Barcus Merriwell "Speed" Butler
Burial Details
Obituaries
Eagle Valley Enterprise page 1 - February 25, 1960
FIRE FATAL IN TWO TRAGEDIES.
Fire claimed the life of Barcus BUTLER, former Eagle man in an apartment house blaze and a Longmont man perished when his truck went up in flames near Minturn. ... Mr. BUTLER died Monday morning shortly after coming off his job as night janitor at the Denver Club building.
He apparently fell asleep with a lighted cigaret [sic.] in his hand, setting fire to the bed.
"Speed" grew to young manhood in Eagle, making his home with an aunt, Maud MITCHELL. He graduated from Eagle High School in 1926, and for a time operated a radio shop in Eagle, in partnership with Howard McCAIN. He became well known throughout the county with his dance band.
For a time he was janitor in the Eagle County Courthouse then opened a radio shop in the theater building during World War II and at the same time worked part time as pressman in the Eagle Valley Enterprise plant.
Shortly after the war, he moved to Denver, where he resided until his death, at the age of 54.
He is survived by a son, Doug; his aunt, Mrs. MITCHELL; a sister, Mrs. Melvin (Grace) EATON of Eagle; several cousins, including Clarence DESCHANE of Denver and Wayne ROGERS of Eagle.
Bowman Mortuary of Eagle is in charge of the funeral, which will be held Saturday afternoon at the Methodist Church in Eagle. The time of services conducted by the Reverend H. C. MOORHEAD is two o'clock.
Eagle Valley Enterprise page 5 - March 3, 1960
Barcus Merriwell BUTLER was born in Denver, June 23, 1906, the son of Milton and Chlorena BUTLER.
At the age of four years he moved to Eagle with his mother; uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Elmer MITCHELL and his grandmother, Mrs. Martha HUTSELL.
His mother died when he was eleven years old, and he made his home with his aunt, Mrs. MITCHELL.
Following his graduation from Eagle High School in 1926, Mr. BUTLER engaged in radio repair work, opening a shop in Eagle with a classmate, Howard McCAIN.
Following the closing the shop he worked at various jobs in Eagle and in 1932 was married to Miss Nellie HOMAN of Wolcott. To this union was born a son, Douglas Milton.
During World War II, Mr. BUTLER took an airplane mechanics course in Denver and following the war opened another radio and appliance shop in Eagle, later adding furniture to his line of merchandise.
In 1948 he moved to Denver and remained there until his tragic death February 22, 1960.
Mr. BUTLER had been employed on the maintenance crew at the Denver Club for a number of years. He recently had been off work because of an attack of flu. Altho still quite weak from the illness, he had returned to his job. His death occurred a short time after he came off shift Monday morning. He apparently had fainted on the bed from weakness or had fallen to sleep, with a lighted cigaret [sic.] in his fingers. He was dead when neighbors summoned help to put out the fire in his apartment.
Funeral services were conducted Feb. 27, in the Eagle Methodist Church by Reverend H. C. MOORHEAD. Jane LONG was soloist, accompanied on the organ by Lola CHAMBERS.
Pallbearers were Charles BYERS, Dennie EATON, Howard McCAIN, Harry LEWIS, Bob CHILDERS and George MATHEWS.
Burial was in the Eagle cemetery.
Mr. BUTLER is survived by his aunt, Mrs. Maud MITCHELL and a half sister, Mrs. Melvin (Grace) EATON, both of Eagle and a half-sister, Maureen in Oklahoma.
