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STURGEON BAY, WI.-- Marlene Mary Butala, 84, formerly of Calumet, MI, was called Home to be with the Lord, Sunday morning, July 19, 2026 at the Pete and Jelaine Horton Skilled Nursing Center at Door County Medical Center in Sturgeon Bay, WI.
She was born December 19, 1941 in Illinois, the daughter of LeRoy “Leo” “Chip” Joseph Fretter and Carrie Louise (Johnson) Fretter. Marlene grew up attending (Catholic) Church and School in Calumet.
She initially worked as a waitress at the Parkside Restaurant in Calumet. Marlene worked as a nursing assistant at nursing center in Helena, MT. She continued working as a nursing assistant in Michigan – at the hospital in Crystal Falls and then at the hospital in Calumet.
Marlene married to Gerald Peter Clairmont in May 1960 in Gay, MI. They shared over 24 years of marriage. Gerald preceded her in death on May 3, 1998. Marlene married David Waisanen. She accompanied Dave on some of his semi-truck trips for work. He passed away in 2000.
Marlene married George Firmin Butala on August 7, 2020. Together, they resided in Calumet and attended Faith Lutheran Church. As George’s health began to require more care, he moved to Sturgeon Bay, WI (where his daughter was living) in February of 2025. Marlene followed in April 2025, and they lived together at the Pete and Jelaine Skilled Nursing Center. George died the following year, on March 13, 2026.
Marlene loved the outdoors. She was an avid walker like her mother, and she was never afraid to grab a shovel and take on the piles of the UP snowfalls with George. Marlene was a wonderful cook and baker – especially known for her pasties, lasagna, pizza and apple pies.
Marlene will be missed by her children, Kevin (Alice) Clairmont of Eau Claire, Renee (Dean) Chapman of Calumet, MI and Winter Haven, FL, and Craig Clairmont of the Town of Sevastopol, WI; grandchildren, Jared, Emily, Annie, Kara, Janel, Elizabeth, Martin; multiple great-grandchildren, siblings, Karen (Jerry) Dion of Lake Linden, MI and Lawrence “Bobby” Fretter of Calumet, MI; George’s children, George Butala of Calumet, MI and Marie Peterson of the Town of Sevastopol, WI; George’s grandchildren, Sarah Butala and Heather (fiancé, Steve Pelto) Butala, and Joseph (Megan) Peterson; George’s great-grandchildren, Sophia, Amelia, Hazel, and Whalen Pelto, and Vincent Peterson; other relatives; and friends.
She preceded in death by her parents; husbands; siblings-in-law, Lucille (Roderic) Wilmers, Raymond (Beatrice; Ann) Butala, Margaret (William Darnell; Wilmer Wilmers) Wilmers, Nancy (Felicia) Butala, and Joseph Butala; and other relatives.
Marlene’s life will be honored with a memorial service at 1:00 p.m. EST on Friday, September 11, 2026 at North Point Church of the Keweenaw (formerly the Siskiwit Reception Hall), 26070 Pine Street, Calumet, MI 49913 with Pastor Jared Howard officiating. Visitation for family and friends will be held from 11:30 a.m. EST until 12:45 p.m. EST.
“A special thanks goes out to the staff of the Skilled Nursing Facility and Unity Hospice for the wonderful, compassionate care you provided.”
Huehns Funeral Home, Inc. & Door County Crematory LLC in Sturgeon Bay, WI and Erickson-Crowley-Peterson Funeral Home in Calumet, MI are caring for Marlene and her family. Expressions of sympathy, memories, and photos of Marlene may be shared with her family through her tribute pages at www.HuehnsFuneralHome.com or www.EricksonCrowley.com.