Florence Buttler

Florence Margerite Rose Kearnes Buttler, passed away on July 20, 2024, at Logan Health Extended Care in Conrad, Montana. Florence was born on November 16, 1928, in Hebron, North Dakota to George Kearnes Sr. and Frieda Ding Kearnes. She grew up in Hebron surrounded by a large extended family, enjoying antics and activities with her many aunts, uncles, and cousins. She was the eldest of five children born to George and Frieda and was joined by siblings, George Jr., John, Tom, and Linda.

She graduated from Hebron High School in 1946 and attended Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska, earning her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1951. She was working at Porter Sanitarium in Denver Colorado when at the bus stop one day a young Duane Buttler, recently discharged from the army, asked for her phone number. They were married in 1956 and began their life together. They raised four children, Laurel, Christy, Donna, and Jeff while living in Colorado, New Mexico, California, Oregon, and finally Montana. She worked as a registered nurse while their children were growing up, maintaining a home life and career.

Florence enjoyed her retirement years filling them with travel, volunteering and church work. She was a devoted member of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church and over the years held many volunteer church positions in every community they resided in. She travelled to every continent, often in the company of her sister, Linda. After she retired from nursing, she continued to be active in the healthcare profession by volunteering at St. Patrick’s Hospital in Missoula as a “Pink Lady.”

Florence was preceded in death by her parents, brothers George and Tom, and her husband, Duane. Her legacy lives on in the lives of her family members, and in the lives of those she touched in her many years of working as a nurse and her service in the church. Those remaining to honor Florence’s wonderful life include her children Laurel, Christy (Dan), Donna (Mark) and Jeff; her grandchildren Bryce, Claire, Jeremy, and Curtis; and her siblings John and Linda.

The family would like to express their gratitude to Logan Health Conrad Extended Care staff for their love and friendship over the past four years. A family event celebrating Florence’s life will be held at a later date.