Marcella L. Butschi

Marcella L. Butschi, age 94, of Preston, Iowa, passed away Monday, May 27, 2019 at the Jackson County Regional Healthcare Center following a short illness. A Funeral Mass will be held 10:30 a.m., Monday, June 3, 2019 at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Preston. Burial will take place in St. Joseph's Cemetery, Preston. Visitation will be held from 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. Sunday, June 2, 2019 at the Church, with a Scripture Wake Service held at 3:30 p.m. Sunday. Visitation will also be held one hour prior to the Mass at the Church. A memorial fund has been established in Marcella's memory.

Marcella was born March 11, 1925, the daughter of George and Theresa (Etringer) Schaefer, on the family farm near Preston. She attended Preston Schools, graduating with the Class of 1943. On February 23, 1954, Marcella married John Butschi. Together they raised four daughters and celebrated 44 years of marriage until John’s death on August 27, 1998. She was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church and the Preston American Legion Auxiliary.

Marcella and her husband opened a restaurant in Preston right after their marriage called Sally B’s. She was a homemaker most of her life and cherished taking care of her family. Marcella also devoted much of her time volunteering in the community—which her children and grandchildren have taken on, and continue to volunteer. She was very active in the Preston High School Athletic and Music Boosters, where she served in various offices. She helped cook at many wedding and funeral dinners, and was also the business manager at Grant’s Farm Girl Scout Day Camp. Marcella and John wintered in Arizona for 10 years. Marcella enjoyed playing cards, bingo, going to the casino and watching her daughters and grandchildren’s sports and school activities. Her greatest joy in life was being a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother and spending time with family.

Marcella will be dearly missed by her four daughters, Brenda Heiar of Nashville, Tennessee; Mary (Dale) Assenmacher of Preston, Bonnie (Bruce) Yaddof of Preston, and Peggy (Rob) Lewis of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; nine grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and one sister, Leanna Deppe of Preston. Marcella is preceded in death by her parents; her husband, John; five brothers, Ronald, Edmund, Harold, Venoid and Joe Schaefer; and three sisters, Rieneilda Determan, Sieverna Schneider, and Marielda Klemme