{"id":4221,"date":"2024-05-28T14:40:45","date_gmt":"2024-05-28T14:40:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/foreverinourhearts\/?p=4221"},"modified":"2024-05-28T16:05:55","modified_gmt":"2024-05-28T16:05:55","slug":"remembering-the-life-of-precious-moments-creator-sam-butcher","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/foreverinourhearts\/2024\/05\/remembering-the-life-of-precious-moments-creator-sam-butcher.html","title":{"rendered":"Remembering the Life of Precious Moments Creator Sam Butcher"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Precious Moments \/ Facebook | Inset: Christ-lover \/ Flickr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sam Butcher, the creator behind the well-known \u201cPrecious Moments\u201d porcelain figurines, has died at 85 years old. The company said that Butcher died surrounded by loved ones, but his cause of death wasn\u2019t immediately clear. The post reads, \u201cIn his final words, he shared that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit were with him and that it was beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the Precious Moments website, Butcher started drawing for family and friends, commercializing his artwork in 1975. Precious Moments porcelain figurines became officially available for purchase in 1978, three years after the artwork first appeared on inspirational posters and greeting cards. Millions of people have come to know Butcher\u2019s work since then, collecting his pieces and visiting the\u00a0Precious Moments Chapel<\/a>\u00a0in Missouri.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlthough the sorrow is great, it is our prayer that the appreciation and celebration of his legacy be even greater \u2013 the legacy of his glory-filled life, the countless blessings he bestowed upon the millions of lives he touched, and the incredible fulfillment of his life\u2019s mission: to share God\u2019s gift of love with the world,\u201d the company\u2019s post reads.\u00a0Butcher spent most of his childhood putting his ideas on a page, drawing and sketching under his family\u2019s dining room table in the northern California city of Redding. He was the third of five children, who were all born into a \u201cvery poor\u201d family, according to his bio on the\u00a0Precious Moments website<\/a>. Family members recognized Butcher\u2019s artistic ability early on but were unable to purchase drawing materials for him to use. Despite his family\u2019s financial limitations, Butcher found a way to draw anyway.<\/p>\n