Bennie White

Bennie Leona Butler was born on June 26, 1932 iné� Rosedale,é� Mississippi to Ed Butler andé� Beatrice Anktron.é� Her mother was deceased early and she was raised by a stepmother and other family members. Ed Butler Sr. was the father of Sylvia Griffin, deceased, Ed Jr. deceased, August Butler, Robert Butler and Viola Butler all living in Ohio. She was the fourth child. Mother White also leaves to mourn her passing her nephews and nieces; Orin Butler, Milwaukee, Bennie left Ohio for Milwaukee, Wisconsin where she lived, worked and attended church. She married Jesse White and was a foster Mom to many children in Milwaukee. She was a member of Fountain of Life COGIC under the leadership of Elder Baxter until 1986 when she moved to Madison, after her divorce.é� She continued giving to the community here. She was a former President of the Quaker Housing Board and servedé� with Church Women United, The Boys and Girls Club and many otheré� community organizations. She informally adopted women and called them her daughters, beginning with Mary Ann Christopher (Sister Dee), deceased, who she met iné� 1982.é� Mother White was a mother figure to Evangelist Mary Ann and they remained close.é� The others were Pat/Miriam, from Milwaukee and Madison, Fabu and Thelma from Madison and Kiyeesha from Michigan. Mother White also had many adopted grandchildren that were close to her heart, as well as godchildren. Mother White never had biological children but indeed had numerous people whom she loved and who loved her like family, like her last caregiver, Mrs. Slyvia Wooden. She attended and served as a church mother at St. Paul Holiness Church under Pastor Cliffordé� Pitts, Tabernacle of Deliverance Elder underé� Donald Baker and True Faith Church of the Living God, under Pastor Matthew A. Brown. Her favorite scriptures were a testimony to her life spent seeking Jesus and living him out every day. You could never hold a conversation where Mother White didn't mention her Christian faith. She was also a woman with a strong personality who had a wonderful zeal for life and who overcame physical illness in order to be back in her home.é� May God Bless the family, church members and friends of Mother Bennie White.


Funeral services for will be held at CRESS FUNERAL HOME, 3610 Speedway Road, Madison, on Saturday, March 17, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. with Pastor Matthew A. Brown officiating. Burial will follow at Roselawn Memorial Park in Monona. A visitation will be held at the funeral home on Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service.