Dora Marjorie (Hauck) Butler, age 91, passed away on February 3, 2023.  A descendant of a Montana Territorial pioneering family who established roots in Granite County, Montana in the 1870's, she was born on June 8, 1931 as the third of five children to Herman Lawrence Hauck and Mary Irene Hauck in Philipsburg, Montana.

As a Child, Dora gained an early lesson in fiscal prudence when she observed that Candy could instantly be had at Huffman's Grocery Store with the magical incantation "Charge it to the Account of Herman L. Hauck please".  However, when the monthly bill was received by her Father, Herman, her childlike belief in magical phrases vanished into thin air, only to be replaced by a life-long adult sense of thrift and frugality.  She learned the dignity of work operating a newspaper route delivering "The Philipsburg Mail", the local newspaper, owned and operated by both her Grandfather and Father.

For summer employment as a Teenager, she worked in a haying crew in the Flint Creek Valley, operating a Hay rake, albeit with some degree of difficulty.  During one haying season, she accidentally ran over local Rancher Pat McDonald with her mechanized hay rake.  Luckily, Pat - although shaken - was unhurt.  However, the incident famously became the basis for endless friendly banter between the Two for decades afterward.

She was proud of her Family heritage and of growing up in Philipsburg, and, in turn. they left their indelible mark upon her.  She was a gifted Storyteller and Impressionist who enjoyed describing the eccentric local Characters from her youth in Philipsburg, when it was still a "big-shouldered" mining and agricultural Community.

Together with her Sister, Marion (known as "Mano") she had fond memories of Summer vacations enjoying the amusements at Columbia Gardens in Butte and staying with her Grandparents, Edward and Mary Eliza Mitchell, in Walkerville, who had immigrated from Cornwall, England.

She attended schools in Philipsburg and graduated from Granite County High School.  Intent on a Nursing career, she enrolled at Carroll College, where she met fellow Student, Cato Butler at the Parrot Candy Shop on Last Chance Gulch in downtown Helena.  When She moved to City of Billings for clinical training at St. Vincent's Hospital, Cato frequently rode the passenger Train between Helena and Billings to visit her.  Eventually, Cato proposed at the Train Station, creating a dilemma for Dora.  At that time, Nursing Students were not allowed to be married, so She traded her Nursing Career for life as a Homemaker with Cato.  Cato dubbed her: "The Bear".  They were inseparable for 63 years.

With Cato's work in broadcast journalism, Dora oversaw successive moves of their household to: Quincy, Illinois; Helena, Montana; Missoula, Montana; Austin, Texas; Fort Morgan, Colorado; Lander, Wyoming; and back to Helena, Montana in 1970.

Dora was a Collector of fine China and created holiday meals that were as sumptuous and dazzling as any on the covers of the Homemaking magazines that she read.  Dora's Holiday Dinners could only be described as heavenly.  She jealously guarded the Family Fruitcake recipe for decades.  So much so, that when her own children requested the recipe, she initially responded by giving them a bogus recipe.  She almost succeeded in this deception until they inquired whether Duncan Hines cake mix really existed in the mid-1800's.  Only then, did she sheepishly divulge the "secret original scratch recipe".

She deeply loved her four grandchildren and She and Cato provided daycare for them until they were all in Junior High School.  She imparted unique life skills to them, such as how to wiggle their ears, of which she was an acknowledged Master.

Occasionally, Dora would acknowledge that she held a Tier 3 Secret Federal Security Clearance as a consequence of her employment with the Defense Research Laboratory in Austin, Texas in 1967.  However, true to her word, she faithfully refused to divulge any aspect of her employment or the exact nature of the secret Projects she worked upon.  Given our inability to confirm or deny her classified activities, we're compelled to accept her official cover story as a Homemaker in a small Town, and conclude that all the associated rumors of international intrigue remain unproven.

She was a life-long Member of St. Peter's Episcopal Church and the Order of Eastern Star.  A Celebration of her Life and Graveside Services will take place this July in Philipsburg, Montana.

She is predeceased by: her Husband, Cato Kay Butler, her Parents, her Sister Lois Jean Fullerton, her Brother-in-law, Howlett Fullerton, her Brother, Herman Lawrence "Lornie" Hauck, Jr., Sister Marion Irene "Mano" Finkel, Brother-in-law, Donald Shanklin, Brother-in-law, Hugh Butler, Sister-in-law, Jacqueline Butler, and Nephew, Ben Butler.  She is survived by: her Sister, Helen Shanklin; her Children (and Spouses): Cheye Ann Butler of Kalispell, Montana, Sioux (and Timothy) Roth of Helena, Montana, and Tommy (and Nancy) Butler of Helena, Montana; her Grandchildren (and Spouses): Tyson (and Aubree) Roth of Livingston, Montana; Samuel (and Dani) Roth of Belgrade, Montana; Sarah Butler of Los Angeles; California, and Megan (and William) Carr of Montana City, Montana; her Great-Grandchildren: Roy Carr and Burt Carr; her Brother-in-law, Joseph Finkel; and her Nieces and Nephews: John "Jack" Fullerton, Thomas Stanley Fullerton, Bob Shanklin, Kelly Stringer, Kathy Buzalsky, Dan Shanklin, Jon Finkel, Carol Pavlic, Daniel Butler, John Butler, Terry Stoken, and Mike Stoken; and numerous Cousins.