Illinois Civil War Muster and
Descriptive Rolls Database:
Headstone Reading,
Will County Illinois USGenWeb
Necrologist Reports (© 2002
The ILGenWeb Project All Rights
Reserved):
John Butler
One
of the best known of all of Joliet's citizens, died at the home of his
daughter, Mrs. S. A. Mateer, on Exchange street, on Wednesday, May 4th
(1910),
at the good old age of 87 years. He was born in
London England April 12th,
1823,
and came to this country with his parents when but two years old. He
came to
Joliet in 1865,
and
this has
since been his home. He was a soldier in the Civil War and did good
service.
Mr. Butler was married to Miss Martha Wells,
January 1st,
1845.
She preceded him in death,
September
22nd, 1899. He had been
blind for
28 years.
Published Obituaries:
Joliet
Evening Herald, Thursday, May 5, 1910,
Vol.
6
No. 140
Front page
John
Butler, 87 years old, prominent in Masonic affairs for
sixty-four years
and a
well known and respected citizen of
Joliet
for forty-six years, died at the home of his
daughter,
609 Exchange street,
at
4:30 o’clock yesterday
afternoon.
Mr.
Butler had been unconscious for a week and death came as the result of
a
complication of diseases accentuated by old age.
For
twenty-eight years Mr. Butler had been blind, but despite the
affliction was
cheerful and patient.
The death was hastened by an accident two years ago, when
the decedent was
struck by a team of horses and crippled.
Mr.Butler was born in
London,
Eng., April 12, 1823,
and when 2
years old came with his parents
to Lockport, N.Y.,
where he was married in 1845 to Miss Bertha Wells of that city.
Four children were born to this union, two of whom are
living, Mrs. S.A.
Mateer of
Joliet and Mrs. M.B. Filhion of Chicago.
His
wife died Sept. 22,
1899, thirty-five years after his removal to Joliet
in 1864.
The
family is noted for longevity, a brother of Mr. Butler passing the 90
year
mark.
For
years after his removal to Joliet
the deceased pursued his trade of a shoemaker, and only ceased when
failing
eyesight made the move necessary.
In
fraternal circles, Mr. Butler enjoyed a wonderful record.
In
1846, he was admitted to the Masonic lodge in Lockport,
N.Y., and after his removal
to Joliet,
became a member of Matteson lodge on December
30, 1867.
He
has served as tyler in
this lodge for twenty-five years and as
sentinel
in the Joliet Chapter, No. 27, for twenty years.He
was admitted to the chapter in 1866. He
was a charter member of Joliet Chapter, No, 82, R. & S.M., and was
made a
life member of Joliet Commandery, No. 82, Knights Templar to which he
was
admitted in 1865.
As
an Odd Fellow, he has made himself prominent for sixty years and was a
charter
member of the Knights of Pythias. He was
a member of the Presbyterian church.
Besides
his daughters, he is survived by seven great-grandchildren and two
sisters,
Mrs. Diana Johnson of St. Louis, and
Mrs. Anna Dillon of Monroe, Wis.
The
funeral will be held under the auspices of the Masonic fraternity and
the
services will be conducted by the Rev. Charles M. Brown.
Additional Biographical Material: