Sam Butcher

(From Knell Mortuary)

It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that the Precious Moments family announces the passing of its beloved founder, Sam Butcher, who was called home to God in the morning of May 20, surrounded by loved ones. In his final words he shared that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were with him, and that it was beautiful.

Sam Butcher was born a New Year’s baby on January 1, 1939 in Jackson, Michigan to his parents Leon and Evelyn Butcher. Sam’s Dad, Leon, was a mechanic with an interest in hot rods and motorcycles, which all of his sons took to as well - except Sam. Sam courageously nurtured his own interests and passions, spending hours at a time underneath the dining room table writing and illustrating stories using automotive paint and rolls of paper he found at a factory dump.

At the age of 10, Sam’s family moved to a remote mountain town in Northern California, which Sam later described as “heaven on earth.” He made the 124-mile roundtrip bus ride to school every day, in addition to working at the family business after school and on weekends. All his hard work paid off, and he graduated with a scholarship to the College of Arts and Crafts in Berkeley, California.

While at college, Sam continued a friendship he had begun his senior year in high school with a girl named Katie Cushman. In 1959, they were married with the help of Katie’s father who had to sell a cow to pay for the wedding. In 1962, Sam and Katie welcomed their first child, Jon, and just one year later they welcomed their second son, Phillip.

The young Butcher couple began attending a Baptist church near their home. They showed so much devotion in service to God that their pastor offered Sam a job in the shipping department at the international office of Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF), located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. His talents were quickly recognized at CEF and soon he was promoted to the art department.

Over the course of the next 6 years, Sam and Katie welcomed 5 more children. Tammy was born in 1964, Debbie in 1966, Timmy in 1967, and in 1969, they welcomed their son Don. Five years later, they adopted their daughter Heather.

In 1970, Sam became a storyteller for CEEG's national television program, The Treehouse Club. On the show, he was known as “Quick Draw Sam” because he would tell a Bible story and then draw it. This illustrative work inspired the beginning of his journey as a commercial artist. His first company, Jonathan & David, Inc. was formed in 1974.

By 1975, Sam was creating art products for Sunday schools, and working freelance for local companies. One of those companies, Mott Media, invited him to attend the upcoming Christian Booksellers Convention held in Anaheim, California. Working day and night, he produced brochures, buttons, and greeting cards with images of the now iconic children with tear-drop eyes, accompanied by inspirational sayings. At the convention, he handed his buttons out for free, stirring up enormous interest, and by the end of the weekend, they had written hundreds of orders.

Among the first to discover these early treasures was Gene Freedman, founder of a giftware company called Enesco Imports. In 1978, during the L.A. Spring Gift Show, Gene saw Sam’s posters and greeting cards, and “immediately knew they were something special.” Gene proposed a meeting to discuss taking Sam’s art from paper to porcelain figurines, and there the first ever

Precious Moments (then named “Jonathan & David”) figurine prototype, titled “Love One Another,” was debuted. Gene worked with Master Sculptor Yasuhei Fujioka to bring Sam’s artwork to life.

Sam went on to create the original 21 Precious Moments figurines, whose success was truly beyond their wildest dreams. 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, and by the 1990’s, Precious Moments figurines would become a worldwide collectible phenomenon that would go on to break every record and win every award in the gift and collectibles industry.

Ever since the Lord blessed him with the success of Precious Moments, Sam wanted to build a chapel to glorify His name. On February 7, 1984, he purchased the future property of the Precious Moments Chapel in Carthage, Missouri, and construction began on what would lovingly be referred to as “America’s Sistine Chapel.” 

Four years later, the Precious Moments Chapel officially opened and welcomed its first visitors from around the world. Complete with over 9000sq feet of hand-painted murals and 30 stained glass windows depicting stories from the Bible, 200 feet of exquisitely designed fencing, hand-carved wooden doors and bronze plates, the Precious Moments Chapel is a true masterpiece, and a heartfelt testament to God's goodness that continues to offer peace and inspiration for everyone who visits.

The Precious Moments brand is continued today by Sam’s children Don, Jon, and Deb, alongside Master Sculptor Hiko Maeda.

Over the decades, Sam went on to welcome dozens of grandchildren and great grandchildren – at the time of his death there were 53, and the family continues to grow.

Sam is preceded in death by his wife, Katie, and his sons Phillip and Timothy, his mother, Evelyn, his father, Leon, leaving on this earth his other children Jon, Tammy, Debbie, Don, and Heather, his brothers Hank, Charles (Chuck), Ray, and his sister Dawn.

It is here, kneeling at the feet of his legacy, humbled beyond belief at the magnitude of his gifts to our lives and the world, that I, Sam’s granddaughter Jessi, and his entire family, wish to convey our love, awe, and gratitude for this incredible man and the life he led. He was an artist of love, a messenger of the divine, a shepherd of miracles, and the patriarch and monarch of our family. He taught us that the best mode of transportation through life is often a leap of faith, and that after you leap and before you land, is God. His creativity, courage, and conviction has blessed our lives in unfathomable ways, bestowing us with beauty, richness, and a strength of spirit that will carry on for countless generations to come.

May we carry the torch so that his spark never dies and continues to illuminate the world with the Love of God. We love you, Grandpa. Thank you for lighting the way.

In lieu of sending flowers, please consider donating to the Precious Moments Foundation in support of Sam’s legacy and the fulfillment of his life’s mission: to share God’s gift of love with the world. The memorial date is to be announced soon.