Our beloved mother, Laverne Cynthia Butler, entered into eternal life March 11, 2023 with her family by her side.
She was 94 years old.
She was born in Austin, NV on December 12, 1928 to Casey and Irene Birchim.
She was the eldest of seven children. During World War II, the family moved to Hawthorne, NV. During her summer vacations from school, the ammunition depot in Hawthorne was hiring children ages 17 and older.
She went to work there as a typist and stayed for several years.
She quit to go home to Austin to help her parents on the ranch.
When the Korean War started, she went back to Hawthorne to work in the ammunition depot again.
This time she was assigned to work assembling explosive ordinance.
She said it “got pretty scary sometimes, but the women got it done.”
While living in Hawthorne, she met Clarence Butler, who was in the armed services.
They were married in 1951 by Justice of the Peace, Lavant Lovelock in Lovelock, NV.
They were married 64 years. After raising 5 children, she went to work for Pershing General Hospital, where she received her license by the state of Nevada as a Certified Nursing Assistant. She worked there for many years.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, a son, Michael, grandson, Tony Groppetti, her daughter in law, Wendy; Sisters, Lyda, Lolia and Pearl; brothers, Calvin and Edison.
She is survived by her children, Christine (Tom) McElroy; Yolanda Jurad; Clarence Jr.; Yvonne (Anthony) Groppetti; brother Raymond; 7 grandchildren; 12 great grandchildren and 5 great great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
Love you to the moon and back mom!!
Funeral services were held on March 18th at Smith Family Funeral Home in Fallon. Burial followed at the Big Meadow Cemetery in Lovelock.
