Artie Lee VANDIVORT BRITT

Enid News and Eagle

Sept. 8, 2010

Submitted by: Lois Burdick

OBITUARY

The funeral service for Artie Lee Britt, 83, will be 1 p.m. Monday, Sept. 13, 2010, at First United Methodist Church. Dr. Grayson Lucky will officiate. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery under the direction of Brown-Cummings Funeral Home.

Artie Vandivort was born Nov. 17, 1926, in Cape Giradeau, Mo., to Leon and Naomi (Davis) Vandivort and died Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2010, at Integris Bass Baptist Health Center. She was educated at University High School and Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, Saint Luke’s Hospital Training School in St. Louis and obtained a BS from Central State University of Edmond. She married Norman Gene Britt Dec. 27, 1952. The couple lived in Paducah, Ky., and Iowa City, Iowa, and moved to Enid in 1955. Artie worked as a registered nurse at Vanderbilt University Hospital in Nashville, Tenn.; Barnes Hospital, St. Louis, Mo.; and University of Iowa Hospital, Iowa City.

After moving to Enid, she worked at St. Mary’s Hospital, Enid General Hospital and from 1972-1982 was both an instructor and a coordinator at the OT Autry Area Vo-Tech Center School of Practical Nursing. During that period, when she and the other teaching staff were there, none of the center’s 161 nursing students failed to pass their state board examinations. Artie enjoyed her family, dogs, collecting antiques, traveling and was a member of First United Methodist Church since 1955 and belonged to the Sooner Sunday School Club for more than 50 years. She was a member of the JC Janes, Junior Welfare League, Tri-Beta Study Club, Kappa Kappa Iota retired teachers group and supported the YWCA.

She is survived by husband, Norman; son, Mike of Enid; son, Bill, and three grandsons of Leighton Buzzard, England; and a brother, Bill Vandivort of Sikeston, Mo. Artie was preceded in death by her parents; a brother, Arthur Clayton Vandivort; and sister, Nancy (Vandivort) Morrow. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to United Methodist Women or YWCA with the Brown-Cummings Funeral Home serving as custodians of funds.

Norman G. Britt

© Enid News and Eagle

04-30-2015

Submitted by: Glenn

© Enid News and Eagle

Funeral service for Norman G. Britt, 86, of Enid, Okla., will be 1:30 p.m. Saturday, May 2, 2015, at First United Methodist Church, 401 W. Randolph, Enid. The Rev. Susan Southall will officiate. Graveside service will follow at Memorial Park Cemetery. Visitation with the family will be 6-7:30 p.m. Friday, May 1, 2015, at Brown-Cummings Funeral Home.

Norman was a devoted husband and father, one of the first physical therapists in Oklahoma (license number 12) and an enthusiastic civic supporter.

As the eldest of 10 children, Norman had a strong sense of family as a child, but not of place, because the family was itenerate, following work around the country during the Great Depression. He attended six schools in the sixth grade.

As a young man, Norman found a community in Enid. After High School in Bernie, Mo., he followed the wheat harvest through the Great Plains and found Enid to have the friendliest people.

After graduating from Physical Therapy School at the University of Iowa, he settled in Enid through the encouragement of the Enid Chamber of Commerce.

Norman came to faith through his Boy Scout Master, who was also a minister. Norman was a faithful member of the church and a supporter of the Scouting movement and many civic groups in Enid.

Norman Gene Britt was born July 26, 1928, to Clarence N. and Mary G. Britt (Grindstaff).

Norman graduated in 1952, with a B.S. degree in chemistry and biology from Southeast Missouri State University.

He Married Artie Lee Britt (Vandivort) on Dec. 27, 1952, at United Methodist Church in Cape Giradeau, Mo.

Norman and his wife moved to Enid in August 1955, to work in the PT Department at St. Mary's Hospital. In 1958, he became chief physical therapist at what is now Bass Hospital, where he worked for 34 years until his retirment in 1993. At that time he had six therapists on staff.

He also did a variety of consulting work. In 1968, he set up a physical therapy department at Enid State School. In 1972, he began consulting at Nightengale Nursing Home. By 1973, he was a consultant at 13 nursing homes in northwest Oklahoma, including Fairview, Carmen and Cherokee, along with the Sunnyside Center and the Methodist Home in Enid.

He was president of the Oklahoma Physical Therapy Association, secretary-treasurer of the OPTA and in 1990, was given the Founder's Award. In 1980, he became one of the first therapists to use Biofeedback equipment.

After he retired from the hospital, he and his wife Artie opened a pain treatment clinic in the Broadway Tower.

Norman was active in the Boy Scouts from 1964, and received the Silver Beaver Award. He joined the Lions Club in 1958, and served as president of the Enid Noon Lions Club in 1976.

He and Artie joined First United Methodist Church in 1955, and was president and secretary of the executive board for three years. They belonged to the Sooner Sunday School Class for more than 50 years. For the past two years, he belonged to the Friendship Class.

He served in the National Guard and was a captain in the Air Force Reserve.

Although, once he built a house in Enid, he never wanted to move, he still had the wanderlust of his childhood and he and his wife and sons traveled to nearly all 50 states and traveled regulary to England and Europe.

He and Artie enjoyed collecting antiques and entertaining. His hobbies were growing roses, geneology, exercising at the YMCA and attending Enid High School football games.

He was preceded in death by his siblings, Bobby Ray, Dianna Sue, Alma Gail, Loretta Jane, Leonard and Johnnie. In 2010, he lost his beloved wife, Artie, after a marriage of 59 years.

He is survived by his sisters, Laura, Shirley, Mary Carol and Helen. Surviving are his loving sons, Mike, who was a source of inspiration in keeping him active through the five years he lived with cancer, and the Rev. Bill Britt and his wife Theresa of Stotfold, England, and his grandsons Tom, Alex and Hugh.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Cimarron Council Boy Scouts of America Capital Fund, 317 N. Grand, Enid OK 73701.

Condolences may be made to the family at brown-cummings.com.

(Submitted by family)

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