Sarah Marie (Olson) Berry

Marie’s celebration of life will be livestreamed on facebook live on Wednesday at 2pm at the link below. A video of the service will also be available on our facebook page following the service at https://www.facebook.com/advantageokc/

Sarah “Marie” Berry was born on July 15th,1924 to Ole and Leah (Turbyfill) Olson in the “Nissen House” near Grimes, OK and passed from this life in the loving care of Baptist Village Memory Care and Tradition Hospice in Oklahoma City on December 27th, 2020.

Marie was a member of the Lord’s church and worshiped nearly 50 years at the Southwest congregation in Oklahoma City where she taught children’s bible classes for most of those years.

Marie attended elementary school in a one room schoolhouse in Grimes and graduated from Cheyenne High School at the age of 16. In the spring of 1942 she moved to Willow, OK to work with her sister Nina and brother-in-law Claud Berry who owned the local telephone office. While there, she met Claud’s cousin and her future husband D.A. Berry, Jr.

D.A. entered the army in December 1942 after being turned down the first time due to his flat feet. Overcoming many obstacles and hitchhiking to get home, D.A. and Marie married on Christmas day 1943 while he was on a weekend pass. D.A. died on December 13, 2000, 12 days before their 57th anniversary. They were blessed with three children, eight grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren.

Marie went to cosmetology school and she and D.A. converted the garage to a beauty shop so she could work from home. She cut, colored, and permed hair for many years and was charging $1.75 for a haircut, just missing out on the boom when she retired. Another of Marie’s talents was quilting. She thoroughly enjoyed meeting every Tuesday with her “Southwest church of Christ” quilting group. They produced many beautiful quilts that were given to the Tipton Children’s Home, those setting up housekeeping and those who had need. Later in Marie’s life when she could no longer attend the gathering, a quilt was made for her. It meant a great deal to her then and her family now.

For many years D.A. and Marie delivered meals to shut-ins, there were times they took grandchildren with them. This was an act of love and service and an opportunity for their grandchildren to see and learn from.

Marie Berry was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband D.A., brother Leon Olson, sister Nina Berry and oldest son Benton Leon Berry. She is survived by her daughter by marriage Glenda Berry, daughter Sharon Smith and husband Mike, son Tommy Berry and wife Billie Jean. She is also survived by grandchildren Michael & Kim Berry, Paul & Lechelle Smith, Jennifer Berry Engles, Amy Smith, Brian & Mandy Berry, Pamela & Brent Greenroyd, Christen & Garrett Bernethy, and Jessica & Darren Croy, as well as all her cherished great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews. She loved them all and was immensely proud.