Cliff Buchan
News Editor

Teacher, principal, business owner, banker, veteran, husband, dad and grandfather. Those are lot of hats to wear but Cliff Butler of Forest Lake wore them all in his 78 years of life.

Butler, the man who led Forest Lake Elementary School as principal for 18 years, died of a heart attack on Thursday, Oct. 26.

Working ó be it on a job, in a profession or his family life ó is one of the legacies Butler will leave.

ìHe always wanted to be involved. He always wanted to meet people,î said his son Murray Butler.

Butler retired from his job as principal in 1986, but never really retired. He spent the next 20 years deeply involving himself in family affairs while continuing to work at banks in Forest Lake. He spent a number of years at Forest Lake State Bank (now Wells Fargo) before moving to what is today Mainstreet Bank.

He was a head teller at the bank.

ìHe didnít like the idea of quitting,î his son said.

Lifeís travels

Butler landed in Forest Lake in 1967 after two decades that saw two stints in the Navy, a college degree to teach, a four-year private busies venture and nine years of teaching.

He was hired here as a teaching principal at Linwood Elementary School. He worked in Linwood one year before accepting a move to Forest Lake Elementary School where he stayed for 18 years.

Butler retired in 1986, leaving the post with one note of sadness. ìIíll miss only one thing ó the kids,î he said in an interview that year. ìThatís what makes the world go round.î

A native of Hopkins, Butler made the move to teaching indirectly and a bit later in life. He graduated high school there in 1946 and spent the next two years in the Navy. He found work after his Naval tour ended and eventually started college in River Falls, WI.

In 1950 with the Korean War on the horizon, he was recalled by the Navy and spent the next year in Alaska. He earned his teaching degree in 1952.

He spent two years as a junior high school social studies and English teacher in Mosinee, WI, before leaving education to spend the next four years running a Shell service station.

In 1956 while running the station in Schofield, WI, Butler was accidently shot below the left eye by a 22 caliber bullet discharged by a friend. He recovered from the wounds that left him nerve damage and some paralysis in the face and throat.

After recovering, Butler made the move back to teaching. He was hired as an elementary teacher in Columbia Heights and spent nine years there before moving to Forest Lake.

Retirement

When Butler retired 20 years ago at age 58, he said it would be a time to enjoy life and spend time with family.

His son believes his father was successful in that goal.

Murray was 12 and his sister Heidi, was 16, when their father retired. Murray Butler said his father was able to be a bigger part of their lives was doing the same today with his grandchildren while spending time with his wife of 54 years, Dorothy.

Murray Butler said his dad was so pleased that he was able to go hunting with a grandson, Noah, 9.

ìHe (dad) got to hunt with grandson for the first time last year,î Murray said. ìHe (Noah) got to go with grandpa. It was a big deal.î

That deer hunting trip was to Kentucky with Butler family friends. Noah shared a deer stand with his grandfather and was the spotter, Murray said.

Along with spending time in family matters and working at the bank, Murray Butler said his dad was also proud of his work with VFW Post 4210 in Forest Lake where he was a member.

Funeral details

A funeral service for Clifford T. Butler was Tuesday, Oct. 31 at Mattson Funeral Home in Forest Lake. Interment was in Little Falls, WI.

Butler is survived by his wife, Dorothy; daughter Heidi Butler; son Murray (Stephanie) Butler; two grandchildren, Noah and Emma; siblings Donna (Stan) Pelcl, Howard (Joan) Butler, and Francis Kokesh; many nieces, nephews and extended family.

Memorials are preferred to VFW Post 4210 or the Community Scholarship Foundation at Forest Lake High School.

Top of Page

Forest Lake Times
P.O. Box 218
880 SW 15 St.
Forest Lake, MN 55025
651-464-4601
Fax 651-464-4605