During the 1937 flood, Louisville's firefighters worked extended shifts throughout the diaster. During this period the Louisville Fire Dept dispatched personnel to aid other cities in flood relief. Private Butcher and five other firemen were detailed to Paducah to assist that city in flood related duties. While in Paducah, Butcher contracted pneumonia. He was transferred to the City Hospital in Louisville on March 15, 1937, where he died three days later.