Diane M. Butts

alled home to her Savior’s loving arms Feb. 26 at the Mountain View Manor/Good Samaritan Center in Eureka, where she resided since May 2012.

A great-grandmother to eight, and step-great-grandmother to another five, Diane started with four children, Steve Butts, Barbara (Butts-Helms) Larson, Joseph Butts, and Tracy (Butts) Stamper, all with late husband Richard “Dick” Butts, whom she married on Dec. 15, 1950, after moving to Eureka from Idaho in 1948. Dick and Diane remained together for 42 years until Dick passed in 1992.

Diane spent most of her life caring for her family in Eureka, cooking, baking, canning from the family orchard, hunting, fishing, and metal detecting alongside Dick, and working the family Christmas tree business, among other things. A community maven, Diane was a long time active member in the VFW Lady Auxiliary, the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (having been a baptized member of the Holy Cross Lutheran Church), and was an avid bowler and club representative. Diane also enjoyed working for various Eureka establishments over the years as a cook, whenever family time wasn’t impacted.

In the mid 1980s Diane ventured to many different locals in California, where she and Dick supported eldest son Steve’s construction business for nearly a decade before returning to Eureka in 1991 after receiving a heart valve replacement. Diane traveled extensively in the 21 years after the passing of Dick, attending the Calgary Stampede, trekking and fishing in Sitka, Alaska, and other places including Montana’s Tiber and local Kootenai reservoirs, and even becoming an excellent horse handicapper.

In 1999, Diane reached the pinnacle of her hunting career, finally getting a bull moose during the October hunting season; she was in her late 60s.

Diane was a grounding influence for many of her children and grandchildren, offering advice and guidance from afar, as many of her extended family moved farther and farther from Montana. She dearly loved her “Precious” toy poodle, a faithful companion for many years. As her health failed later in life, she was cared for by her family until she admitted herself into the care home when she knew constant care would be required.

Diane was preceded in death by her mother, Florence (Wilcox) Lucore; father, Francis Lucore; step-father Edson Gay; husband, Richard “Dick” Butts; sister-in-law, Sue Lucore, and nephew, Dale Lucore.

She was survived by brother Francis “Sonny” Lucore, his children Luke, Fran, Kathy and their families; half-brother Warren Gay with wife Rita and their families; half-sister Melody (Gay) Goss with husband Charles Goss and their families; son Steve Butts with wife Suzanne, grandson Richard Butts with wife Valerie; great-granddaughter Gwendolyn Diane; granddaughter Julie (Butts) King with husband Nick and great-grandchildren Kyler and Kaylee; grandson Robert Butts; grandson Rory Butts with Meghan Lanning; granddaughter Stevnae Butts, and grandson Shane Butts; daughter Barbara (Butts- Helms) Larson with husband Glenn; grandson Kody Helms with wife Kristina  and great-granddaughter Elsey, with step-grandchildren Brooke and Cody; granddaughter, Karie (Helms) Stidham with Jesse Kelleher and great-granddaughters Briana and Brittani; step grandchild Joseph Larson with son Kyle; step-grandchild Lori Larson with daughters Jakayla and Zoe; son Joseph Butts with wife Margaret and grandson Ethan; daughter Tracy (Butts) Stamper and grandson Jason Culbertson with Kaitlyn Gehres, great-grandchildren Karlee and Zander; granddaughter Jamie Stamper with Steve Schimmel; sisters-in-law Edith (Butts) Hudson with husband Dale, Jaunita (Rich) Butts, Cheri (Marvel) Butts with husband Dan Butts; Ella (Butts) Evinrude with husband Larry Evinrude; Neva (Butts) Duff; brothers-in-law Eldon Marvel with wife Donna; Ned Butts, as well as numerous extended families that she loved.

In classic Diane fashion, she wished for a very small ceremony; therefore, a Celebration of Life will be scheduled for Memorial Weekend rather than traditional funeral services. A notice of time and place will be announced at a later date. Donations in memory can be made to Mountain View Manor or the Eureka Animal Shelter.