Obituary for Mary Butler

Mary Benedicta (Littlewalker) Butler

January 30, 1938 ~ June 23, 2022 (age 84)

Mary Benedicta Littlewalker Butler,84, passed away June 23, 2022, in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Mary was the daughter of Newman Littlewalker, Sr, and his wife Clara Mehojah on January 30, 1938, in Kaw City, Oklahoma. As a child she took piano lessons for five years from Mrs. Julia Hunt and used this talent both in school and locally at church services. She attended Washunga school until the 5th grade and moved to Kaw City School where she graduated in May 1955. Mary went on to attend Ponca City Business College, completing the secretarial course in 1956. She held employment with The Bureau of Mines in Bartlesville, Chilocco Indian School, and Geological Survey in Tulsa. Later in 1976 she was employed with Cities Service Co. (later OXY USA) in Human Resources and retired in 1989.

On August 21, 1959, she married Fredrick J. Butler in Tulsa and they made their home there until 1987 when they moved to Oologah, Oklahoma, where they remained for years despite the loss of their home to a tornado in April 1991. After the passing of her husband April 1992, she felt the need to be back in the work force and took a clerical job with Rural Water District #4 and retired again in 1999.

Mary was an enrolled member of the Kaw Tribe and very proud of her Kaw/Ponca heritage. She served on the Kaw Cultural Committee for several years and served on the Enrollment Committee. She enjoyed traveling and attending powwows throughout Oklahoma. It was such an honor for her to present the Newman Littlewalker Memorial trophy at Ponca Powwow in August to the first-place straight dance winner. She was especially proud when her son, John, won his grandfather’s trophy in 1992.

Mary also loved attending church. She was a member of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Claremore, OK and often attended Guts Church in Tulsa with her son.

She was preceded in death by her parents, one infant son and two infant daughters, her sisters Marietta Hampton and Julia Ann Moore, her brothers, Archie, Edward, Newman Jr., Vance, and Morgan LeClair.

Left behind to carry on her legacy are her son, John Newman Butler of Tulsa, a niece Frankye Jo Goad of Fairfax and numerous other nieces and nephews.

Services for Mary will be held at 12:00 p.m., on Sunday, July 3, 2022, at the Kaw Nation Community Building located at the Powwow Grounds.