (Brown) Butler passed away peacefully on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, in Liberty, MO where she had resided after moving from her home in Kansas City MO. Mary—or Babe as she was known to her family—was born June 17, 1934, in Eminence, MO at the home of her grandparents. Her parents were Catherine and Bus Brown who soon moved to Salem, MO where Mary and her younger brother and sister attended school—all graduating from Salem High School.

 Though having known her future husband because her brother was friends with Bill Butler (future brother-in-law), Mary and Harold R. Butler reconnected when he returned to Salem from the Korean War after being discharged from the Navy. Mary and Harold were married on August 14, 1954, and welcomed the first of three daughters a year later while living in Columbia, MO.

After Harold graduated from the University of Missouri, the family moved to Rolla, MO where Harold opened a plumbing business and eventually returned to Columbia before finding themselves in Macon, MO where all 3 daughters attended school through high school graduation.

During those years, Mary worked as a special education para in the school district. This gave her a work schedule that mirrored the school schedule of her daughters and allowed her to take summer classes at NE Missouri State Teachers College (now Truman State). Eventually she felt comfortable working full-time at the local Samaritan Memorial Hospital. She soon realized the future of healthcare record-keeping would rely on a coding system that continues to be used today. She became certified to audit medical records and traveled to many hospitals throughout the central region of Missouri helping them update their medical records departments. 

Mary was active in the Jaycettes in Macon as well as in the Girl Scouts with all three of her daughters. For several years, she was the Mother Advisor for Macon’s Order of the Rainbow where she became a mentor and set a positive example to many young girls.

Mary always had a smile on her face.

When Harold began a new career as a catastrophe claims adjuster, Mary put her administrative skills to work on behalf of that new business. Those years were both business and pleasure as they saw the United States—usually after a weather emergency—from coast to coast. The most exciting time was spent in Alaska after the Exxon Valdez oil tanker spill. Mary and Harold met many interesting people in those days, and often were given personal mementos for the kindness they showed people in their times of need.

The most important thing to Mary was her family. Not just her immediate family, but the foundations of her family created by her parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. Her greatest joy was attending family reunions and helping to recall stories about camping, canoe floats and fishing on the Current and Jack’s Fork rivers near Eminence. Mary was proud to be named after her grandmother Sara Adaline Hughes and her mother Catherine Adeline Brown and felt strong family ties to everyone in the Hughes, Brown and Butler families.

Mary always kept in touch with several of her high school classmates. Several trips to the Lake of the Ozarks or St. Louis or Columbia were made to meet up with the ‘gang’. They would laugh and reminisce together for hours.

Mary—widowed at the age of 74—moved from Columbia to Kansas City to be close to her daughters. She developed many new friendships and rekindled old ones. She was a breast cancer survivor.

When she moved to Kansas City, she established monthly “4th Fridays” to host dinner for her daughters and their families. Several times she hosted up to 20 family members! She always cooked meals large enough for dozens and never only one main course. These events always gave her special times with several of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Mary attended as many events that her grandchildren and great-grandchildren participated in such as school programs and sporting events (soccer, football, baseball, t-ball, Taekwondo, swimming, dance, basketball, track events). She was SO proud of all of her grands and great-grands!

Mary had a very soft spot for animals. While in Columbia, she would feed a family of feral cats close to where she worked every morning and evening. Once they became accustomed to her, she was able to capture them and adopted three of the family. While in Kansas City, she adopted a stray cat she named Big Fella who was her constant companion until she was hospitalized in June and then unable to live alone.

Mary was preceded in death by her husband of 54 years Harold R. Butler as well as her younger sister Carole Sue Smith and their parents Catherine and Norval (Bus) Brown.

She is survived by her brother James Lee Brown (Barbara) of Athens, OH and three daughters all in the Kansas City metro area: Deidre Patton (Chris); Sallee Purviance (Steve); and Mary Alyse Butler-Smith (Clark). She is survived by 10 grandchildren—Aryn Peters (Joshua); Michael Patton (Melissa); Jake Patton (Trey); Jonathan Patton (Laura); Sam Butler (Alyssa); Sarah Purviance Wenrich, Isaac Smith (Heather); Noah Smith (Tiffany); Joshua Smith; and Gideon Smith (Kortni)—and 14 great grandchildren. And many, many other family members.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to KC Pet Project, Kansas City Hospice, Shriner’s Childrens Hospital or a charity of your choice.

Service for Mary will be held:

Saturday, November 9, 2024

Northminster Presbyterian Church

1441 NE Englewood Road

Kansas City, Missouri 

Visitation at 10 a.m. 

Service to follow at 11 a.m.