Betty Lou Bennett Newman

Betty Lou Bennett was born in Stillwater, Oklahoma on February 16th, 1922 to Robert Paul and Lavaun (Ferguson) Bennett and she passed into the loving arms of Jesus on October 26th at the Tulsa Jewish Retirement Center. Having lost her father at age 5, Betty and her five siblings were raised by her maternal grandmother Annie Belle Ferguson. Betty attended school in Stillwater and graduated from Stillwater High School in 1939. In 1940 she met a young, shy engineering student from Enid at a scavenger hunt at the Methodist Church. Very soon Richard Newman was a frequent visitor. He often brought her chocolate covered cherries, but then since she didn’t like them, Richard wound up eating the whole box. Their courtship quickly blossomed and they were married in the same Methodist church on March 13th, 1940. Richard graduated from Oklahoma A&M in May, 1942 and was immediately commissioned into the U.S. Army as a second lieutenant. The young couple began their love story that would last fifty-five years. The army sent Richard on inspection tours around the USA, so for many months Betty and Richard were living out of a suitcase. In October 1942 they were blessed with their first child, Linda, who would join them on their trips and often slept in the dresser drawer. Betty was a good soldier when it came to supporting all of her husband’s efforts – a trait that she would continue throughout their lives together. Anxiety and foreboding surrounded the war years with several members of the family going to serve, Richard was sent to Europe in October 1944 just weeks before their second child was born, Richard Jr. Richard had orders to go to the pacific front when the war was quickly concluded. Betty along with siblings and her grandmother had moved to Tulsa during the war, so Richard came home upon his discharge to Tulsa where his job search landed him at Public Service Company of Oklahoma. In 1946 the family was rounded out by the blessed birth of son Mark. Betty was never just a homemaker, although she was that. She was also a dutiful wife, always supporting Richard and his career choice. She was active in promoting new uses for electric power; she was active in the Reddy Kilowatt wives club which promoted social events as well as philanthropy. She and Dick were a powerful couple in all aspects of their life together. As her husband moved up the corporate ladder at PSO, Betty would host social events for persons who worked with him. Early on they made a decision that they loved to travel abroad; they made numerous trips to Scandinavia, and most of Europe, including France, Germany, Italy, Greece, and England. They enjoyed Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia so much they went back several times. Mexico, Turkey, China, and Indonesia were also destinations they visited. Her active social life included membership at Southern Hills Country Club and the Petroleum Club of Tulsa. A rabid OSU fan, Betty loved attending the sports events and she and Dick often had season tickets to the games. As an honored alumnus, Dick was often invited to events at the school and Betty was always there in support. She was especially helpful in meeting friends and acquaintances, since she had a great memory, remembering the names and faces of high school friends well into her 90’s. Betty had a generous heart and after the passing of her husband in 1995 continued to support many of the same organizations and philanthropic causes that she and Dick had supported over the years. It is difficult to list all of the agencies she supported but among those most important were her church, OSU, the Child Fund, Goodwill, Shriners Hospital, Salvation Army, and St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. She established scholarship funds at the OSU school of Engineering and at Phillips Theological Seminary for divinity students. She was always generous in helping out grandchildren, siblings, nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her husband, Richard O. (Dick) Newman; her parents; brothers Paul Bennett and his wife Vaudell, Buford Bennett and his wife Margie, Buell Bennett; sisters Dorothy Reichman and husband Harry, Joe Dean Davis and husband Howard. She is survived by her children Linda Lou Weathers, Richard Newman Jr. and wife Janet, Mark Newman and wife Cheryl; grandchildren Eric Weathers, Richard Newman III and wife Katie, Teresa Camera and husband Carl, Daniel Newman and wife Angela Schumacher-Porras, Lori Flaherty, Cari Fryman and husband Robert, Megan Morrissey, Matthew Newman and wife Rachel; twelve great-grandchildren, Danielle Newman, Marcus Weathers, Amber and Collin Newman, Kelsey Antonio, Talon Flaherty, Jeff and Mark Pittman, Christopher and Kevin Camera, Faith & Anabelle Morrissey; and one great-great-granddaughter Emi Madison Antonio; and numerous nieces and nephews and friends. Visitation will be 6:00 P.M. til 8:00 P.M., Monday, November 2, 2015 at Moore’s Southlawn, 9350 E. 51st, Tulsa, OK. A celebration of life service will be held on Tuesday, November 3 at 10:00 A.M. at Yale Avenue Christian Church in Tulsa. Moore’s Southlawn 918-663-2233 share memories at www.moorefuneral.com

Betty Lou Bennett Newman

February 16, 1922 - October 26, 2015