Melvin Butler

1931 - 2025

Melvin Lamar Butler, age 94, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Sunday, November 2, 2025, at his residence in Sturgis, Mississippi. Melvin was born on August 5, 1931, in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi to the late Horace Lawrence and Melda Florence Shurden Butler. He was an Army veteran and served his country in Korea. He was a member of Sturgis Baptist Church in Sturgis, Mississippi. Mr. Butler was a retired telephone installer for Western Electric/AT&T. He was a loving husband, father, active in his church, a hard worker, gardener, and always generous with his time and talent in serving others. He had many hobbies one of which was being a pilot and owning a plane. Mr. Butler is survived by his loving wife of sixty-seven years, Ruby Collier Butler of Sturgis, Mississippi; his son David (Marsha) Butler of Sturgis, Mississippi; four daughters, Janet Butler (Sid) Petty of Ackerman, Mississippi, Marie Butler (Bill) Jeffries of Starkville, Mississippi, Teresa Butler of Brandon, Mississippi and Jodie Butler (Steve) Womack of Maben, Mississippi and sister-in-law, Sherby Jo Butler of Stone Mountain, Georgia. He is also survived by his nineteen grandchildren and their spouses, Christy (Mike), Michael, Sean, Taylor, Marlana, Alana, William, Greg, Joshua, Hannah, Jordan, Lamar (Brittany), Apryl (Robert), Ashley (Elijah) and Daniel and eighteen great grandchildren. He is preceded in death by both his parents, Horace Lawrence and Melda Florence Shurden Butler; brothers, Lawrence (Kathryn) Butler, Horace (Mildred) Butler and Bobby Butler; sisters, Iantha Wray, Jeanette Shumaker, Nan (James) Strain, Hilda (Russell) Jemison, and Ann (George) Wooten; two sons-in-law David Fulgham and Larry Ray and grandson Davey Fulgham. Funeral Services for Mr. Melvin Lamar Butler were held at 11:00AM on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, at Sturgis Baptist Church in Sturgis, Mississippi. The family received friends and loved ones for a time of visitation on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, from 10:00AM until time for services at 11:00AM at Sturgis Baptist Church. Interment followed at the Butler Family Cemetery in Sturgis, Mississippi. Rev. Russell Mord and Rev. Don Parish officiated the services. Pallbearers were Daniel Butler, Lamar Butler, Andrew Fulgham, Matthew Fulgham, Robbie Grimes, Greg Jeffries, William Jeffries and Jordan Womack. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Baptist Children's Village, P. O. Box 27, Clinton, MS, 39060, or The Gideons International, P. O. Box 140800, Nashville, TN, 37214-0800. Oliver Funeral Home of Eupora is honored to serve the Butler family and is in charge of all arrangements.