Butch Shubkagel

On the morning of December 19, 2022 Butch (Rolland) William Shubkagel left this life. Butch was born on May 28, 1940, in Breckenridge, Colorado to George Calvin and Marjorie Eileen Shubkagel. He was their first and only son. Immediately thereafter, they took him to 11,360 feet to live in the mining town of Climax, Colorado. Butch claimed that he lived on warm beer for the first three days of his life. He lived in Climax until he was a junior in high school and then moved to Leadville, Colorado. Butch spent the rest of his youth in Leadville where played drums in a band with his mother, he set bowling pins, he had pet chipmunks that he kept in his pockets. He made many lifelong friends and met the love of his life, Lois Winifred Nelson. Butch graduated from Lake County High School in 1958. After graduation he worked for Beales Gas Company for a year. In 1959, he took employment with the Amex Corporation at the Climax mine. He trained to be an electrician and worked at the mine for the next 28 years. Butch married his high school sweetheart, Lois, in Leadville on June 17, 1961. Soon thereafter, Lois and Butch moved to Buena Vista, Colorado. Butch and many others from Buena Vista made the 39-mile commute to the mine for work. In August 1965 they had their first child, a daughter Adriene Rae. Two years later in September 1967, Martha Ann “Marti” was born. In June of 1970, Erin Sue “Suzy” was born. The Climax mine closed in 1987. Butch continued to live in Buena Vista and worked at other mines in Colorado. In 1988, he and Lois moved to Winnemucca, Nevada. He continued to work for the Amex Corporation at The Sleeper gold mine. They spent approximately 4 years in Nevada and then moved to Golden, Colorado, eventually retiring in Frankfort, Kansas, where he lived until his passing. Butch was a voracious reader, crossword puzzle worker and knowledge consumer. People did not know him as Rolland but they certainly knew Butch. To know Butch was to know humor, love and kindness. He always had a joke or a story. He was a husband, a son, a brother, a father, an uncle, and a friend. He will be greatly missed. Butch is survived by daughters Marti (Tim) Shea and Suzy, sisters Diana Braunschweig, Sharon (John) Rodman, nephews Matthew and Eric Braunschweig, nieces Lynne (Craig) Matthews and April Garrett. Numerous great nieces and nephews, “adopted” daughter, Dawn Palo, dear friends, Carole and Kenny Tritz (Old Tritzy). He was proceeded in death by his wife Lois (2014) and daughter Adriene (2019). A celebration of life will be held at a later date. A memorial fund has been established for the Frankfort Community Care Home. Contributions may be sent in care of Padden Funeral Chapel, 101 East Third Street, Frankfort, KS 66427. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Butch Shubkagel, please visit our flower store.