Retha Joan (Phillips) Butler

Retha Joan Butler, 91, of Morning Sun, passed away Thursday, May 21, 2026 at the Southeast Iowa Hospice House in West Burlington with her beloved family by her side.  A memorial service will be held on Friday, May 29, 2026 at 11:00 A.M at the Morning Sun United Methodist Church, 106 E. Division St, Morning Sun; visitation will be before the service starting at 10:00 A.M.  Following the service, inurnment will be at the Elmwood Cemetery.  Snyder & Hollenbaugh Funeral & Cremation Services of Morning Sun is assisting the family. Memorials in Retha’s name may be made to the Southeast Iowa Hospice House or to the Morning Sun Ambulance Department.  Online condolences may be left to Retha’s family by visiting her obituary at www.sandhfuneralservice.com.

Retha Joan Phillips was born on March 5, 1935 in Rushville, Illinois to Sherman and Eva (Cox) Phillips.  She was united in marriage to Richard Kimmitt on June 27, 1954, they had three children and later divorced.  Retha later married Ronald “Bill” Butler on August 27, 1976 at the United Methodist Church.  She worked for 12 years at Mr. Quick Restaurant.  Retha was active at the United Methodist Church; she never missed out on one of their bake sales and was always willing to help with funeral lunches.  She enjoyed going camping with family, making sure their lawn was in pristine condition, but most of all she loved spending time with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Those left to honor her memory are her children Rick (Diane) Kimmitt and Brenda (Tom) Wyss; grandchildren: Amber (TJ), Eric (Fran), Nicole (Dan), Jared (Hannah) and Ashley (Kyle); 11 great-grandchildren; sister Jane Sommerfeld; brother-in-law Ansel Shannon and Terry (Pamela) Butler; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents Sherman and Eva; husband Ronald “Bill”, who passed away just 5 days before she did; brothers Robert (Bonnie) Phillips, David (Carol) Phillips, and Joe (Wanda) Phillips; sister Pat Shannon; brother-in-law Bob Sommerfeld; and infant son Danny Kimmitt.

Retha’s family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of the staff at the Southeast Iowa Hospice House for all of their support throughout this difficult time.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Retha Joan (Phillips) Butler, please visit our floral store.