Doris May Butler Obituary in Ankeny at Memorial Services of Iowa

Obituary For Doris May Butler

Doris May Butler, 100, passed away peacefully the morning of July 18, 2025, at Mill Pond Care Center, Ankeny, Iowa, due to natural causes. Prior to her time in Ankeny, Doris was a long-time resident of the Kankakee, Illinois, area.

Doris’ memorial service has been scheduled for August 6, 2025, at 10 a.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church at 102 Lynwood Dr., Huxley, Iowa, with lunch to be served after. Family and friends are invited to attend.

Doris was born in Bloomington, Illinois, on November 27, 1924, the daughter of Fred and Emma Gardner. She graduated as a Registered Nurse in 1946 from the Mennonite Hospital in Bloomington and worked 10 years for the McLean County Health Department.

She met Loren Ross Butler II at the VFW where he was singing. They were married in July 1957 in Kankakee, Illinois, where they had two children, Ross and Elizabeth “Betsy.” Doris worked 25 years as an administrator at the Shapiro Developmental Center in Kankakee, where she played a key role in developing mental health programs before retiring in 1981. After retirement, Doris traveled with her husband and wintered in Tucson, Arizona. She moved to Iowa in 2018.

Doris was an active member in the United Methodist Church, serving at Asbury UMC (Kankakee, Il), St. John’s UMC (Tucson, AZ) and Trinity UMC (Huxley, IA.) She was a devoted member to the American Nurses Association and was past president of many organizations, including the Illinois Rural Letter Carriers Association. Her many hobbies included playing bridge, playing golf, reading and traveling.

Doris is survived by her daughter Elizabeth (Mark) Meyer of Ames, her grandchildren, Sarah (Luke) Thompson; Andrew Meyer; and Ross (Christine), Jared (Lacey) and Zachary (Dani) Butler; and five great-grandchildren.

Doris was preceded in death by her husband, Ross, in 2009 and her son, Ross, in 2019.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Illinois State University Foundation, Mennonite College of Nursing in memory of Doris Butler.

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