Amelia Edna Butzen

Amelia (aka Emmy) Edna Butzen passed away on Friday, August 18, 2023.  A lifetime Wisconsin resident, Amelia was born January 29, 1943, in Neenah, a daughter of George Joseph and Norma Rose (Heegeman) Kramarczyk.  She was married on December 26, 1961, and later divorced from Thomas Julian Butzen of Fond du Lac in 1995.  She resided in North Fond du Lac for thirty years before moving to Appleton in 2011.    

Amelia graduated from Neenah High School in 1961, the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in 1983 with a BS degree and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1999 with a Master of Social Work degree.  She had a career in social work at Fond du Lac County for eight years and at St. Agnes Hospital in Fond du Lac in domestic violence advocacy and as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in mental health counseling until her retirement in 2010.

While in North Fond du Lac, Emmy was an avid horse enthusiast and co-founded Free S.P.I.R.I.T. Riders Inc. (Special People in Riding Therapy) in 1987, offering her hobby farm as the original location of the FSR program.  She received the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA) Volunteer of the Year Award in Lexington KY in 1993.  In Appleton, her volunteer activities included services at the Fox Valley Literacy Council, the Appleton Bilingual School, and CHAPS Academy (an equine-assisted therapy counseling program in Shiocton, later acquired by Rawhide Boys Ranch of New London, as was the FSR program after over twenty years of independent operation)dgfd .  Joining Volunteer Fox Cities RSVP (Retired and Senior Volunteer Program), she participated in their ElderMatch Fox Cities and Hooks ‘n Needles programs, along with also being active in the Appleton area KnittedKnockers, Dress A Girl and Linus Blanket programs.

Amelia enjoyed all of nature and animals, bird feeding, camping (especially horse camping in many states), sewing, knitting, crocheting, duplicate bridge and learning the Spanish language as an adult.  She was active for over ten years in the Friendly Singles Dining Group and relished the traveling companions and special friendships developed from this group.  She especially loved spending time with family and friends enjoying the sounds of their love and laughter.

Amelia is survived by sons:  David Julian (Joy) of Neenah, Thomas George (Jill) of Sherwood and Allan John (Sharon) of Oshkosh; daughters:  Paula Jean (Paul) Haferman of Appleton and Kari Marie Butzen of Fond du Lac; ten grandchildren:  Mackenzie (Melissa), Daniel (Audrey), Margaret (Dakota), Jody (Alec), Jessica (Kyle), Noah, Chase, Logan, Benjamin, and Sofia; and one great grandchild, Blake.  She is further survived by sisters:  Susan (Michael) Knaack of Berlin and Kathleen Kramarczyk of Darlington; ex-husband Thomas Julian Butzen of North Fond du Lac; foster daughter Shari Jo Nett and foster grandchildren Alana, Owen, and Jacob of Fond du Lac.  Also surviving are nieces and nephews.

Preceding Amelia in death were her parents, two brothers: Peter Martin and George Paul Kramarczyk, and sister, Rose Marie (Richard) Butzen.

A private family memorial is planned.