Eleanor Kathleen Buttjer

MASON CITY - Eleanor Kathleen (Brattrud) Buttjer, 85, of Mason City, died Saturday, May 21, 2011, at the Heritage Care Center.
Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday, May 27, at the Aredale United Methodist Church, 218 East Main Street, Aredale, with Pastor Mark Young officiating. Visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, May 26, at Major Erickson Funeral Home, 111 N. Pennsylvania Ave., and one hour prior to the service at the church. Burial will be held in Dumont Cemetery in Dumont. Memorials may be directed to the Eleanor K. Buttjer Memorial Fund.
Eleanor Kathleen Brattrud was born Dec. 15, 1925, to John and Anna (Egan) Brattrud in Hanlontown. She was baptized and confirmed in the Norwegian Grace Lutheran Church in Hanlontown. She also attended school in Hanlontown. On May 22, 1941, she married Earl Buttjer in Bethany, Mo., and to this union came two children, Earldean and Shirley. They lived in the Aredale and Dougherty area for 27 years. She was a member of EUB Church in Aredale, that later combined with Methodist Church. She was a member of Helping Hand Club, card groups, and Baptist Society. In 1968, they bought a farm in Riceville where they lived until Earl died in 1985. She stayed on the farm for five years before moving to Mason City. She has been in failing health for several years. She was area queen while in TOPS Chapter in Elma, having lost 72 pounds. She helped organize a morning TOPS Chapter in Mason City. Her hobbies were music, cards, sewing, writing poetry and songs and playing several instruments. Her greatest joy was spending time with her family and friends and the coffee pot was always hot.
Eleanor is survived by her daughter, Shirley Buttjer-Harmon, of Mason City; four grandchildren, Jon Buttjer of Denver, Colo., Jim Buttjer of Chicago, Ill., Dana Dow of Champagne, Ill., Sara Buttjer of Chicago, Ill.; three great-grandchildren; many nieces and nephews.
She is preceded in death by her parents; husband, Earl; son, Earldean; two brothers; five sisters.
Arrangements are with Major Erickson Funeral Home & Crematory, 111 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Mason City, IA 50401, 641-423-0924.
Online condolences may be left for the family at www.majorericksonfuneralhome.com.