The Birthday Girl

Birthday Celebration - 1996

A rare photo of the Carpenter women together
Pinkie - Tootie - Leona

Happy Birthday to You!

To read the post about Leona's birth, click here

This is your life!

The following was a presentation honoring Dad when he was released as the Bishop of the Pueblo Ward in 1966.  
It was written by Verda Kay Gibson who obtained the information from 
Mom and Uncle Joe and Aunt Fern.  Although Verda didn't get all the facts quite right, 
I thought it would be a great way to honor Dad's birthday.

As the late winter sun cast its final rays of the day on the tiny, two room white house, the population of the small eastern Colorado town was increased by one. The newcomer made his arrival known by a loud, lusty expansion of his lungs. The date – March 16, 1923, the place – Haswell, Colorado.

THIS IS YOUR LIFE, BISHOP LOUIS EDWARD BUTLER!

The first child of Jesse and Mable Davis Butler, you and your parents moved to Pueblo while you were still a small child. In the next few years, you were joined by three brothers, Charles, Eldon and Delbert. While you boys were still small, your parents became members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Although you and your brothers did have the usual brotherly fights and arguments, and a few trips to the woodshed were necessary to help mold your characters, the bond of brotherly love was very strong among you. Following Eldon’s graduation from High School, tragedy broke up this brother quartet. While driving down a California street, a large truck ran a red light, hitting Eldon’s car broadside. Our Heavenly Father called him home before any members of the family could reach his hospital bedside. 

You started your first year of school at Parkview Grade School, where in the past few years, you have managed to advance to Principal - after 36 years, you’re at the same school.  You attended Park Hill Junior High School, and were graduated from Centennial High School in 1941. During your high school years, you were employed at the 11th Street Grocery.

 You and an attractive young girl, who would someday prove to be the biggest asset in your life, first met at M.I.A. Leona Carpenter knew you were for her the first time she laid eyes on you and only had to convince you of the same. She did succeed in getting you to take her to the show once, the summer before she started high school. You played the field for a while, dating several girls. Romeo Butler, you were known as in those days.

Leona finally succeeded in ‘landing’ you, and on November 17, 1943, you were married.

 Since you had joined the Navy shortly after graduation from High School, you were stationed in Seattle and this is where your marriage took place. You and Leona lived in Seattle for five months before the Navy sent you to Adak, Alaska, and Leona returned to Pueblo. After twenty-one months in Adak, where you served as a communications technician, you were released from active service and returned to Pueblo where you attended Pueblo Junior College from 1946 to 1948. You were active in sports – football, baseball, basketball, etc.

 Your ability to concentrate while trying to study was tested by the arrival of Louis Edward Jr., September 27, 1946. 

 Having once located your place of residence, the stork brought you another gift the following year, when on November 9, James Alan joined your family.

 You taught PE at Minnequa School one year, and then desperately trying to lose the big white bird, you moved your family to Greeley where you attended college for one year.

 Then once again the Navy had plans for you. “Join the Navy and see the world!” But where did the Navy send you this time during the Korean War? Why right back to good old Adak, Alaska, where you remained shivering and dreaming of Hawaii until your discharge several months later.

 You once again returned to Pueblo, and once again the stork located you and in making up for ‘lost’ time, she presented you with not one, but two sons, Charles Thomas (Tom) and Donald Eldon (Don), July 3, 1949.

 You were a principal at Bessemer School for seven years, before returning to your present position at your childhood school.

 By returning to Greeley to study during the summer months, you were finally able to obtain your Master’s Degree in 1955.

One of the highlights of your life was having your family sealed to you for time and eternity when you went to the temple on August 5, 1963.

You have always been active in church work and civic affairs. You are a member of the Pueblo Business Men’s Club, Lions Club, and have been a Single Fund representative for District 60 for several years.

 You served the Church as counselor under Bishop Evenson; you have been Scout Master, Seminary teacher, and with able understanding, patience and love, served as our Bishop from August 1963 to February 1966. You are presently High Councilor for the Adult Aaronic Priesthood. 

 A good, clean, God-fearing citizen of high moral standard – an asset to any community. 

What better can be said of any man?

Happy 88!

Eighty-five

Guess who celebrated 85 years today?

Flowers, pies and balloons make a great celebration.

(And a cute great grandson in the background doesn't hurt.)

Happy Birthday, Mom!

and may you have as many more as you want.

Happy, Happy Birthday!

Donny - Tommy

61 years old today!

"Just send them home when they get tired."

The following is taken from Dad's daily journal on his 58th birthday. Clearly he wasn't focused on himself that day.

16 March 1981 - Orlando Joseph Lucero's funeral. Had Lando in school. His little old mother was a friend. She once said, "Mr. Butler, since you like us Mexicans so much, how come you never learned to speak Mexican?"

He then wrote a little bit about the Lucero family. It was very apparent that he cared a lot for this family. We get more of their story recorded later with all of Lou's school stories.

Lou Butler, principal
1954

Mr. & Mrs. Lucero had about twelve children, and they were very good parents and good school patrons. All of their boys sold papers from the time they were very young, until they could get better jobs. I first met Mrs. Lucero on my first day as principal at Strack School [1953]. The Kindergarten teacher was new, and so was I. I also had Bessemer school.

It seemed that every new Kindergarten child (all 40 of them) had his mother, an aunt or two, and at least one grandmother with him for the first day of school. They all stayed for a long time! I finally asked all who could, to please let us take care of them and step out of the room onto the playground. If their children did not put up a fuss, to please go home and come back at 11:30 when the children would be dismissed.

Most of them went outside, but stayed and visited with family and friends. I soon learned that the school was a real center for the community. They attended all of our programs, had a good active PTA, and were all very friendly and supportive.

Mrs. Lucero had brought two or three younger children with her, and as she left she said, “When the littler ones get tired playing in the kindergarten playhouse, just send them home. They know their way home.” I was surprised, but not too surprised to say, “No, please take them home with you. We have our hands full here with the Kindergarten children.” So she did.

I guess Mrs. Lucero wasn’t offended, as she was back often, and when I returned to Bessemer after 20 years at Park View School, she said to me, “Mr. Butler, you like us Mexican people so much, why didn’t you ever learn to speak Spanish?”

* * * * * * * * * * *

And almost as an afterthought, written at the end of the entry for his birthday in 1981:

Birthday dinner with Toodie, Pinky, Beth, Kari and Kristi.

Eleanor Leona Carpenter Butler

Eleanor Leona Carpenter
born - November 14, 1925

Leona with her mother, Lorene "Toodie" Carpenter
back left of picture

Leona - 1928
3 years old

Leona (about 7 years old)- Lorene

As I read through many years of Dad's journals, I realized that he always made note of Mom's birthday on November 14 and mentioned where they ate for her celebration. Those notes of birthday recognition were usually followed by a narration of what they had done that day, typically involving service for someone else.

In 1989 Mom and Dad were serving a mission in Switzerland and spent almost all of their time together. They had to use a little creativity and intrigue to surprise each other for birthdays and holidays. As the following entry shows, Dad really gave it his best shot!

14 November 1989 - Leona's birthday.
I lost the card I had bought her for her birthday! I had carefully sneaked over to the cash register after picking it out while she was shopping and paid for it, put it in my inside pocket and rejoined her. This morning when I went to get it out of my pocket, it wasn't there.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

It's a boy! It's a boy!

In a small notebook my mother had written about the day I was born, “On a cold Friday, the Doctor was called and there was very much excitement at 5 in the afternoon, the wonderful young husband went out on the front porch and called, ‘Ruth, it’s a boy! It’s a boy!’”

I was born on the 16th day of March 1923 at Haswell, Kiowa County, Colorado. It was a very small town, 96 miles east of Pueblo on Highway #96 and 30 miles north of the Arkansas River at Las Animas, Colorado. The population of Haswell was (and is maybe less now) about 200 people in the town itself. The population is greatly increased by the surrounding farms and ranches. The Missouri Pacific Railroad passes through Haswell and played a large part in my family’s life. I suppose the town was called Haswell because it “has a well.” But it is best remembered for the bad tasting water. My memory of the water is that whenever possible, we took water from the ranch to town if we were going to visit with my Butler grandparents very long – long enough to get thirsty!

I was born in the home of my parents, Jesse Llewellyn Butler, born 21 December 1898 and Mable Elsa Davis, born 20 July 1902. My father was raised in the town of Haswell and my mother had lived on a ranch 7 ½ miles northwest of Haswell. They were married on February 5, 1922 at the Davis family ranch.

Some birthdays through the years:

March 16, 1985 – I didn’t know at the time that Peter Elliot Butler, our grandson was born on this day in Saudi Arabia, on my 62nd birthday. How about that! A grandson on my birthday! It is a real thrill to have a loved one born on your birthday; somehow it makes it special.

1987 - 64 years old
on a mission in Lawrence, Kansas

1988 - 65 years old
Denver, Colorado - Jim & Tesi's house

16 March 1990 – 67 years old today! I thought only old people ever became 67 years old!

Lou and Leona celebrated this birthday with a trip to Lucerne, Switzerland on March 12 with DeeJay & Roma Valentine. They took a train trip through the countryside near the Alps to Lucerne and then returned to Zollifoken by a different route. The scenery was beautiful and looked much like that in "The Sound of Music."

On his actual birthday, Lou had to stay late to do the posting at the temple, so Leona was by herself. She had to go to Zollifkofen to buy him a birthday present. She found a shop that sold men’s clothing, but she was so confused by European sizes that she walked out without a gift! He didn’t get any present that year – her German wasn’t very good and she couldn’t shop by herself!

year unknown. . .
Pleasant View, Utah -- Lou & Colleen's house

1992 - 69 years old
Yuma, Arizona - Tom & Carol's house

1999 - 76 years old
Don & Lynn's house

Happy Birthday, Dad!