Clara Josephine Rueter

On February 14, 1946, in Beaumont, Texas, God graciously entrusted us with the gift of Clara Josephine Butler Rueter. Then, on May 2, 2025, in His infinite wisdom, He called her back home to be with Him.”

Clara is preceded in death by her parents, Captain Charlie Bleuford Butler and Florene Helen Butler, her brother, Charles Butler. She is survived by husband Gary Rueter; children David Presswood, Jr., and Jennifer Vinklarek; daughter-in-law Debbie Presswood and son-in-law Steven Vinklarek; grandson Matthew Presswood; granddaughter Charli Vinklarek; great granddaughter Karsyn Presswood; sisters Regina Newman and Paula Aynesworth; numerous beloved nephews, nieces, and friends.

Clara Jo, as she came to be affectionately known, relocated to Houston, Texas, from Beaumont as a child. She was incredibly well read and innately intelligent. She attended Annunciation Catholic School in Houston as a student of Sister Mary Brendan O’Donnell before attending Conroe High School, where she graduated two years early. Clara embodied independence, creativity, and spontaneity. Though she stood just shy of five feet tall and weighed no more than 100 pounds soaking wet, her presence was undeniably large, leaving an impact wherever she went.

An assiduous young lady, Clara became a paralegal for the best law firms in Texas, which led to her working alongside the top oil and gas executives at the peak of Houston’s oil boom. It was in Houston that Clara crossed paths with Gary Rueter, a skilled precision machinist whose kindness and unconventional outlook on life captured her heart. True to her nature, Clara followed her heart once again, this time to Brenham, where they married and built a beautiful life together.

She cherished the freedom and timelessness the outdoors offered, reveling in the absence of any schedule. Clara and Gary would camp, fish and hike at every opportunity, often weekends in a row. Wimberley, Toledo Bend, New Mexico, and Colorado were their favorite places to go. Together, they created Apex Instruments Corporation, where Clara served as Chief Executive Officer. She was deeply invested in the well-being and happiness of her employees often sacrificing her own needs to ensure the well-being of others.

Clara was effortlessly stylish in fashion and décor. She had a natural creativity and would create centerpieces or decorative items found in nature. She possessed a spectacular green thumb, and would grow delicious vegetables from her garden and beautiful plants that made her house a home. She read over 1,000 books in her lifetime and was a wealth of knowledge and wisdom.

Of all Clara’s talents and achievements, nothing held greater significance to her than being a mother. She gave endlessly—her time, her heart, her laughter, her tears, her fears, her worries, and her dreams—to Jennifer and David. These two souls, whom she brought into the world, will forever carry the rhythm of her love in their hearts."

She loved the golden age of Hollywood, a dry Merlot, the nebulous dance of the butterfly, Willie Nelson, life unbound by routine, E.T. and happily ever after.

A service will be held on Saturday, June 7, 2025, at 11:00 am at Brenham Memorial Chapel, 2300 Stringer Street, Brenham, Texas. A reception will follow at 96 West, 103 S Baylor Street, Brenham, Texas.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to: Lung Cancer Research Foundation give.lungcancerresearchfoundation.org ; St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital stjude.org ; Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy barbarbush.org

Services are in the care of Brenham Memorial Chapel, 2300 Stringer St., Brenham, Texas 77833. 979.836.3611. Condolences may be shared with the family at www.brenhammemorialchapel.com