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Jacqueline Williams Butler

Gladys Jacqueline Williams Butler, known as Jackie to her friends, was born in Minersville, Pennsylvania on March 16, 1919 to Edward H. Williams III and Gladys House Williams. (See Family Tree,) She was the third of four children; her brothers and sisters are Edward, Jean and C. Richard. When Jackie was about two the family moved to Woodstock Vermont where the Williams family has lived for many generations.

She graduated from Woodstock High School in 1937 and attended Marot Junior College in Thompson Connecticut and the Bank Street College for teachers in New York City. It was in New York that she met Sewall T. Butler (See Family biography.) They were married in Woodstock, Vermont on July 26, 1943. (See Wedding photos)

After the war they lived in several places including Albuquerque, NM, Castine Maine, Goshen, Ledyard and Meriden Connecticut and finally settled in the Butler/Savage homestead on Main Street in Cromwell Connecticut.

Besides being the mother of five children, Jackie was active in the Church of the Holy Trinity of Middletown Connecticut. where she was a founding member of the Couples Club and the House of Many Talents. She taught sunday school classes in Goshen, Meriden and Middletown. In Cromwell she was a member of the Historical Society, the Home club and the Garden club serving in several offices including the presidency. During the 1960s she worked as a substitute teacher for the Cromwell school system.

She had several notable hobbies. Her talents as an artist can be seen at The Artwork of Jacqueline Williams Butler. She loved music boxes and had several beautiful models including a small swiss chalet, an acrylic piano, and one that played tiny record-like disks. She also had her "miniatures collection" which included many fascinating smaller than life objects, including a violin that she whittled, stained and assembled. Jackie also loved quilting, gardening and growing African violets.

Jackie had the chance to make several interesting trips. In 1972 she visited the American Farm School in Thessaloniki Greece which her Grandfather John Henry House had founded in the early 1900's. About 1980 she went to Oberammergau Germany to see the famous Passion play. Because of her husband's love of travel and motorhomes she got to visit just about every state, including a trip (minus trailer) to Oahu and Kauai, Hawaii.

She loved her family, kittens, flowers (often given the generic name of posies), the color pink in any shade and chocolate in any form.

Jackie died in her own home in the early morning hours of July 17, 1998. She is survived by her husband, Sewall, her five children and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.