Edith Butters, 88, of Mead, Wash., formerly of Columbia Falls, died on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2008, at an extended care facility in Spokane due to natural causes.

Edith was born Jan. 20, 1920, in Birmingham, Ala., to Watson and Sallie Mae (Dunn) Pulliam. She graduated from high school in San Angelo, Texas, in 1937 and St. Vincent's Hospital School of Nursing in Birmingham in 1941.

Edith enlisted in the U.S. Army in January 1943. She met a handsome young man, who was wounded in the war and was a patient of hers at the time, Manly G. Butters.

The couple married in Fort Benning, Ga., on Dec. 8, 1944. Edith was discharged in September 1945, and they moved to Scobey. They then moved to Joplin, Hungry Horse for a short time, and then to Columbia Falls, where they spent the rest of their married life.

Edith worked as a nurse at the Kalispell County Hospital, Whitefish Hospital, Whitefish Clinic and the Columbia Falls Clinic, and she volunteered for many years at the school district administering vaccines and hearing and vision exams.

She was a member of Eastern Star and the Columbia Falls United Methodist Church.

Edith so much enjoyed watching hummingbirds feeding and tending to her roses at her home in Columbia Falls. In her younger years, she enjoyed fishing trips with her family at Lake Ronan, sewing, golfing and square dancing with Doc.

Surviving Edith are her children, Barbara Fatzinger and husband, Harlan, of Mead, Jim Butters and wife, Mary, of Aloha, Ore., and Lynne James and husband, Dennis, of Great Falls; grandchildren, Greg Fatzinger and Brooke Smith, Jill and Kyle Schmahl, Beth and Chase Breckner, Jeffrey Butters, Jason Butters and Sara Hattorf, Jennifer and Josh Bergman, Susan Blackwell and Eric McClure, Adam and Jennifer Blackwell, and Tyler Blackwell and Hallie Torrey; and great-grandchildren, Collin and Courtney Breckner, Conner, Matthew and Hannah Schmahl, Nathan Jackson and Taylor McClure.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Doc, who passed away Dec. 23, 2002; her parents; and a sister, Merle.

No services will be held. Thornhill Valley Chapel in Spokane Valley is handling arrangements.