Local historian, educator Butler dies at 97

A longtime Lawrence County teacher, who, in retirement became a community fixture with her history presentations and work in genealogy, died Sunday at age 97.

A Rome Township native, Jean Fuller Butler worked as a teacher in elementary schools, both in Ohio and Florida, for 39 years.

In her retirement, she pursued her interest in genealogy, researching not just her own family, but those of many others.

Butler compiled her research into a book of extensive history of both the Fuller and Butler families. She was able to trace her ancestry to Plymouth governor William Bradford of the Pilgrims in Massachusetts, as well as Mayflower passengers John Alden and Priscilla Mullins. As a result of proving her lineage, Butler was a member of the Mayflower Society of Ohio.

After leaving the school system, Butler continued to devote herself to education, working on a series of presentations about women in history.

Ranging from first ladies of the United States, such as Martha Washington and Eleanor Roosevelt; queens of England, women from Ohio history, such as the state’s initial first lady, Mary Worthington; and Lawrence County pioneer Mary Swain Fuller (one of Butler’s ancestors), these presentations featured the author in costume, telling of her subject’s life in the first person.

Butler said she would first practice the parts by doing her scripts in front of an audience of her three dogs – a Chihuahua, a miniature pinscher and Chihuahua/Jack Russell terrier mix.

“I say, ‘Listen, children, and I’ll tell you story,’” she said in a 2016 Tribune interview.

Butler, who lived in Hanging Rock, took these performances to venues such as local schools, the Briggs Lawrence County Public Library, the Lawrence County bicentennial celebration, and churches, and she made monthly visits to the Ironton Senior Center.

Butler, who was a Sunday school teacher for several decades, also did a similar series of presentations on women from the Bible.

These presentations also served as the basis for books she wrote, such as “British Queens Tell It Like It Was” and “Bible Women Tell It Like It Was.”

Sandy Joseph, former assistant principal for Fairland West Elementary School, hosted many of Butler’s visits to her school, including one in which she portrayed Worthington.

“Our kids just absolutely loved it,” she said. “They were fascinated, asked lots of questions and wanted to know when she was coming back.’

She said the school library now features several of Butler’s books, which are used in the third grade local history curriculum.

Joseph is related to Butler through her mother, Maxine Jenkins, whose father was the brother of Butler’s father, former Lawrence County Auditor Rex Fuller.

Joseph said the Fullers had a farm in Rome Township, where Butler and her sisters worked.

Joseph she remembered, as a girl, Butler’s visits to the family home.

“She and mom were very close,” Joseph said. “And when she visited, it was all day.”

She said she remembered Butler telling them stories of the family’s history.

“It was like ‘Little House on the Prairie,’” Joseph said, recalling hearing of Butler attending a one-room school and walking through the fields to get there.

Butler was also heavily involved with the Lawrence County Historic Society and contributed a column of childhood recollections of Ironton for The Tribune’s local history edition of its annual Profile magazine in 2020.

Joseph said Butler’s two biggest priorities were education and church. 

“She was so well read,” Joseph said. “She was highly intelligent and had excellent memory recall. And Jean was just great at sharing history.” 

Butler was preceded in death by her husband of 61 years, Donald Butler. 

She is survived by her daughter, Sonja Butler Wheelis, of Ocala, Florida; son, Dr. Donald Butler, of Spring Hill, Tennessee; grandson, Donald Alan Butler; and many great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren.

A funeral will take place at noon today, with a viewing at 11 a.m., at First Baptist Church Ironton. Pastor Eric Barnes will officiate.

— Full obituary here.