CARTHAGE,
Mo., May 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The artist
and founder of worldwide collectibles company Precious Moments,
Samuel "Sam" Butcher, peacefully passed away surrounded by loved
ones in the early morning hours of May 20,
2024, at his Carthage, MO
home; he was 85. After a private funeral, a public memorial is
planned for June 2024 at the Precious
Moments Chapel in Carthage,
Missouri. The memorial will also be live streamed. More
details about the event, including its date, will be released in
the future.
Born January 1,
1939, in Jackson, Michigan
to parents Leon and Evelyn Butcher,
Sam grew up poor with his four siblings and parents. As a young
boy, he explored his artistry by spending hours underneath the
dining room table writing and illustrating stories using rolls of
paper he found at a factory dump and using automotive paint – his
only source for color early on.
In 1949, Sam's family moved to a remote mountain
town in Northern California where
he blossomed in his art due to supportive teachers. He graduated
high school with a scholarship to the College of Arts and Crafts in
Berkeley, California. While at
college, Sam continued a friendship from high school with a girl
he'd later marry, Katie Cushman. In
1962, Sam and Katie welcomed their first child, another son the
next year, and a few years later five more children. To provide for
his growing family, Sam left school to find work.
His faith soon led to Sam moving his family to
Grand Rapids, Michigan to work in
the shipping department at the international office of Child
Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) where he was soon promoted to the art
department, meeting his friend and future business partner.
In 1970, Sam became a storyteller for CEEG's
national television program, The Treehouse Club. Known as "Quick
Draw Sam," he'd tell a Bible story, then draw it. This illustrative
work inspired him to form the company Jonathan & David, Inc. in
1974, the forerunner of Precious Moments the company, and the
birthplace of Sam's tear-drop eyed Precious Moments children
drawings.
Among the first to discover Sam's precious
children artwork was the founder of giftware company Enesco
Imports, who discussed with Sam and his partner the potential of
taking their art from paper to porcelain figurines. Their first
Precious Moments figurine prototype, titled "Love One Another,"
debuted at the meeting in which they agreed to partner with Enesco.
Next, the original 21 Precious Moments figurines were created and
released in 1978. In less than two years after the figurines hit
the shelves of gift stores across the nation, there were tens of
thousands of members of the Precious Moments Collectors' Club; at
its height it had more than 400,000 members. By the 1990's,
Precious Moments figurines became a worldwide collectible
phenomenon that would go on to break every record and win every
award in the gift and collectibles industry. Precious Moments
figurines and other products continue to be sold to fans and
collectors worldwide.
In 1984, Sam
Butcher purchased property in Carthage, Missouri to build a chapel to
glorify God's name and be a humble gift back to Him. The Precious
Moments Chapel is lovingly referred to as "America's Sistine
Chapel," with its 84 wall murals and 1,400 sq. foot ceiling mural
all hand-painted by Sam Butcher. Sam
felt the creation of the Chapel was one of the most significant
creations of his life. It welcomes hundreds of thousands of
domestic and foreign visitors each year.
The Precious Moments brand is continued today by
Sam's children – Don, Jon, and Deb alongside Master Sculptor Hiko
Maeda.
Samuel Butcher was
proceeded in death by his wife, Katie, and his sons Phillip and
Timothy, leaving on this earth his other children Jon, Tammy,
Debbie, Don, and Heather, and 53 grand and great-grandchildren.
Sam Butcher created a legacy that's
touched the hearts of millions and will continue to do so through
its figurines and Chapel. A Precious Moments figurine "Turn Your
Eyes Upon Jesus" commemorating Mr. Butcher is planned - a release
date has not yet been set.
For memorials and donations please visit
https://preciousmomentschapel.org/donate/
For more information about the life and legacy of
Samuel Butcher, visit
https://PreciousMoments.com.
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SOURCE Precious Moments