Tell Me A Story: ONE OF A KIND

Marcia Norwood
America's STORYTELLER
Telling Untold Stories in Photographs, Prose and Public Speaking

http://tellmeastory-marcia.blogspot.com/

ONE OF A KIND

Samuel J. Butcher is an American artist. He is mainly known as the artist behind the Precious Moments brand of characters based on American- Christian themes. He draws in oil, water-color, acrylic, and mixed-media.

Sam created a porcelain figurine to honor the heroes of the 9-11 attacks on the USA. The figurine is one of a kind. No figurines were produced for sale.

I discovered the one of a kind figurine at the museum at the Precious Moments Chapel in Carthage, Missouri.

Sam Butcher

CLICK on the link or COPY & PASTE the link in your browser:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Butcher

I collected Precious Moments figurines for many years, and have visited the Precious Moments Chapel several times with family and friends.

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https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A0LEV1Ed9hFUj0YAr19XNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTB0MmNsaDRvBHNlYwNzYwRjb2xvA2JmMQR2dGlkA1ZJUDQ1NF8x?_adv_prop=image&fr=mcafee&va=PRECIOUS+MOMENTS+CHAPEL

One of the first figurines I received was "You Have Touched So Many Hearts." It was a gift in the 1980's from a student in my preschool class named Jill, and her family. It's an early porcelain piece marked Jonathan David (J & D) on the base.

J & D passed its porcelain products to Enesco, and their vinyl doll business was reborn as Precious Moments Country Dolls in 1989, and renamed Precious Moments Company Dolls in 1992.

PRECIOUS MOMENTS CHAPEL

The Precious Moments Chapel opened in 1989, in Carthage, Missouri, and has welcomed millions of visitors.

I visited the chapel the first year it opened with a tour group from Independence, Missouri. (I think the group was from a Hallmark store in Independence.) Our tour bus was filled with Precious Moments collectors.

We were given the opportunity to have lunch with the artist, Sam Butcher, and hear his personal story of how and why he chose Carthage, Missouri, to build the Precious Moments Chapel.

Sam told our tour group he set off on a drive across the USA, searching for a place to build the chapel. He spent the night at hotel near Joplin, Missouri, and awoke with an unmistakable feeling that he was somewhere special.

Later that same day, he met a real estate agent. Sam drew the image of a property he had in his mind. He also drew the design for the chapel's iron gates on a napkin.

"I know that place!" the agent said, and he took Sam to a house overlooking Center Creek near Carthage, Missouri. Sam had no doubt that he had found his future home.

CLICK on the link or COPY & PASTE the link in your browser:

http://preciousmomentschapel.org/

"Do you still have that napkin?" I asked Sam Butcher, when it was my turn to speak with him after lunch.

"Yes. I do," Sam said as he signed the "Birds of a feather collect together" figurine I purchased at the Precious Moments gift shop.

"The chapel is beautiful," I said, "but I would really like to see the napkin. You should build a museum, and put things in it that help tell your story."

Guess what?

A museum was added on the property of the Precious Moments Chapel. A few years later I discovered that napkin in the museum, along with other objects that tell the story of Sam Butcher and his family, and his art.

Watch upcoming blogs for more about our visits to the Precious Moments Chapel.


Daughter Sarah, Granddaughter Megan and Daughter Faith. Copyright 2008 Marcia Norwood

The Precious Moments Chapel in Carthage, MO is the creation of artist Samuel J. Butcher as a gift of thanks to God; recognizing the many blessings given by God. The Chapel has often been described as “America’s Sistine Chapel” as an artful representation of Michelangelo’s own Sistine Chapel in Rome.

The Precious Moments Chapel welcomes thousands of visitors annually, offering FREE Chapel tours daily. Serving as one of Missouri’s most beautiful attractions, the Chapel grounds include an inviting Visitor Center, Gift Shoppe, Royal Delights Cafe and beautifully manicured gardens adorned with bronze statues and fountains. The Visitor Center is the home to the world’s largest Precious Moments Gift Shoppe, as well as Chapel Exclusive figurines. The Precious Moments Chapel and grounds are owned and operated by the Precious Moments Supporting Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Funding for the operations of the Chapel and grounds are provided by donations and Gift Shoppe sales which enables the foundation to continue to offer FREE Chapel tours and FREE ADMISSION.