Marcia Butgereit Obituary

Marcia Butgereit Obituary Marcia Kay (Bruin) Butgereit, our beloved butterfly, went to her eternal heavenly home with the Lord on April 30, 2025, at the age of 70. A resident of Kentwood, MI, she was a loving wife, mother, stepmother, sister, aunt, and a friend to anyone who met her. Her personality was like that of her favorite creation in nature, the butterfly. She was lighthearted, charming, and social, often shifting from one group or activity to another.
Born on October 27, 1954, to Fred and Mary (Hoitinga) Bruin of Grand Rapids, MI. Marcia attended Wayland High School lettering in marching band before transferring to Rogers High School for her senior year, graduating in 1971. She attended Grand Rapids School of Bible and Music 1972-1973. Marcia earned both her Associate in Science (Business Management) and her Bachelor of Business Administration (Management) from Davenport College in 1989. In 1994, Marcia received her Master of Business Association from Grand Valley State University.
As a student of history, she wasn't satisfied with just learning about historical events and places, she shared her knowledge with others, including her family. Her children fondly recall stopping to read nearly every roadside historical marker on trips to the Mackinac Bridge and the dunes and family reunions at Silver Lake in Oceana County. It wasn't until they were adults that they realized it didn't take as many hours to get to those destinations when one didn't stop to read signs or sight-see. For the decades following, Marcia loved to travel to see "her bridge" at least once and often twice per year.
Marcia shared her love of the Lincoln Highway with grandson Rylan Vazquez by appointing him navigator on a road trip from South Bend, Indiana to Delphos, Ohio, when he was nine years old. Marcia was able to share her appreciation and knowledge of the Michigan section of the National Cemetery at Gettysburg with grandsons Finnegan and Lochlan on a weeklong trip in 2023. All the boys still recount those wonderful excursions with their grandma.
Inspired to reenact the past, Marcia became a Civil War reenactor with the Third Michigan Infantry, Co. F, reenactment group in 1995 and shared cooking and clothing demonstrations with the public. Wanting to teach young people about Civil War history, she joined her future husband Bruce Butgereit in 1997, offering a living history program titled, "Bedrolls & Bonnets" to schools, museums, and libraries through 2003.
Not satisfied with just telling others about history, Marcia partnered with Bruce in saving history as well. From 2000-2015, Marcia was instrumental in restoring fourteen Civil War memorials in the Grand Rapids area, including the Kent County Civil War monument, and the Michigan Soldiers and Sailors monument in Detroit and the Michigan monument at the Civil War prison in Andersonville, GA. Two new veterans memorials were created in Dutton and Byron Center.
The consummate researcher, Marcia conducted the research necessary to help obtain headstones for dozens of Civil War veterans who had been buried in unmarked graves. She was able to identify fourteen unknown soldiers in Grand Rapids' first Civil War cemetery at Oakhill. Two projects into which she put considerable time and energy was researching the over six-hundred Michigan men who died at Andersonville Prison and the one-hundred seventy-four Michigan men buried at Gettysburg National Cemetery.
Marcia served as the Executive Secretary of History Remembered, Inc., a non-profit organization whose tagline is, "We are the voices of those no longer with us." from 2009-2025.
Successful projects she was instrumental in was highlighting the original route of the 1913 and 1928 routes of the Lincoln Highway in Indiana; restoring the "Ideal Section" monument and Ostermann memorial on the Lincoln Highway; and conducting exhaustive research on the 1900 Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) Building in Detroit, MI.
Marcia deservedly took great personal pride as a member of the Woman's Relief Corps (WRC). She became a member of the Colegrove Corps No. 232 in Marshall, MI in 2000. In that same year, and at her first national convention, Marcia was elected to serve on the National Executive Board. In November of 2000, Marcia transferred to the Champlin Corps No. 41 of Grand Rapids and was elected President of that Corps. Under her leadership, that Corps adopted the care and maintenance of the Michigan flags for the Gettysburg National Cemetery for many years.
Of the several offices she held in the Champlin Corps, the Department (state) and National organization, serving as the National Chaplain was her most fulfilling. As National President, she felt it a high honor to place a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery on each Memorial Day. She also enjoyed presenting deserving cadets at West Point Military Academy and midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy awards from the WRC.
In the previous 125 years of the Woman's Relief Corps' existence, no woman had ever been elected to serve more than two consecutive terms as National President. Marcia is the only woman ever elected to serve as National President for three consecutive terms (2007-2008, 2008-2009, and 2009-2010).
From 2000 to 2015, Marcia led the members of the Champlin Corps in supporting the General John A. Logan Camp No. 1, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, in numerous memorial services, headstone dedications, and monument rededications.
In the workforce, Marcia's first job was a carhop at the Dog n Suds in Wayland, MI. Other opportunities included the print department at Zondervan Publishing, a clerk at JC Penney, a designer in the sign industry with Valley City Sign, and coordinator of adult-focused education programs at Spring Arbor University.
Her most loved career was at Greenridge Fruit in Grand Rapids. With her bachelor's degree in accounting along with her MBA, she started in 2000 as office management and sales support. As the industry changed, her role changed to focus on food safety, workplace safety and logistics. For twenty-five years, Marcia created a culture of continual learning and development.
Marcia also had a heart for serving the Lord. She had a desire to prioritize God's will and needs above personal desires, viewing service as a loving response to Jesus' example and a source of joy and fulfillment. She served as a parliamentarian, overhead slide operator, Vacation Bible School teacher and church secretary, not for recognition but for the Lord. Blessed with a beautiful voice, she enjoyed singing with her fellow Christian sisters and most especially with her husband.
Marcia is survived by her: husband Bruce Butgereit, Sr., daughters Emily (Steve) Talsma and Beverly (Mike Butler) Bond, son Russell (Shannon) Hoorn, stepson Bruce (Debbie) Butgereit, II, stepdaughters Bernadette Butgereit and Cally Tieman, stepson Colin (Jena) Butgereit, brother Jerry (Karen) Bruin, sisters Mary Jane, known as Midge (Kevin) Krueger, Marlene (Alvin) Gehrke, Marilynn Klawiter, Marji (Jim) Scheele, and Marla (Karl) Koepke, step bother Karl (Laurie) Jutzi, step sisters Karen (Bruce) Haveman, Terry Fisher, Jeanne (Paul) Hoskins, and Jane (Chad) Cohoon, several grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and stepfather Eugene Jutzi.
She was preceded in death by her: father Fred Bruin, mother Mary (Hoitinga) Jutzi, stepmother Marian (Peterson) Bruin, step sibling William Rock.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, May 17 at First Church of God, 603 Green St., South Haven, MI 49090 with visitation at 10 a.m. and service at 11 a.m. A light luncheon will follow in the Fellowship Hall.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Heart Association.
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