In Memory of Lester Gerald Buttle

My DAD, 
Lester Gerald Buttle, 

passed away June 28, 2016!

He was in San Jose, California where he lived most of his life.

About a month later I wrote this on facebook...

My dad, Gerry Buttle, lived a wonderful life. I am thankful he is my father and I will miss him. Last month at the age of 88 he slipped quietly and quickly to the other side, surely to be met by his mother and father, his only sibling Betty and his grandson Michael. He believed trials were just part of life and he just took them as they came, every one, with a smile. He lived without his left knee for the last 10 years of his life, rarely complaining. I will remember him as a patient, loving father who was always there for me. One Christmas as a college student I called him with the news that my friend's car had broken down and 6 of us had no way home. He said "I'll be right there" - that was only a 16 hour drive, each way. As a computer programmer for over 40 years he used to say "One day there will be a computer in every home" (that was in the 60's and 70's) and we would laugh. He taught me to drive a motorcycle. He taught me to be honest, work hard and be my best. He taught me the gospel of Jesus Christ and I am forever grateful. He was always in the church choir, always! He paid for all of my piano lessons. The number of times I saw my dad lose his temper was ... I can't think of any. There probably were some but I'm at a loss. He helped everybody and anybody who needed his help. When they asked what they could do for him in return he would say "just help someone else in need." I'm currently transcribing the letters my dad wrote to my mom when they were engaged and first married - it's a love affair worth remembering and that's how I choose to remember him. In those letters he was looking forward to having a large family and being a father. I am one of his 8 children and I couldn't be happier about that little fact! His posterity includes 35 grandchildren and 55 great-grandchildren with 4 more on the way. He will never be forgotten. Love you daddy!

Here's a little trip down memory lane...

This is the house my dad grew up in- for his entire childhood!

I have many memories of it!

Sadly, it no longer exists.

It's been torn down and is a parking lot now.

Here is Dad (the cutie front left) and his sister Betty

with both grandpas who lived close by.

Just look at those strong legs - they are in for a 

lifetime of struggles!

It started with breaking his leg in a skiing accident as a teen.

 Daddy grew up into a handsome young man...

 ...who became a missionary for

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

in Uruguay.

Here is the front and back of his card.

 When dad got home he met Sally.

This picture is taken in front of the tiny house
 that mom and her mother lived in.

To the right of this picture is the front door and that is the entire width of the house-
maybe 350 square feet.

I have very fond memories of this place in Hollywood, California!

I visited it MANY times as a child.

 Dad's Packard Convertible was ruined in his

head-on collision with a palm tree

when he fell asleep going down the Los Angeles Freeway about 70 miles an hour.

In this accident dad did very serious damage to his leg and ankle and jaw.

They pulled him out of the wreckage and put him on the side of the road for dead.

After finding a faint pulse they rushed him to the hospital.

He was told he would never walk again.

Dad was serving in the Korean War at the time

and the army hospital took good care of him.

He was determined to walk again.

He eventually served as scout master for many years
and went on several 50 milers with his 3 sons and others.

Mom and Dad got married while he was on leave in 1951.

A few months later he shipped out to Okinawa...

...where, among other things,  he played football - always a lover of football!

 Their first baby was born while he was away and their letters back and forth
were full of anticipation for a large family.

I've transcribed 135 letters dad wrote to mom while they were apart!

The first set of letters were written before they were married.

Back together again, here is dad as a young married man.
He probably made those doilies - he was a fantastic crocheter,
a talent he pursued while he recovered from the accident.
When I was a little girl he would crochet Barbie doll dresses for me, seriously!

Their first 2 children were born in California.
Then Dad got a job with IBM and became a computer programmer
for over 40 years - with the same company.
That was very common back in the day.
They moved to New York for this opportunity
and 3 more children were born to them there, including me!
Then they moved to San Jose, California
where the last 3 children were born.

And here is my beautiful family
when there were 6 children.
Dad built us this go-cart!
He was soooooooooooooo handy!
I pretty much thought my dad could do anything!
(I'm on the far right and surely my mother made my outfit)

6 of us in the backyard of our lovely new home on Gaylor Lane.

(Me on the far right)

This home (on Gaylor Lane) was built just for our family in the 60's!

It was a ranch home with 5 bedrooms!!!!!

So many happy memories here!

It was a big corner lot with a huge patio and lots of fruit trees!

Geralynn took this picture of the home in 2007.

Now there are 8 of us!


When the youngest was a baby we moved to
San Pedro, California.
Ron and I visited there a few years ago and took a picture of the home we rented...

...while we built this one!

Both of these homes had a gorgeous view of the ocean

and a perfect view of  Catalina Island.

 While living here we entered a contest and won
the opportunity to sing with the King Family Singers
in the Hollywood Bowl.
These are the outfits my mother made for us to wear.


This is the newspaper article that was put in the paper about our family!

Dad was very playful with us.  

He would help us do flips and all kinds of tricks.
I remember climbing out my bedroom window onto the patio roof and
RUNNING and JUMPING off the roof onto the backyard hill.
Dad just watched and laughed as I ran back into the house
and did it over and over again!

Now a picture with mom and dad


After 3 short years in San Pedro,
dad was transferred back to San Jose
and we moved into the very same area where we lived before
so we could be back with our friends.


Dad was always there for us
He was a great helper with math homework or any kind of homework.

All the girls dresses were homemade maxi dresses in this one!
In a day and age when "hot pants" were in, we were very modest!
I am thankful.

One by one we left the comforts of home and ventured into the world,
always knowing that dad would be there in an instant if needed.

Both our parents with Ron and I at our wedding reception.
There is a dramatic shadow that makes our hair look quite bushy but I love it!

At this point in the story, I could go find many more  pictures and digitize them
but enough is enough!

About 10 years ago dad finally had a knee replacement surgery
but it didn't work and he used crutches ever after.
He came to Georgia for 4 1/2 years and

I am forever grateful for that time with him.

How I wish I had just normal  pictures of the daily things we did.

I took him to the YMCA several times a week and we would swim.

Afterwards his favorite thing to do was go to Costco

and zip around in the electric wheelchair to shop.

This is the night he arrived in Georgia.  We were all so excited!

 5 of his 8 children.

4 of us live in Georgia and Wendy lives in South Carolina.

Welcome to Georgia!

One of the few Father's Day I had with my dad in my home.

Casey Buttle and Juston Cheney were with us!

 Geralynn West, Dad, Kirk Buttle, Karie Cheney and Kelly Buttle

 At the Anderson's in Carrollton for a 4th of July celebration!

The Wilding's were visiting from Texas.

These next 2 were taken at Lorie and Mason's Open House in our home.

Karie, Dad and Kelly

Mason, Dad and Lorie

 Grandpa with Michael Cheney just before his mission.

 Juston with Grandpa 

Eating at BBQ Street was always a treat!

 Geralynn, Charlie, Janalee, Malcolm, Dad, Wendy, Karie

We sibs bought this bike for dad.

HE WAS A CYCLIST!!!!!!
Before dad's surgery, he cycled to work daily
and went on 70 mile bike rides up and down hills.
His legs were rocks, honestly!

He loved to ride the Silver Comet Trail in Powder Springs, GA!

Our last Buttle Reunion

2010 in Georgia!

6 of the 8 children were here!

Wendy made this awesome cake for the celebration!

Mom and Dad at BBQ Street, again!

It was a familiar sight to have dad singing while mom played the autoharp!

Mom, Geralynn and dad at the 2010 reunion.

Dad riding his bike at the Anderson's - 2010!

It was great for dad to be around when others came to visit.

I like how this picture captures the normal chit-chat!

We are at the Wood's house and Bryon's family was visiting from Utah!

We had a few visits in South Carolina with Wendy's family.

This is an early Thanksgiving in 2011.

 Dad, Christine, Andy, Jenni, little Kara, Wendy, Mom, Karie, John and Marty!

Mom and Dad relaxing at the Naselli's

 I adore this picture of my parents!

 Dad had a few biking accidents while in Georgia 

and spent several weeks either in the hospital or in nursing care facilities...

 Karie and Dad -  Christmas Day 2011

 Kirk, Karie and Geralynn visiting Dad!

 Jessa, Emma and Janalee Wood visiting dad!

Before dad went back to California he ventured down the basement stairs

to see mom's new suite at our home.

 It was a very happy day!

This is the last picture I have of my dad.  

I visited him in San Jose, California  and would walk with him 

while he went on his bike rides.

Why didn't I take a better picture?

Probably because I sat there in the car trying to sneak a picture
 so he wouldn't mind and it would be natural - 
my dad in his mid 80's still exercising the best way he could.

Wish I had a picture of dad playing his trumpet.
He would walk through the house on Saturday morning playing a certain song-
we knew the words as "it's time to get up!"
Then he would make us homemade waffles out of whole wheat.

He took us to the beach many times each year
and we went camping
and we did lots of swimming
and he paid for all 8 of us to have music lessons
and he always took us to choir practice -
he sang bass.
Family vacations were always to go visit a family member.
We NEVER stayed in a hotel on the way- we drove until we got there,
no matter the distance.
When we moved from New York to California
we got to stay in a motel and it was there as a 3 year old that I nearly drowned,
but dad saved me.  I remember it!

One summer IBM paid for our entire family to go to New York
while dad was on business.
We stayed in a motel for a month, went out to eat every evening,
played and swam in the motel pool while dad worked -
that was the only time I remember flying on an airplane with my family.

Of course my faithful mother was there for all of this
and I will be forever grateful for their gospel teachings of Jesus Christ
and their consistent, steady goodness.

We got together in Georgia for a memorial for dad in July.

From youngest to oldest,
Janalee Wood, Darrin, Shaleen Wilding, Kirk, Karie Cheney,
Kevin's organ CD (we played his music while we were together since he could not come),
Wendy Naselli, and Geralynn West.
Sally Buttle seated - our mother!

We 8 children are very fortunate indeed!