He also drove a school bus that was always parked in the shed between his house and the house that Grandma Rayhill lived in (later occupied by my Aunt Ruth and her husband Dale Myers). On those rare occasions when I was visiting during the school year I would get to ride in the school bus and sit behind him - a place of honor? During my summer vacations we often would go out into the township to check on the work crews. He was called "Johnnie Butts" so I became "Johhnie Butts' Boy". He was a member of the Maple Avenue Christian Church in Crooksville, the Limestone Valley Lions Club and Newton Grange.

Left to right : John E. Butler, Ruth Butler, Perry Butler, Mertie Mae Butler, Harriett Butler ca 1917?

Their farm was relatively small (60 acres?) but included the "big hill" which was later sold to the strip mining companies. He milked a small herd (~ 10 mixed breed) but, frankly, my Grandma seemed to do most of the work. He had a small garden next to the house and it seems that that is where I got my interest in growing things. He was always pleased to send us off with a basket full of fresh vegetables.

John E. Butler married Mertie Mae Rayhill who was born on July 13, 1893 (the same day as my daughter Jennifer). Her parents were Guy and Mary Ellen Giles Rayhill. She was a member of Maple Avenue Christian Church in Crooksville, a former member of Newton Grange and the Farm Bureau Council of Muskingum. She had two sisters -- Hattie Rhodes of Crooksville and Lucy Tinker of McArthur -- and one brother.

Grandma was a hard worker. My Aunt Harriett did most of the house work and Grandma did most of the outdoor work plus the cooking. I can still recall being grossed out when she and Grandpa would wring the necks of the chickens on the wire closelines across from the front porch. Grandpa would pull the wire so that a loop would form and Grandma would stick the chicken's neck into the loop. Grandma and I had a thing about the chickens that lived in a chicken house across from the main house. It seems like that would start "cackling" whenever we sat down to eat and we referred to them as the "old ladies choir". She did most of the milking and churning. And I got to feed the "wild cats" that lived behind the house with the left over milk.

I recall that, when they were younger, either Grandpa or Grandma or both had worked in one of the potteries in the Zanesville, Roseville, and Crooksville areas. Aunt Elinor, Aunt Ruth, Uncle Dale and Uncle Raymond all spent time in the potteries..

From Left to right : John Charles Butler, Perry Franklin Butler, Mertie Mae Butler, Mary Ellen Giles Rayhill
"Four Generations"

They had six children:

1. Perry Franklin Butler
   [b. June 11, 1911 d. October 8, 1991]
   Married Bernice Delia Irene Paxton in June, 1940

2. Ruth Pearl. Butler
   [b. January 8, 1913 d. June 20, 1980]
   Married Dale Myers - they lived in my Grandma Rayhill's house next to the family farm.

3. Harriet Mae Butler

   [b. June 15, 1916 d. February 26, 1983] Aunt Harriet never married and stayed with Grandma and Grandpa until they died. When Grandpa died Grandma and Harriet moved into a small house next to Jim Butler -- just down the hill from the farmhouse.

4. Charles Guy Butler
   [b. April 26, 1921 ]
   Married

5. Mary Eleanor Butler
   [b. December 10, 1922 ]
   Married Raymond Smith and lives in Crooksville, Ohio

6. James Clifford Butler
   [b. April 24, 1929 ] Married Rebecca

Jim Butler, Harriet Butler, Grandma Butler, Ruth Myers, Grandpa Butler, Dale Myers, Becky Butler, with Becky Butler in arms, Raymond Smith, Elinor Smith, Perry F. Butler
Judy Butler, Jeff Smith, Greg Butler and Tim Smith
Taken by Bernice Butler about 1957

Perry Franklin Butler -- Generation 4

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