Magyar News, 1991. szeptember-1992. augusztus (2. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1991-09-01 / 1. szám
LORRAINE N. BUTOSI 1923-2991 The obituary facts are simple enough: she was born as Lorraine Frieda Nickel, the third child of Fred Nickel and Katherine Gauss of Peru, Illinois on April 17,1923, and passed away at Ligonier, Pennsylvania on April 16, 1991. It is, however, somewhat unusual that passing away one day before her 68th birthday, she died on the same day as her father did and at the same age as her father and sister had (67). "For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die" (Eccl. 3:1-2). Returning from a 14-day stay in the hospital and struggling with heart problems, diabetics and other ailments, her desire to be with the Lord grew stronger and stronger. It was granted to her without long days of disability. But the most amazing fact lies not in the circumstances of her death, but rather in the depth of her life and ministry. In her childhood a car ran over her and the doctors gave her up, nevertheless after several weeks in coma, she miraculously regained her consciousness. The marks of this accident remained in her body and soul as well. Her right ankle was permanently damaged, but her life was graciously claimed by the Lord. After completing her education, she heard the call at a camp meeting to go to Japan and heal the wounds of Hiroshima. On August 15, 1946 she sailed to Japan with the United States army commissioned to study the post-war religious situation in Japan. This she did with a sense of being a missionary: sharing the Gospel with the Japanese people in preaching, teaching and living among them. Even her house burned down and she could hardly escape. As one of the first Americans who met the victims of the atom bomb survivors, this experience burned into her very soul just as the kimonos burned into the flesh of the atom bomb survivors. She could not be silent about it. When she returned to the USA in 1948 and became the vice-president of a Japanese congregation, she often spoke about her experience far and wide in the Chicago area. This is how she met her future husband who served in Hammond, Indiana at that time. They married on August 16, 1953 when a Hungarian, a Japanese, and an "American" minister officiated at the marriage ceremony. From there on, Lorraine became the spouse, life-mate, secretary, co-worker, assistant pastor, a "helper fit for him" (Gen. 2:18), "far more precious than jewels" (Prov. 31:10), "joint heir of the grace of life" (I.Pet. 3:7). When they served in McKeesport, PA and he worked on his Ph.D., she was the typist of innumerable papers; even the birth of their first daughter meant only a maternity leave. When they moved to South Norwalk, CT and then to Bridgeport, CT and he became the secretary, president and bishop of the Calvin Synod—in addition to heavy local, national and international involvements—she did any and offered every assistance to make her husband's workload more bearable: a gracious hostess in the parsonage called "The Butosi Hotel", a hardly paid Synod secretary, an always ready unpaid registrar at Synod meetings, and —of course—the mother of two children. Yes, she gave herself unreservedly to the ministry of religious and civic causes, and "in between" she had time to read, work and study. (At the age of 58, she earned a diploma in the "Writing for Children and Teenagers Course".) Her Hungarian "adaptation" was remarkable. Although she never mastered the language, her heart was changed from uneasiness to fervent love in Hungarian culinary art and cultural values. Out of her Hungarian china and embroidery treasures, she prepared several exhibits and organized a Hungarian Embroidery Circle in Bridgeport which is still in operation. . . Perhaps this appreciation of the "Hungarian ethos" cultivated in her the desire to move to Ligonier after retirement in 1989. In' the Bethlen Home she was perfectly at home. . . The rest, the beautiful surroundings restored her health somewhat, although the physical pains were always present, but she seldom complained. The Lord blessed her with the Holy Spirit's gift of patience and self-control (Gai. 5:23). In fact, He granted her the fulfilment of her heart's three recent desires: a "last" visit to Hungary in 1990, the birth of the first grandchild on February 1, 1991, and her husband's continued ministry: she never wanted "to compete with the Lord" but "to seek first His kingdom and his righteousness" (Mt. 6:33). A We take it for granted to see some people all the time. We sort-of know what they do but we only measure their activities on a daily basis. It is only when they leave us do we summarize their life and to our amazement find that they were bigger than life. This summer Lorraine Butosi, who spent over three decades among us, passed away. Following here you will find a remembrance written by the person who knew her better than any of us, Rev. Dr. John Butosi.
