Julie Butner a special woman, CV sports fan

If there was one thing that Julie Kay Butner treasured most, it was her family.

“Her family was her career,” said her daughter, Angela Ferger. “Whatever one of us was interested in, she would put 100 percent of her time into just that.”

If there was a sporting event for one of her four children, or her six grandchildren, Butner would be there on the sidelines. She would probably be dressed in the team colors, smiling and waving.

If there was a fishing trip, she would be there, even if she didn’t like fishing.

And if you came around the Butner’s Spokane Valley home during the holidays, you might find enough Christmas spirit to light up any dreary day.

“The holidays were just very magical,” said Butner’s son-in-law, Todd Ferger. “Julie always did an awesome job with decorating. She had a way of making everyone feel comfortable and welcome.”

Butner, 57, died Sept. 12 after a five-year battle with ovarian cancer.

She was born in La Grande, Ore., and went to high school in Enterprise, Ore., where she met her husband, John Butner.

“She had a crush on him in the fifth grade,” Angie Ferger said.

The two were married in 1965 in Lewiston, and moved to Klamath Falls, Ore., where John attended school. They lived in the Seattle area for a short time before making their home in Spokane Valley in 1974.

Butner, a homemaker, loved to decorate her home with family heirlooms. She proudly displayed memories from her childhood in Enterprise all over the home, from antique baby booties to delicate china.

Her children fondly refer to it as “country clutter,” but knew that each piece had significance and a special memory attached to it.

“Every time I walked in, there was something new,” her oldest son, Mark Butner said.

She was famous for rearranging the furniture three or four times a day, changing pictures on the walls or adding new collectables.

“She just did everything at 110 percent, and was never satisfied,” Angie Ferger said.

Outside the home, Butner was fanatical about her children’s athletic programs, and spent countless hours cheering on the Central Valley High School athletic teams.

Her youngest son, Ryan Butner, is now an assistant coach for the football team, and both he and Mark played football for CV.

“She was one of those great parents that just supported your program and helped in any way that you could,” said Rick Giampetri, head football coach at CV. “She was a great person … she was always the first in line to buy the GSL pass.”

Butner really got into CV sports when Ryan started playing football in the mid-1990s.

“She was one of the first Bear moms that did a clothing package for our team,” Giampetri said. She designed sweatshirts and other baby-blue gear. “She was just a great CV booster.”

She also wore gold earrings in the shape of a “22”, the number on her son’s jersey, and carried a $2 bill in her wallet, folded to read “22,” as a good luck charm.

“It’s still there,” John Butner said.

Even after her children were grown, she could still be found at Central Valley sporting events, cheering on her community and family.

“She just had a way about her, she never let things bother her,” John Butner said. “I loved coming home every day, and knowing she was here. That’s the way she always wanted it.”