Dan Butikofer
Dan Butikofer
Dan Butikofer, 87, of Elgin Iowa died Thursday, July 24, 2014 at his home in Elgin.
Dan Junior Butikofer, the son of Dan and Celia (Frieden) Butikofer, was born April 19, 1927 on the family farm in rural Clayton County, Iowa.
He attended the Cheery Valley country school through the eighth grade. Dan worked on various neighborhood farms until 1952, when he was inducted into the U.S. Army. Dan was stationed in Schweinfurt, Germany. After his return home he helped on the family farm.
Dan was united in marriage with Anna Marie Pratt on February 14, 1955 at the Peace E & R Church in Elkader, Iowa. Four children were born to this union.
Dan and Anna farmed together and raised their children on a couple of different farms that they rented until 1970. He then worked for his brother, Ben, on his farm. Dan also did maintenance at the Elgin Canning Factory and carpentry with Earl Lembke.
Dan and Ann moved to an acreage between Elgin and Wadena and did a great amount of gardening while raising their youngest child, Karen. They enjoyed taking their garden produce to the Farmer’s Market in Clermont on Saturday mornings. Dan loved doing the dirt digging and watching everything grow.
Dan and Ann retired to Elgin and have lived in the Homestead Apartment complex for the last eight years.
Dan was a member of the Elgin – Highland Lutheran Church and the Elgin American Legion Post #352. He was the caretaker of the Elgin Cemetery for nineteen years and also worked for the City of Elgin.
He loved to fish, collect pencils, pens and coins.
Dan is survived by his wife of fifty-nine years, Anna Marie; four children, Deborah (Arnold) Guyer; Danice (Terry) Cummings; Kenny (Diane) Butikofer; and Karen (Lee) West; all of Clermont; thirteen grandchildren, Ann (Steve) Bushman, Susan (Lowell) Gavle, Teresa Becker, Jeremy and Jeffrey Guyer, Julie (Joshua) Abbott, Tim (Amy) Cummings, Travis (Jessica) Cummings, Jessica (Blake) Hasenmiller, Joshua Butikofer, and Logan, Lexi, and Lynzee West; twenty-two great grandchildren; five great-great grandchildren; his sister and brother-in-law, Kay and John Schilling of Colesburg; his sister-in-law, Sharon Pratt of Waukon; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Dan was preceded in death by his parents and his siblings, Carrie Trafelet, Leah Schneider, Tillie Hellum, Mabel Thorsgaard, Lorraine Houg, Ben Butikofer, Elmer Butikofer, and Silas Butikofer.
Visitation was held Sunday, July 27, 2014 from 4-7 pm at Leonard-Grau Funeral Home and Cremation Service, Elgin, Iowa and one hour before services at the church on Monday.
Funeral Services were held at 11:00 am on Monday, July 28, 2014 at Elgin Lutheran Church, Elgin, Iowa with Rev. Jerome Godson as the Officiant.
Burial followed at the Elgin Cemetery, Elgin, Iowa with Military Rites.
Leonard-Grau Funeral Home and Cremation Service, Elgin, Iowa helped the family with the arrangements. 31u31