Mary Ann Butkowski

Mary Ann O. Butkowski, age 98 of Melrose, passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family on Saturday, June 28, 2025 at Cura Care Center in Melrose, Minnesota.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, July 3 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Melrose with Rev. Mitchell Bechtold officiating. Interment will be in the parish cemetery.

Visitation will be from 9 to 10:45 a.m. Thursday at the church in Melrose.

Mary Ann Olivia Butkowski was born December 11, 1926 in Millwood Township, Stearns County, Minnesota to Henry and Loretta (Toenyan) Middendorf. She was united in marriage to Jerome Butkowski on May 8, 1945 at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Melrose. She was a homemaker until 1964 and then began working at Jennie-O Foods in Melrose until 1992. In her retirement, she enjoyed helping Jerome on their hobby farm, raising chickens and steers. She did endless gardening and canning. After Jerome passed away, Mary Ann moved into town. She enjoyed going on occasional casino trips, going out to eat with her sisters, and celebrating birthdays with her siblings. Mary Ann was quite the baker. She was known as “Grandma Cookie” to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

She was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Melrose, Christian Mothers, and a 30-year member of the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 101.

Survivors include her children, Harvey Butkowski of Melrose, Ron (Terry) Butkowski of Melrose, Shirley (Kevin) Dahle of Apple Valley, Jerry (Janet) Butkowski of Freeport, Lisa (Allan) Wiechmann of Melrose, Lori (Ron) Leach of Sauk Centre; 16 grandchildren, 27 great grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren on the way; sisters and brothers, Lornie Middendorf of New Munich, Kathy (Kenny) Thomas of Melrose, Harriet Froelich of Melrose, and David (Jan) Middendorf of Grey Eagle; and sisters-in-law, Dorothy Middendorf of Melrose and Sonja Middendorf of Sauk Centre.

Mary Ann was preceded in death by her husband, Jerome Butkowski on September 23, 2004; parents; daughter-in-law, Joanne Butkowski; brothers and sisters, Walter, Conrad, Wilfred, Edward, Arlene Arnzen, and Viola Meyer.