Shirley Buttjer

Shirley Buttjer, 92, of Charles City, passed away Friday, October 24, 2025, at the 9th Street Chautauqua Guest Home in Charles City. A funeral service for Shirley Buttjer will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, October 31, 2025, at Cross Lutheran Church in Charles City with Pastor Dan Larson officiating. Burial will be at Sunnyside Memory Gardens in rural Charles City. Visitation will be from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Thursday, October 30, 2025, at Hauser Weishaar Funeral Home and will continue one hour before the service at the church on Friday. Shirley Ann Buttjer (nee Schroeder) entered heaven October 24, 2025. She was born April 25, 1933, in Lamberton, MN, Cottonwood County, to Christian Eugene & Thelma Wilhelmina (nee Beckmann) Schroeder. Her family moved to Floyd, IA and then Charles City during her high school years; she graduated from Charles City High School in 1951, and married Richard Dwayne Buttjer May 5, 1951. They farmed for many years, then moved to Charles City, IA in 1975. She worked in the restaurant at the Holiday Gas Station in the early 1960's. Shirley worked at Salsbury Laboratories, which became Solvay, for thirty-five years, proudly retiring as a laboratory technician at age 62. She was instrumental in training co-workers, and helped develop many agricultural drugs which were accepted on the first trial by the USDA in Ames, IA. She survived advanced breast cancer in the years 2000-2001. She was a tough cookie who felt each day was a gift; her humor during cancer treatments was legendary. She was always telling jokes. Shirley was diagnosed with metastatic bone cancer in 2021; again, her humor and determination gave her family and friends four more precious years with her. Shirley enjoyed many pursuits starting with time with her grandchildren. She and Richard enjoyed camping around Iowa where they met many dear friends. They also spent a few winters in Texas with family and friends. Shirley loved to cook and feed people. She was known for her Sunday fried chicken dinners, and making baked beans from scratch for holiday meals. Shirley enjoyed visiting-friends and family were welcome to drop in; the coffee was always on. Her favorite hobby was making and giving away greeting cards. She was preceded in death by her husband Richard; her parents; brother, William Schroeder; sister, Peggy Murphy; grandson, Dustin Buttjer; and grandson, Jimmie Lee Ross. Shirley is survived by her friend Ted Geertz; brother, Jim Schroeder in AZ; sisters: Roberta Flugge in OK and Nancy Beyersdorf in MI; sister-in-law, Heleyne Adelmund; sons: David (& Marilyn) Buttjer, Robert Buttjer, Michael (& Sherry) Buttjer and Dennis (& Connie) Buttjer; daughters: Christine Buttjer and Kathleen (& Kim Travis) Abbott; grandchildren: Matt Buttjer, Benjamin Buttjer, Melinda Buttjer, Angela Buttjer, Carissa Buttjer, Reece Buttjer, Rochelle Ross, Jacob Ross, Jolene Buttjer, Luke Buttjer, Cynthia Gniadek, Gabrielle Abbott and Caleb Abbott; numerous great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren; as well as nieces and nephews. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Shirley, please visit our floral store.