Eldin R. Butts, 79

Eldin R. Butts, 79, a lifelong Eureka resident, died Tuesday, April 19, 2005, at Kalispell Regional Medical Center.

He was born Aug. 5, 1925, in Eureka, to David Wallace and Adaline Doble Butts. He grew up in the West Kootenai and attended school at the Toole Lake School.

After school he served in the United States Navy. After his honorable discharge he returned to Eureka where he worked with his brothers cutting ties for the railroad. At Christmas time they would cut Christmas trees. He then went to work for the U.S. Postal Service. He drove two different routes -- the West Kootenai route and the Gateway route for 18 years. He worked for the U.S. Forest Service doing maintenance and later he worked as a dispatcher.

He was an avid outdoorsman and loved to hunt and fish. It had been said that he could catch fish in a barrel.

His wife, two brothers and a sister, preceded him in death.

Survivors include is children, Larry Butts and his wife, Faye, of Eureka, Faith Erickson and husband, Leigh, of Eureka; sister, Edith Hudson and husband, Dale, of Eureka; half brothers, Elden Marvel and wife, Donna, of Kalispell, and Ned Butts and wife, Tillie, of Fortine; half sister, Cheri Butts and husband, Dan, of Whitefish; Ella Evinrude and husband, Larry, of Kalispell, and Neva Duff and husband, Robert, of Blairemore, British Columbia; grandchildren, Carrie Schmidt and husband, Dale, of Eureka, Russell Butts and wife, Jennifer, of Whitefish, Janice George of Seeley Lake, and Jennifer Armstrong and husband, David, of Eureka; great-grandchildren, David, Hayden, Emily, Brandon, Courtney, Kristen, and Travis.

Graveside service will be 3 p.m. Saturday, April 30, at the Eureka

Cemetery.

Local arrangements are by the Nelson & Vial Funeral Home, Eureka.