Willella M. (Radebaugh) Butz Obituary (1924

Willella M Butz, age 96, of Bellevue, passed away April 16, 2021 peacefully at home. She was the daughter of William and Ruth Radebaugh, owners of the R & R Rexall drug store. Willella was born on October 22, 1924, in Bluffton, Ohio. A 1942 graduate of Bellevue High School, she graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1946, with a degree in English. After college, she taught school in Sandusky and Bellevue. In 1948 she married Walter Butz and moved to Durham, North Carolina, where Walter finished his last year of law school at Duke University. During their year in Durham, Willella taught in a very small country school attended by sharecoppers' children. Willella was a lifelong member of the First United Methodist Church in Bellevue. She served as a Layleader, Sunday School teacher, President of the Administrative Board, and was a member of the choir. Her many interests included gardening, collecting antiques, volunteering at Fish and Loaves, playing bridge, traveling and cooking. She and her husband traveled to Australia, Europe, Canada, and all over the US. Willella is survived by her daughter, Rebecca Kulik, her son, William Butz, her sister, Marian Hunter, five grandchildren, and 5 great grand children. She was predeceased by her parents, her husband, Judge Walter Butz, and her son, James Edward Butz. Memorial contributions may be made to the Bellevue Society for the Arts, 205 Maple Street, Bellevue, OH 44811.