Butler family thanks community for outpouring of love, continuing mother’s legacy

Greg Butler knew Jenny was the one for him when he first laid eyes on her when the pair was just 15, becoming high school sweethearts with a love for one another that would carry them through life together.

Many years, children, grandchildren and adventures later, Butler and his family, including daughters Jordan Butler and Ashton Lopez and son Tyler Butler, said they are inspired by the outpouring of love and support from community in response to the recent, untimely passing of their wife and mother.

Jenny Butler, the physical education teacher at Hedgesville Elementary School, passed away roughly one week ago due to complications related to the novel coronavirus after a breast cancer diagnosis weakened her immune system, her family confirmed.

However, that is not how they want her to be remembered, the family said.

“Jenny was diagnosed on Nov. 8 with breast cancer, and throughout this, she never feared the cancer. The only thing she feared was how her grandkids would see her once she had no hair and how her students would respond to her,” Greg said.

“She never feared the death of cancer. I know she died young, but we started dating when we were 15 years old, and we dated for five years before getting married in 1984,” Greg added. “It will be 36 years in June, of marriage with her. High school sweethearts… I knew she was the right one. I’m lucky I have a lot of memories to hold on to.”

According to Jordan, Jenny was a fighter through the entire ordeal — both her cancer and coronavirus diagnoses — and remembered her mother’s fears of her students’ reactions were unwarranted, as the students loved her just as much as she loved them.

“When she was telling her kids and her students about her diagnosis, she had on Army camo pants and a head scarf, and she asked if they noticed anything different about her. One kid asked her if she was in the Army now,” Jordan laughed, sharing the memory. “That kid is not wrong, though. She had been a soldier through all of this. She’d take a week off after chemo but go right back to 700 kids and never miss a step. So many people have shared so many memories of her. We just want people to take this seriously.”

The Butlers said what has ultimately helped them heal through this has been the love and support the Hedgesville and Berkeley County community has shown — from a number of churches reaching out with food, prayer, quilts and offers of various other help to local resident Tripp Tobin placing crosses on the family farm and in the community in honor of her memory.

“She practiced what she preaches. She was a gentle soul, she was quiet and you could tell her passion and love through her eyes,” Ashton said. “She was very humble, resilient. She was always there to listen. I worked at Hedgesville with my mom for years and the close knit family that the elementary is… the community’s outpouring love for my mom and family is overwhelming and brings our hearts so much comfort, peace and joy. Her legacy will live on through our family and the lives of her students. It’s made our community tighter.”

Even in her passing, the Butler family said Jenny was bringing people together after Hedgesville Elementary School illuminated their newly finished track in her honor, a project Jenny had been working hard to have completed for years so the community would have a safe place to walk and improve their health with kids and family.

The Butler family said seeing that project completed makes their hearts happy and is an amazing feeling to go by that track and know she was a part of that, leaving her mark on a school and students she cared for so much.

“Before she passed, we hadn’t seen her open her eyes the last couple days we visited her. Before her last couple breaths, she opened her eyes completely, and we knew she was at peace, healed and with God,” Greg said. “When Ashton was born, her eyes were wide open, like you could tell she was going into a new world and light, and that moment with Jenny reminded me of that. I know my wife saw the same thing. It was wonderful, beautiful. It gives me a lot of peace. It’s all been a process, but we know where she is, and we are at peace with that. I’m a farmer, so I’ve always been busy, and she did a wonderful job raising my three kids, it’s just amazing. They’re a good example of how their mother was. So, I’ve still got a lot of good memories and my three kids. We’ll get through this together as a family and a community.”

Greg confirmed the family had a very small, intimate funeral service for Jenny to meet quarantine regulations but has been making plans with Martinsburg- Berkeley County Parks and Recreation Executive Director Steve Catlett to have a large celebration of life in her honor, completely open to the community.

The celebration will be held from 2-5 p.m. July 26 at the barn at Poor House Farm Park.

Article courtesy of The Journal News written by Breanna Francis; photo submitted