Roland C Buteau

Roland Clifford Buteau of Lancaster NH passed away November 6, 2017, 22 years and a day after losing his wife and the love of his life, Mary Catherine (Monahan) Buteau, on November 5, 1995.
Roland was born November 30, 1920 in Marshfield VT. He was the son of Joseph and Roseanna (LaRocque) Buteau. Roland and his nine siblings were raised in homes across the North Country, his family following lumbering work provided in logging camps throughout the Great North Woods. At the age of thirteen, Roland began working for his father in lumber camps owned by the Brown Company. Family legend has it that he and his brother Adolph could fell a tree with their two-man buck saw faster than a chainsaw salesman could do with his modern logging tool. He worked as a lumberjack until World War II broke out, at which time he enlisted in the army and was inducted into the 100th Division, 398th Infantry Regiment on December 7, 1942. Roland served as Heavy Machine Gunner and Expert Rifleman fighting in various battles and campaigns across Western Europe. He was honorably discharged on February 2, 1946 at the rank of Technical Sergeant, and during his service he was awarded several honors, including a Good Conduct Medal, Bronze Star medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and Victory Medal.
When Roland arrived home in Northern New Hampshire, he returned to the woods with his father and brothers, logging the land with horses and hand tools. In 1948 Roland fell in love with Mary Catherine Monahan, and they married on September 20, 1948. They rented an apartment in a home owned by Mary's parents on Kilkenny Street in Lancaster, and later purchased the property as a homestead in which to raise their family. They welcomed first Theresa, then Patrick, Andrew, Philip and finally Marie into their hearts and home. Roland lived in the home until his health declined in 2013. He then lived first with his son Andy and then his son Pat before moving into The Morrison Nursing Home earlier this year.
In 1951, Roland began working for Beaton & Sons Plumbing, and served many families in Lancaster and the surrounding towns as a plumber until his retirement in 1985. He also manned the pumps at Monahan's Gulf Station every evening until it closed in the mid-1980s so that his brother-in-law, Dick Monahan, could have dinner at home with his family. Many will remember Roland, Dick and lots of other local gentlemen spending time on the benches in front of the station sharing stories and celebrating community.
Roland was known for his strong faith, integrity and love of family. He was a communicant of All Saints' Catholic Church and was quick to lend a hand to help his neighbors. Roland was a very resourceful, creative man, who found ways to repurpose everyday items into objects of usefulness for his family. For example, decades ahead of industrial development of adaptive devices, Roland constructed walking tools from galvanized pipe for his daughter, Theresa, who had difficulty walking as a result of her cerebral palsy. He taught his children and grandchildren the value of an honest day's work and led by example as an exceptional husband, father and friend.
Roland loved sports, spending many summer evenings on the front porch of his sister's home watching ball games at the Colonel Town fields. He was a devoted fan of the Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots, and enjoyed following NASCAR races. He liked to spend his free time taking long walks around the neighborhood, and watching old movies - especially anything starring John Wayne, a movie star that he resembled. He was also an avid reader, with a preference for western novels like those written by Louis L'Amour. For many years, he spent time each Wednesday at the Weeks Memorial Library selecting books to read through the week, and when his health declined he even received periodic visits from the librarian who kept him supplied with fresh reading material.
Roland was predeceased by his wife, Mary Catherine (Monahan) Buteau, both of their daughters, Theresa Anne Buteau and Marie Ellen (Buteau) Ricker and daughter-in-law Dorothy McCarthy. He was also predeceased by his siblings Clara Trombley, Roseanna Cloutier, Arthur Buteau, Joseph Buteau, Pauline Delisle, Adolph Buteau, Josephine Pelchat and Napoleon (Paul) Buteau.
Roland is survived by his three sons, Patrick Buteau of Burlington VT, Andy and wife Sue Buteau of Lancaster and Philip and wife Lorri Buteau of Newbury NH, and his sister Victoria (Buteau) Beaton of Lancaster. He leaves behind ten beloved grandchildren, Kristen (Buteau) and husband Frister van Bergen of Lancaster, Andrew and wife Erin Buteau of Sunnyvale CA, Jonathan Buteau of Newbury NH, Timothy Buteau of Newbury NH, Anne (Buteau) and husband Christopher Iampietro of Lancaster NH, Megghan Jackson of Londonderry, Joseph and wife Katie Buteau of Natick, MA, Rosie Buteau of Burlington VT, Derrick and wife Desirae Ricker of Groton VT and George Buteau of Castleton, VT. He also took great pleasure in welcoming to the world his 15 great-grandchildren, Martinus and Anna van Bergen of Lancaster NH, Edison, Sophie, Annabelle and Emma Buteau of Sunnyvale CA, Joshua, Addyson and Abriel Ricker of Groton VT, Silas, Isaac and Lydia Buteau of Newbury NH, Francis and Miri Iampietro of Lancaster NH and Nell Buteau, of Natick MA.
Calling hours will begin at 9:30 am on Saturday, November 11, at All Saints' Catholic Church, followed by a funeral service at 11:00 am. A Christian burial will follow at the Calvary Catholic Cemetery on North Main Street in Lancaster NH. The family has requested, in lieu of flowers, that donations be made in Roland's memory to one of the community resources that enriched his life: All Saints' Catholic Church, Weeks Memorial Library or the Tri-County CAP Meals-on-Wheels program.




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