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Welcome to the memorial page for
Henrietta Bernice (Kortum) Britton
June 5, 1923 ~ September 11, 2017 (age 94) 94 Years Old Light a Candle
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Message from Terry Nichols
September 30, 2017 8:14 AM
Barb, and all of the Britton Family-
Your mom and all of you are in my thoughts and prayers. I know she hadn’t been well for a long while, but her passing is still a sad loss to all of us left behind.
I have such wonderful memories of being around the Britton household when I was growing up. I spent enough time there to think of it as my home away from home. We played many, many games of croquet in the front yard, had a haunted house in the basement, and gazed at stars from any place we could see through the trees.
I can’t count the number of times I was invited to stay for supper………..Henrietta provided my first experience of Sweet & Sour Pork. I wasn’t too sure about it the first time, but it has become one of my favorites. And there was always music around their house. I loved the piano and almost everyone in their house could play. But I remember being so intrigued when I watched her tune their piano. And vocal harmony broke out around their house spontaneously and without warning. To this day, I have the best memories of caroling at Christmas time.
But I will never forget the supreme effort Henrietta put into making sure my wedding dress was in great shape. I wanted to wear my mother’s wedding dress, but it had never been properly cleaned after mom’s wedding. The cleaners refused to touch it because of its age, but Henrietta volunteered to handle it. She gently spot-cleaned the entire dress with Basic H and used a pin to put every snagged thread back in its proper place. I always knew my own mom would go to the ends of the earth to make my day special. But Henrietta went the extra mile for me too. The dress looked like brand new, and I felt elegant in it.
Even after we all moved to different parts of the country, coming home to Bemidji almost always included a visit with “Auntie Hank” and “Sweet Old Bill.” I miss her and will always remember her.
Love, Terry (Nichols)
Your mom and all of you are in my thoughts and prayers. I know she hadn’t been well for a long while, but her passing is still a sad loss to all of us left behind.
I have such wonderful memories of being around the Britton household when I was growing up. I spent enough time there to think of it as my home away from home. We played many, many games of croquet in the front yard, had a haunted house in the basement, and gazed at stars from any place we could see through the trees.
I can’t count the number of times I was invited to stay for supper………..Henrietta provided my first experience of Sweet & Sour Pork. I wasn’t too sure about it the first time, but it has become one of my favorites. And there was always music around their house. I loved the piano and almost everyone in their house could play. But I remember being so intrigued when I watched her tune their piano. And vocal harmony broke out around their house spontaneously and without warning. To this day, I have the best memories of caroling at Christmas time.
But I will never forget the supreme effort Henrietta put into making sure my wedding dress was in great shape. I wanted to wear my mother’s wedding dress, but it had never been properly cleaned after mom’s wedding. The cleaners refused to touch it because of its age, but Henrietta volunteered to handle it. She gently spot-cleaned the entire dress with Basic H and used a pin to put every snagged thread back in its proper place. I always knew my own mom would go to the ends of the earth to make my day special. But Henrietta went the extra mile for me too. The dress looked like brand new, and I felt elegant in it.
Even after we all moved to different parts of the country, coming home to Bemidji almost always included a visit with “Auntie Hank” and “Sweet Old Bill.” I miss her and will always remember her.
Love, Terry (Nichols)
Message from Mary Books
September 30, 2017 8:12 AM
My condolences to all of the Britton family. When I read Henrietta’s obituary in the Pioneer, it brought back such good memories of being neighbors on Bixby Avenue and of our kids being such good friends, spending time at our lake cabin and playing croquet in the Britton front yard, and having squirt gun fights all over the neighborhood, including our kitchen. It was such a pleasure to know such good people. I know she hadn’t been well for quite some time, but I also know how hard it is to lose someone, even when it is the time for them to go. You are all in my prayers.
Mary Books
Mary Books
Message from Laurie Villwock
September 21, 2017 9:14 PM
I have so many special memories of Henrietta! Not only did she always encourage me in choir, but she was the first adult to tell me that I was old enough to use her first name. That is how I knew I was really an adult:) I still use the steamer she and Bill gave us as a wedding present so I have thought of them both often through the years. – Laurie Jo Villwock
Message from Martha Martens
September 18, 2017 2:22 PM
Dear Uncle Bill and my cousins,
Michael and I are so sorry to hear that Aunt Henrietta passed away. We rejoice in knowing that she is with her Lord and Savior, but the hole left here on earth is great. I can just imagine her singing in heaven with Marian and Grace. I pray that you will be comforted by God's love at this time of loss, and that your memories of her will bring you joy.
Love, Martha
Michael and I are so sorry to hear that Aunt Henrietta passed away. We rejoice in knowing that she is with her Lord and Savior, but the hole left here on earth is great. I can just imagine her singing in heaven with Marian and Grace. I pray that you will be comforted by God's love at this time of loss, and that your memories of her will bring you joy.
Love, Martha
Message from Michele Luzius
September 14, 2017 11:09 AM
Dave, I'm sorry to hear of your mother's passing, she was an amazing person.
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