Delores Buttke

Delores Buttke died July 22, 2021, peacefully at her apartment at the age of 96.

She was born on May 14, 1925, in Wabeno, WI., the daughter of Fred and Dora (Ziegel) Hinzmann. She was baptized on May 31, 1925, in Salem Ev. Lutheran Church in Hamburg, WI. She spent the first 11 years of her life in Wabeno. In 1936, her parents moved to the Ziegel farm in the Town of Hamburg, where she confirmed her faith on April 2, 1939, in St. John’s Lutheran Church, a sister church to Salem. She attended Athens High School for one year and then moved with her parents to Wausau in 1940. She attended Wausau Senior High School and graduated in 1943. She worked at Marathon Battery until June 1, 1946.  During summers in high school, she worked as a farm hand for Bennie and Margaret Buttke, where she met Clifford Buttke, whose family’s farm was across the road.  She married Clifford Buttke on June 15, 1946, in Trinity Ev. Lutheran Church in Wausau. She joined Trinity Ev. Lutheran Church in the Town of Stettin right after her marriage. She joined the Ladies Aid of Trinity in March 1948, and was a member for 56 years, serving as an officer for many of those years. Delores helped organize the Sunday School Program at Trinity-Stettin and continued to teach into the 1980’s. She was one of the first women at Trinity to sit with their husbands in church, breaking a long-standing tradition of men and women sitting on opposite sides of the church.

Delores and Clifford farmed on the Buttke Family Farm in Stettin for 41 years, until they retired and moved to Wausau in September 1987. She and Clifford were charter members of The Pommerscher Verein of Central Wisconsin. In retirement, Delores enjoyed her very early morning walks in Marathon Park for many years. She enjoyed sewing and did a great deal for family and friends over the years. She was an avid reader and loved music. Her other hobbies included working jig-saw puzzles, counted cross-stitch, flower gardening and playing cards. She looked forward to Thursday afternoons at the Senior Center and Friday afternoons at the Schofield City Hall, where she played sheephead with many wonderful senior friends. She especially enjoyed going to Miller Park to watch and cheer for the Milwaukee Brewers.

Clifford and Delores celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary in June 1996, and Clifford passed away just two months later, on August 18, 1996.

Their marriage was blessed with three children, Melanie (Tim) Steller, Leanne (Bill Hauser) Buttke, and Timothy (Kay Gruling) Buttke. She had four grandchildren, Kraig Helmke, Kevin Helmke, Calla Buttke, and Isaac (Morgan) Buttke. Other survivors include several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, sister Elaine Knief, brother Elwood Hintzman, and two nephews, David Hintzman and Christopher Knief.

A celebration of life will be held at 11:30 AM on Monday, August 2, 2021, at Trinity Ev. Lutheran Church, 232220 N 120th Ave, Town of Stettin. Rev. Will Ostrem will officiate. Visitation will take place from 10:00 am until the time of services at the church. Burial will take place at the Stettin Christian Cemetery. Family and friends may go to www.helke.com to leave words of remembrance and to view the services being livestreamed.