Nellrita Barrick

Funeral Services for Nellrita Barrick,79, longtime Clinton Educator and resident will be held 10:00 A.M., Tuesday, July 29, 2014 in the First Christian Church, officiated by Doyle Kinney and Jeff McDowell and burial will follow in the Butler Cemetery under the direction of the Kiesau-Lee Funeral Home. Nellrita Barrick died quietly, Friday, July 25, 2014 in the comfort of her home following a lengthy battle with cancer. Her life was filled with love, laughter and generosity. Through her faith and God's grace, she approached all of life's rewards and challenges with enthusiasm and courage. She never went anywhere without a positive attitude. She touched countless lives with her sweet spirit, joy, patience, grace and unconditional love. She had a smile for everyone. She always put others' needs first, especially her families'. Nellrita Slade was bom May 3, 1935, to Emil and Mabel (Byfield) Slade at Butler, Oklahoma. She was baptized at the age of eleven at the First Baptist Church. She started as Butler's telephone operator in the eighth grade. She graduated from Butler High School with the class of 1953, the largest class to ever graduate and the founder's of the Butler Alumni Association. She never lost her fondness of her hometown. Following graduation, Nellrita moved to Clinton where she was a telephone operator for Southwestern Bell. Nellrita married Troy Steward Barrick on February 5, 1955. They lived on the same farm and in the same house 4 miles west and 3/4 mile south of Clinton for fifty-six years with the farmland being on the Washita River bottom. The Barricks were selected as the Custer County Farm Bureau Family of the Year in 1989. She never worked the farm, but enjoyed hauling wheat to the elevator, cotton to the gin and driving the truck and loader as Steward stacked bales of alfalfa hay. Their son, Ross, was born in 1957 and their daughter, Paula, in 1964. No matter the hectic schedule of farming, the family always took time out for family vacations with their travel trailer and boat to some of the Oklahoma lakes for fun and/or to the mountains of Colorado. Nellrita became a Licensed Practical Nurse in 1969. Later, at the age of thirty-six, she enrolled at Southwestern State University to become a registered nurse. Two years later, the nursing program was dropped. Although she was one of two from the class that was accepted at the University Of Oklahoma School Of Nursing, she put her family first, stayed at Southwestern and changed her major to education. At the age of forty years, she graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education, Magna Cum Laude, and the same week that her son, Ross, graduated from high school. Nellrita was selected as Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges. She was honored with the distinguished Bull Dog Award and elected to the honor society, Kappa Delta Pi where she served as an officer. Within the next two years of summer and night-school classes she earned a Master's Degree in Guidance Counseling. She taught fifth grade at Nance Elementary for ten years and after helping to set-up the program, she was the school's Guidance Counselor for fourteen years. She was Clinton's 1999 Teacher of the Year and earlier was voted the District Counselor of the Year. She was the first educator to be selected as Clinton's Business Professional Woman of the Year. During her counseling tenure she served on the District DC Child Abuse Task Force. A believer that Christianity is meant to be lived in the community, Nellrita was an active volunteer, having devoted a great deal of time to the American Heart Association and was honored as the Oklahoma American Heart Association Woman of the Year. She chaired the Custer County Heart Walk, the Celebrity Waiter Dinner and the Women and Heart Disease Forum for western Oklahoma. Each event had record attendances per population for the state. She participated in the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life. She was a member of the Sunnyside Home Demonstration Club, American Legion Women's Auxiliary and the VFW Women's Auxiliary. She enjoyed her association and work in Kiwanis, which she received the Kiwanian of the Year Award. She joined PEO Chapter FR later in life. After retiring she volunteered with Meals on Wheels and Hospice. She was a lifetime member and twice president of the Clinton's Beta Psi Chapter of Epsilon Sigma Alpha International and held various ESA offices on the state level. She served enthusiastically as the Oklahoma ESA coordinator for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Nellrita sponsored the Alpha Nu Chapter of ESA as it was charted in Arapaho. She was a strong ESA supporter of the Oklahoma School for the Blind. Over the years, in her church work at the First United Methodist Church and the First Christian Church, she was a Sunday School teacher (children and adult), Vacation Bible School director, sang in the choir and led Children's Sermons during the church worship hour. She served as president of the local Christian Women's Fellowship (CWF) and as the vice-president of the state CWF. She also served as SAGE president at the Methodist church. Through her Guidance/Counseling classes, Nellrita became dedicated to the special needs of Lea Williams, then a fourth grader. Nellrita went on a personal mission to raise $30,000 in six months for a talking computer system and programs for school and at home for this former 1st & 2nd grade student who went blind in second grade. By talking to Kiwanis, Rotary, Lions' Clubs, Junior Service League, ESA and several related interviews with The Clinton Daily News and KCLI Radio, exceeding the goal, total donations of $35,000 was reached in just three months. With the technology help from Mary Beth Mahanay, Southwest School Guidance Counselor, the talking computer and special equipment along with her teacher's aide were in place and ready to use on her first day of fifth grade. Mrs. Barrick and Lea have remained close friends throughout the years. With her love for drama, Nellrita performed in numerous productions at the Southwest Playhouse. She was in the first play at the present location in 1976 as Aunt Martha, the sister that put poison in the wine, in Arsenic and Old Lace. Her elementary-school aged daughter, Paula, joined her in the production playing the part of a corpse. Nellrita's favorite role was playing the Wicked Witch of the West in the Wizard of Oz. She worked hard to get the smile out of her voice. Again, then a sixth grader, Paula performed with her as a Munchkin. Nellrita received two SOPHI Awards for her portrayal of Addicus's compassionate neighbor, Miss Maudie Atkinson, in To Kill A Mockingbird as well as widow Doris Silverman in The Cemetery Club, a comedy with much Jewish humor. She and grandson, Ty Taylor, were in Annie Get Your Gun, together. He, too, won a SOPHI Award for playing Annie's brother, Little Jake. She also had parts in Nunsense and Nunsense II. The last play she appeared in was Red Hats, The Musical in 2012. She served on the SWPH's board of directors and following retirement, she volunteered fourteen years in the ticket office for upcoming plays. For Steward and Nellrita's fiftieth anniversary celebration, Over one hundred guests enjoyed the event The Barricks enjoyed a life of dancing; ballroom, country/western and in their earlier years, square dancing. After retiring in 1999, she and Steward went on several cruises and enjoyed dancing on each one; on the Mississippi River, Germany and Austria's Blue Danube River, the Rhine River, the Panama Canal and the Alaskan Cruise. Among their favorite memories was dancing on the rotunda floor of the Oklahoma State Capitol following Governor Henry Bellmon's first inauguration. Another favorite memory was when she and a few other Clintonites were interviewed, live, on national television during the Democratic National Convention when Bill Clinton was nominated for President of the United States. Added to these joys on February 2nd of this year, was being honored by Ross, Lou and Paula for the 59th anniversary reception. Even though it was bitter cold and the ground covered with snow, over one hundred guests enjoyed sharing the blissful day with the Barrick Family. After all the guests were gone, Ross played his pre-recorded music and to Nellrita's surprise, Steward waltzed with her, Ross and his Mom scooted a boot together, and all four grandsons danced with their Nana. In 2010, with Steward losing his vision, they sold the farm and moved to town. They enjoyed playing cards, Rook on Sunday nights with close friends and in their two Rook Clubs. Nellrita always said she wasn't the best player, but she surely enjoyed her two Bridge Clubs. She had fun as she gathered with her Red Hat ladies for luncheons, often giving a humorous program. Throughout her adult life, Nellrita experienced many serious health issues, but they never kept her down. Daughter Paula always said, "Mom, you're a tough cookie." Nellrita was preceded in death by her parents, Emil and Mabel Slade, brother, Chester Slade and former sisters-in-law, Miwako Nakazawaa (Jeanie) Slade, Peggy Barrick Daugherty and brother-in-law, Chester Simpson.. She is survived by her husband, Steward, her son, Ross and wife, Lou, and her daughter, Paula Barrick-Glancy. She will be deeply missed by her four grandsons, Justin Barrick, Cooper Barrick, Ty Taylor and Gentry Glancy who in their younger years, always looked forward to Nana's Day Out With The Boys, and her step-grandsons, Ryan and Eric Kennemer, who affectionally called her "Mrs. B". The four grandsons will never forget in their elementary years when Nana tried to take them to the newly opened Oklahoma City restaurant that followed the closing of the popular Applewood's, it was the new HOOTER'S. The oldest grandson, Justin, said, "Nana, I don't think you really want to take us in there." They teased her about that near adventure throughout the years. Also surviving is her sister-in-law, Shirley Slade, very special friend, Lea Williams, a host of relatives and a lifetime of friends. Nellrita's favorite scripture is Proverbs 17: 22 "A Merry Heart Doeth Good Like a Medicine." She often shared a quote of Abraham Lincoln's: "You Can Be About As Happy As You Make Up Your Mind To Be." Nellrita had a merry heart and will be missed by her family and many friends. Another quote of Abraham Lincoln's speaks well of Nellrita's life ... "And in the end, it's not the years in your life that counts. It's the life in your years." A young girl from Butler, a small town with 411 population, and moving just 22 miles away to Clinton, Nellrita had a rich, abundant and full- life, with a world of experiences. Another favorite quote of Nellrita's was: God never promised us a perfect life ... He promised us a perfect love. A Celebration of Nellrita's Life will be held, 10:00 A.M., Tuesday, July 29, 2014 in the First Christian Church. Burial will be at the Butler Cemetery. For those that choose, memorial donations may be made to the Clinton Public School Foundation, the Oklahoma School for the Blind or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. **For my care givers, please indicate the family's appreciation, e.g., Kristy Baker ARNP, Pat Serat, hospice nurse and Shepherd's Home Health and Hospice.