Eric A. Butterfield

A Celebration of Life Service for Eric A. Butterfield will be held on Friday, November 5, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. at the Bauer-Torrey & Mach Funeral Home in Alma, Nebraska with Pastor Jay Brandon officiating. Inurnment will be held at a later date at the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas with Military Honors provided.

The celebration of life service will be live streamed via the Nelson-Bauer Funeral Homes Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/Nelson-Bauer-Funeral-Homes-111601113801622

Eric Aron Butterfield, 88 years of age, of Alma, formerly of Kearney, passed away, on October 31, 2021, at the Good Samaritan Society – Colonial Villa in Alma. Eric was born on the farm in Phillips County, Kansas on October 23, 1933, the third son, born to Allen and Louise (Schnuerle) Butterfield. When Eric was in the first grade, the family moved to Nebraska where he attended Woody School, south of Naponee. His brother, Arlen was in the 8th grade and Harold was in the 12th grade in Naponee.  Woody School closed after 6th grade, so Eric then attended Riverside for his seventh & eighth grade years.  The family then moved to Franklin in the spring of eighth grade, and Eric graduated Franklin High School in 1951.

In November of 1951, Eric enlisted into the United States Navy and was stationed in San Diego for Boot Camp.  He then took a bus ride to Mission, where the USS Mazama AE9 Ammunition Ship was coming out of mothballs, and had been there since 1947.  That was Eric's home for the next 44 months, where he resided in the same bunk.

Eric then left San Diego for San Francisco. As they were coming under the Golden Gate Bridge to Port Chicago to load ammo, a radio message came through saying they weren't going to Korea, but to Oakland to load private cars and army trucks for the Panama Canal. They went through the canal on to Norfolk, Virginia, then to Red Bank, New Jersey, to load small ammo to 16" for Battleships.  Then on to York River, Virginia, Naval Weapons Base to load 10 atomic bombs, then on to the Mediterranean Sea, where they stopped in Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Sicily, Greece, Turkey, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Rock Gibraltar, and Mallorca. An eight-month tour and while there, President Truman was having problems with USSR, so he ordered an aircraft carrier to meet (Eric's) ship in the middle of the Mediterranean where they had Eric send an atomic bomb on cable winches at sea at 10 knots, 120 ft apart between ships. This was done in case something went wrong then only two ships would blow up, and they would still have nine more ships.  When they arrived in Norfolk, Virginia, President Truman came down to give the ship a Presidential Citation.  He asked the Captain what old timer operated the winches and they walked over to Eric and the president shook his hand. Truman said to him "you're just a damn kid".  Eric had just turned 19.  They made two more eight-month tours to the Mediterranean and in between the trips, they went to the Caribbean Sea three times and visited Jamaica, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Virgin Island, Trinidad, Bermuda and Newfoundland.

Eric was honorably discharged from the United States Navy in 1955 and went to Texas and New Mexico to work in the oil field on drilling rigs.

Eric met his wife, Claudia of Odessa, Texas, and they were married in 1957.  From this union two daughters were born. Judy in 1957 in Hobbs, New Mexico, he said 3 years on a drilling rig was long enough and moved to Phillipsburg, Kansas, where Cheri was born in 1958.

He then drove a gas & propane transport for John E. Jones of Woodston, Kansas for three years.  In 1962, he joined Operating Engineers Union to run heavy equipment.  His first big job was a 200 Minute Missiles at Kimball, Nebraska & Cheyenne, Wyoming.  Next was Golden, Glenwood Springs, Colorado Springs and Brighton all in Colorado, working on I-70 and 4 dams, as well as many sub divisions in Denver. Eric was also in Egypt, below Cairo on the Nile to build a sub division.  After 25 years in Colorado, the couple moved to Los Angeles, California for two years, Las Vegas, Nevada for six years and retired from the union in 1995.  They moved to New Braunfels, Texas in 1997. Claudia was diagnosed with cancer in 1999 and passed away January 21, 2002.

In 2004, Eric married Irene Jelken Lodge.  Eric moved to Kearney in 2008, and Irene stayed in Texas to be with her daughter.

Since 2005, Eric has attended yearly Navy Reunions in different parts of the US. There were 23 Ammunition Ships form Association and approximately 150 to 300 people would show up for this reunion. When Eric would return, he always said "Great to see old friends".

He was preceded in death by his wife Claudia (2002); parents Allen (1996) and Louise (1995); and brothers Harold (1991) and Arlen (2016) and his wife, Norma (2020).

Eric is survived by, his children: Judy Werner and her husband, Bruce of Orleans, Nebraska; Cheri Parks and her husband, Terry of Phillipsburg, Kansas; grandchildren: Tanya Janssen; Josh Thomas and his wife, Callie; Jamie Wade-Kuhner and her husband, Jeremy; great-grandchildren: Taleah Thomas and Damon Janssen; Jace and Ella Thomas; sister-in-law: Lola Hawley; and a host of nieces and nephews, other relatives and friends.

There will be no visitation or memorial book signing, as the family is honoring Eric's wish for cremation.

A memorial has been established in Eric's honor, and kindly suggested to the family for later designation.

Expressions of caring and kindness can be sent to the family at www.nelsonbauerfh.com

The Bauer-Torrey & Mach Funeral Home in Alma is in charge of the arrangements.