Mel Garcia's TikTok video of the Precious Moments Chapel and Gardens in Carthage, Missouri, has gone viral, with thousands sharing and commenting their own memories of the collectible figurines ...

and in 1978 the first Precious Moments figurines were unveiled,” the website says. In 1989, Butcher opened the Precious Moments Chapel in Carthage, Missouri as a way of honoring his faith.

Sam began drawing teardrop-eyed children he called "Precious Moments" for family and friends. The drawings graced greeting cards in 1975. The first figurines were created just three years later.