IONE BUTLER

Ruby Ione (Kent) Butler, age 85, passed away Thursday, February 4, 2021 at Brookdale – State Line, Leawood, Kansas, with her sons by her side, after a long battle with dementia. Ione was born December 21, 1935 in rural Mindenmines, Missouri to Earl R. and Eleanor Mae (Pingree) Kent. After growing up on the farm and graduating from Mindenmines High School in 1953, Ione married James R. Butler of Oronogo, Missouri on December 31, 1953. They initially lived on a small farm in Oronogo, then later moved to Webb City, Missouri. Ione worked in a shirt factory for several years until their first son, Troy was born in September 1959. A second son, Karlan (“Karl”) was born in September 1962. In 1966, they moved to the Hickman Mills area of Kansas City, Missouri.

Ione was a dedicated and accomplished homemaker and raised her two sons largely on her own. She enjoyed cooking, sewing and working in her garden. In 1969, Ione pursued her dream of becoming a licensed cosmetologist and worked for over 40 years as a beautician at various local beauty shops in south Kansas City. Ione was very creative and excelled at almost every hand craft, including sewing, crocheting, embroidering and flower arranging. This led her to work second jobs at DOT Drugs, Michael’s, Tuesday Morning and Hobby Lobby over the years, where she worked in flower arranging and fabrics. Ione retired from hairdressing and Hobby Lobby in 2013 and spent her retirement years working in her yard and around her home until dementia forced her to move to assisted living and memory care in 2018. Ione loved to travel and in the early 2000’s was able to travel with her son Karl to Europe and Russia, and in 2005 with her son Troy and his wife Christiane to Brazil.

Ione is survived by her brother Loyd F. Kent (Linda) of Mindenmines, Missouri; sons Troy R. Butler (Christiane) of Marietta, Georgia and Karlan “Karl” Butler of Peculiar, Missouri; grand-daughter Anna C. Butler (and her mother, Kimberly Butler) of Marietta, Georgia; niece Lana Bates (Rick) of Carterville, Missouri; and nephews Troy Kent (Vanessa) and Brad Kent, both of Mindenmines, Missouri. She was preceded in death by her parents; siblings Howard E. Kent, Reba Mae Kent, Earl Delbert Kent, Maxine Dauchez, L. Geyne Kent and Inez F. Kent; sister-in-law Dorothy Mae Kent and brother-in-law Andre’ “Bud” Dauchez.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m., Monday, February 8, 2021, at the Bath-Naylor Funeral Home, 522 S. Broadway in Pittsburg, Kansas, with Chaplain Adah Hutchcraft officiating. Family will receive friends at 1 p.m., prior to the service at the Bath-Naylor Funeral Home. Burial will follow in the Nashville Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Bath-Naylor Funeral Home of Pittsburg.