A startled young woman began asking questions. "When did it happen? Was it in Richmond? Was it on Hull Street? Was it April 7, 1989?" Lillian’s heart pounded as she weakly answered, "Yes." That young woman was a sister to one of the teenagers in the stolen car; her sister had also been killed!

April 7, 1989, started out like any other day. Howard took off from work early, as he needed to renew his car tags, and he decided to go to the DMV on the Southside of Richmond. As the hours ticked by and Howard didn’t come home, Lillian became worried; then she saw on the evening news that a Powhatan man had been killed. She didn’t recognize the car, but nagged by fear, she called her girls. They called the state and city police, begging for information, only to be given vague answers. Miles drove past the accident scene but didn’t recognize the car. He finally called Channel 12, which had aired the news, and asked the station to replay the tape and give him the license plate number. The number was Howard’s. It was now five hours since the accident. Miles rushed home to find the State Police bearing the awful news.

Lillian says, "The first year I was in denial and kept thinking he would come home. But the stark reality finally began to sink in. I prayed and prayed that God would not let me become bitter." A friend who had also walked a difficult road shared a verse with her that became her lifeline: "My grace is sufficient for you. . ." (II Corinthians 12:9). "Many times when I was hardly able to think for myself, I prayed that God would show me his way. Often I would open my Bible, and there would be a precious verse from God, just exactly what I needed, speaking his quiet message of hope to me." Lillian says, "My life has been hard, but I have had a contented life. I have my children and six grandchildren around me, my church family and friends." His grace has indeed been just what she has needed.

Lillian was born October 6, 1930, to Dewey and Sylvia Butcher at Job, in the mountains of West Virginia. She had seven sisters and two brothers: Herman, Virginia, Lawrence, Opal, Artheia, Ruth, (Lillian), Juanita, Elsie and Velma Jean. She had a happy childhood and has fond memories and stories to tell of going to the mountains to pick berries and nuts. They were poor, but they had a garden, so they always had enough food to eat. In order to find a job, her daddy had to travel by bus to Millcreek, West Virginia. This was a big trip, so he could come home only every other weekend, and her mom carried the responsibility of raising the children. As her siblings got old enough to work, they left West Virginia and found jobs in the bustling city of Newport News, Virginia. The summer before she was sixteen, Lillian’s dad moved the rest of the family to Newport News, as her mom’s health was failing, and the family wanted to be closer together.

Lillian started looking for a summer job and applied at the Zipper Factory. She had to be eighteen and have a birth certificate to prove her age Seventeen-year-old Lillian told them she was eighteen. She did not have a birth certificate, as the court house in West Virginia had burned. Her sister, Artheia, was already working there, so she got the job but was told to produce a birth certificate. That was a hard thing to do, as she had to look up the midwife who had delivered her and get proof from teachers and people from church to prove her age. Every week a girl would come out of the office and approach Lillian about her birth certificate. Finally, she got the paper she needed and with fear in her heart took it to her boss. He said, "You knew that if you brought this to me, I would know your right age?" Finally, her lie was known ,and she said, "Yes, sir." He walked out of the office, and when he came back, she was told she still had her job. Lillian says, "I have never lied about my age since!"

Lillian met Howard at a hotdog roast. He had worked briefly at the Zipper Factory, and she had seen this striking young man with dark brown eyes and dark tan. But she was very shy and never talked to him. Howard and his buddy, Billy Owens, who later became Lillian’s brother-in-law, started driving past her home and would stop when they saw her and her sisters in the garden working and would help them hoe. They became friends and gradually started dating. Lillian was attracted to Howard because of his truthfulness and respect for her. After they had dated for one year, Howard was drafted into the military for two years.

Right before he came home, Lillian and two of her sisters were riding with a cousin to work when a drunk driver hit them in a head-on collision. Both of her legs and her face were badly lacerated as her face went through the windshield. It made her ponder her life, and even though she had faithfully gone to church, she knew she needed to accept Jesus as her personal Savior.

In November, 1956, after dating for seven years, Lillian and Howard went to the minister’s house and were married. They honeymooned in Florida before settling into a little house in Newport News that Howard had built.

Howard was born April 3, 1928, to Ethan and Dora Mae Hertzler in Iowa. He had five siblings: Marvin, (Howard), Byran, Dwight, Leroy and Eunice. They lived in Ohio for a while before moving to Newport News in search of work. Times were hard, and they didn’t have much and often had to wear mismatched shoes. Marvin remembers how excited young Howard was one time when he finally got a pair of shoes that matched. He exclaimed with glee, "Two shoes!" Although Howard completed only the seventh grade of school, the boys often read the encyclopedia for entertainment. When Howard was tested before he joined the military, he scored on the college level!

Because of his participation in the military, Howard felt alienated from the Mennonite Church. However, he faithfully sent his mother his tithe. He discovered that every month he tithed, he always had money to spare, but when he kept it for himself, he always ran out.

One year after they were married, Howard and Lillian were returning from their sister-in-law’s graduation from nursing school, and a drunk driver plowed into Lillian’s side of the car. Lillian suffered a head injury and does not remember the accident or her frantic concern about Howard’s well being. For years afterwards, she suffered with headaches and until last year continued to remove pieces of glass from her face.

Lillian worked at the Zipper Factory for eleven years, quitting one month before Joyce was born on August 24, 1959. Lillian says, "I went through school and the first five years of working and never missed a single day." That is quite a record! When Lillian became pregnant with their second child, she had some difficulties and was confined to bed rest; one month later she suffered a miscarriage. On February 20, 1962, Linda was born, and eleven and a half months later, on February 4, Sharon was born.

In the summer of 1974, wanting a better school situation for their three girls, Howard and Lillian moved to Powhatan. Lillian says, "Howard and I had a wonderful life together. He was a wonderful and loving father, and he made me feel loved and cherished all through our marriage." As a widow, Lillian has learned to be more independent. She has opened her heart and home to numerous women in need. Sharon says, "Mom is totally unselfish. She has a servant’s heart and is always doing for others and not for herself." Granddaughter Stephanie very simply sums it up by saying, "Mamaw is kind." Indeed God has been gracious; His grace has been sufficient.

 By Pat Hertzler