Mervin Eugene “Butch” Buchenau

Mervin Eugene “Butch” Buchenau, 71, of Gladstone, Missouri, passed away Friday, November 17, 2017 at Northcare Hospice House in North Kansas City, Missouri. Butch was born January 22, 1946, to Roger and Mildred (Bradshaw) Buchenau in Council Grove, KS. He graduated from Abilene High School and attended Kansas State University before serving in the National Guard. On January 15, 1983, Butch married Deborah Kay Brown in Great Bend, Kansas; blending two families into one. Butch worked for Dillons grocery store as a butcher/ meat market manager. He enjoyed his work, especially the people he met and the many customers he befriended.
Butch was an active member of the Masonic Lodge as well as the Grand Lodge of Kansas. He volunteered throughout the Abilene community during his retirement years. His volunteer work included sitting on the Green Lawn Cemetery Board, helping with Relay for Life, chaperoning at Shriner’s Band Camp, and working as an electoral judge in Dickinson County.
Six years ago Butch and Deb began traveling in an RV full-time; visiting with friends and family, camp hosting at state parks throughout Missouri, and spending winters in the warmth of Aransas Pass, Texas. Butch was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and friend. He was an avid fan of K-State athletics and could frequently be found talking about the upcoming season.
Butch is survived by his wife, Deborah Buchenau of Gladstone, Missouri, and their three daughters Michele (Steve) Dunkin of Geneva, Nebraska, Angela Burmeister of Manhattan, Kansas, and Jennifer (Marc) Hansen of Gladstone, Missouri, as well as 4 grandsons. He was preceded in death by his parents Roger and Mildred, and his sister Phyllis Bills.
The family has chosen cremation. A celebration of his life will be held at 11:00 AM on Friday, December 1st at Mount Pleasant Evangelical Presbyterian Church, 1344 Daisy Rd, Abilene, KS 67410. Inurnment of his ashes will immediately follow at Green Lawn Cemetery next to the church. In lieu of flowers, the family would like memorial donations made to the University of Kansas Cancer Center or The Shriners Hospital for Children.