Mary Lou Butzer

Mary Lou Butzer, age 92, of Morton, MN, passed away on Monday, September 29, 2025, at her residence. A Memorial Mass will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Saturday, October 11, 2025, at St Catherine’s Catholic Church in Redwood Falls, MN. with luncheon to follow service. Burial will take place at a later date at Fort Snelling in Minneapolis. Visitation will be held one hour prior to her service at 10:00 – 11:00 A.M. at the church. Live stream Live stream broadcast: https://www.youtube.com/@LOWAFC/streams

The Nelson-Hillestad Funeral and Cremation Service of Morgan and Redwood Falls are in charge of the arrangements. E-mail condolences may be sent via www.nelson-hillestad.com.

And Mary Lou knows how to have a good time and do things she loves.

Mary Lou was a lover of music. Her guitar lesson practice included us singing along, her deaf husband and tone-deaf daughter, what a moment in time, priceless. Some of her favorites included Johnny Cash, John Denver, and the Mages family.

She was an exceptional host along with her husband, James. So many people have memories of summer holidays spent at the Lake. Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day looked like a state park as multiple generations of family and friends camped and tented at “Boogieman Beach.” Ahead of her time, Mary Lou designed and hand drew Boogieman Beach Branded tee-shirts for everyone.

Mary Lou has a green thumb. Her flower gardens always grew the beloved Canna alongside dinner plate dahlias, pink poppies and baby’s breath. And the Job’s Tears, the beadlike seedheads which she made into Rosaries. The Lake property was huge enough for a substantial garden. Potatoes were planted a plenty and never store bought. Tomatoes were canned by Mary Lou. And beans. And pickles, sweet and dill. Grape jam, plum jam, rhubarb jam, even zucchini disguised as jam. And her baking of crisps and pies and breads. Her “girls” Sue, Rachel, and Ronnie, helped Mary Lou make hundreds of gingerbread boys at Christmas time. Mary Lou loved to share these homemade treats with her family and friends in the community.

Smart as a whip, that Mary Lou. Her boundless energy poured into a teaching career, and later as an election judge and leader at the Morton Senior Center (a true civil servant she was.) And creative? Mary Lou? This woman brought artistic talent and creativity to everything she did. From handcrafting doll furniture out of wooden clothespins, to crocheting glamorous princess doll dresses, to yes, making the actual dolls! In fact, crocheting was a favorite activity of Mary Lou. Intricate and complex dollie patterns flowed out of her like water. On “Girls Weekends” soap making was a frequent activity. Her daughters, each taking their turn stirring a batch of Mary Lou's award-winning homemade soap.

Mary Lou (Kodet) Butzer, was born on June 21, 1933, on a farm near Bechyn, MN. She was the eighth child of nine siblings. She graduated from Morton High School in 1952 and was Homecoming Queen of her class. On July 28, 1954, she married James Walter Butzer, her high school sweetheart and the love of her life. They were married for almost 47 years.

Mary Lou received a teaching degree from Mankato State College in 1954 and a Bachelor of Science in Education from Mankato State University in 1963. She taught elementary school in Lincoln, Nebraska, Fairfax, Lake Benton, St. Clair and Eagan Minnesota.

There are many offices and committees of which Mary Lou held and participated. She was a Charter Member of Mary, Mother of the Church, and taught religion classes there.

She was also a leader and teacher in both the Campfire Girls program and 4-H (Eagan Rangers). Mary Lou spent many years, along with her husband James, educating and helping to expand the Cochlear Implant Program at the University of Minnesota. Mary Lou was a member and treasurer of her beloved Morton Senior Center for 31 years. She spent nine years on the School District Community Education Advisory Board also in Morton. It was an honor for her to be KLGR’s “Hometown Hero” in June of 2003. In 2010, Mary Lou was chosen as Morton Citizen of the Year.

Mary Lou Butzer, age 92, died Monday, September 29, 2025 at her home in Morton, Mn. She was a Daughter, Sister, Wife, Mom and Grandma who was loved by her family and many friends. She is survived by two daughters, Susan Butzer and husband Timothy Veerkamp residing in Eagan, and Rachel Butzer Edwards and partner Chad Schwab who live in Minneapolis. Her honorary daughter is Mei Yen Wang who lives with husband Heng in Eagan.

Her grandchildren are Matthew Butzer Veerkamp, Benjamin Butzer Veerkamp, Rhiannon Butzer Veerkamp and honorary granddaughter Jamie Lou Paladino.

She was preceded in death by her parents Alois and Barbara Kodet, her husband James Walter Butzer, three sisters, two brothers and grandson Alexander Butzer Veerkamp.

May she rest in peace.