DUBLIN — Pauline Smith Butler, 71, of Dublin is a busy lady, and for her efforts in Spetmeber, she has been chosen Citizen of the Month. She and her husband of 51 years, J.V., have raised three children, losing one to a hunting accident when he was 16-years-old and raising their only grandson.

Butler is a modest person. She doesn’t like to talk a lot about herself, but she has been a member of Bethel Baptist Church since 1945 and considers her week incomplete if she doesn’t attend church on Sunday and Wednesday. She said, “It is just not Sunday if you don’t go to church.”

Butler retired from The Bladen County Food Service in 2002 with 30 years of service serving Bladen students breakfast and lunch at Elizabethtown and Dublin Elementary School cafeterias. She graduated from Food Service in 1998 after attending the classes for three years at Robeson Community College

In 2000 Butler suffered a stroke, leaving her with limited use of her right arm and a braced right leg.

Butler said, “The doctor told me the type of stroke I had leaves patients unable to speak. When he told me, I thought to myself, Lord take me on now, I couldn’t imagine not being able to speak or talk. When I went to speech therapy my first visit the therapists told me at the end of the appointment I didn’t need to come back.” Butler’s prayer was answered, she speaks, talks and walks.

She does so much more — for Bladen County and her hometown of Dublin. Butler has volunteered at the Bladen County Hospital since 1982 with her husband. She volunteers at the WMU Thrift Store in Bladenboro on the third Thursday in the month, as well as serving as an executive board member of the Dublin Peanut Festival.

According to Donnie Todd, president of the Peanut Festival, “Miss Pauline is willing to do whatever she can to help us before, during and after the festival. She is a great asset to our committee.”

Butler said, “I was not a member of the Peanut Festival Committee the first year. Really none of us knew what to expect or how much money we would profit. But, after the first year and the money raised for the Multipurpose Building at Dublin Elementary School, I joined the second year and each year it has gotten bigger and better.”

Butler’s motto is “Keep on keeping on.” she said.

“You need to stay busy and active as you get older and while you’re young, too.”