Bee Norris

Bee Norris, of Broken Bow and New Orleans

August 8, 1932 – February 13, 2021

Born third of six children to William (Bill) Henry Harrington and Myrtle Rosa Harrington (Wilson) in Big Prairie, OK, August 8, 1932, Buetta (Bee) Mable Harrington was brought up to value both the love of family and the love of community.  She attended Kiowa, OK, schools and enjoyed playing basketball so much that she actually wanted to be a high school women’s basketball coach.  But given that women were seldom hired to coach any sport in the 1950s, she chose to study Home Economics at Oklahoma State University (called Oklahoma A&M at that time). 

While at OSU, she joined the Wesley Foundation where she not only learned about living a missional Christian life but also met her future husband, David Norris.  In 1952, Bee embarked on her proudest Wesley Foundation project – accompanying Black students from Langston University (Oklahoma) across the segregated South to attend a Black Christian Conference convening in Greenville, SC. After graduation, engaged to an Army man stationed in Germany, Bee began teaching Home Economics in Ripley, OK.   

After finally marrying her beloved David, the couple moved to Dekalb, TX, to start a family and make a success of the dry goods store started by David’s father Harold.  Active in the First United Methodist Church of Dekalb, she and David taught the Methodist Youth Fellowship.  Their three children were born in Dekalb, and their domicile included two milk cows, a horse, a dog, and several cats. 

In 1969, they moved to Broken Bow, OK, to take over the family business, Norris’ Department Store. While helping David run Norris’, the ever-stylish Bee was a natural at understanding her customers and helping them find the perfect item. When she wasn’t working at the store, she lead local Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops, was active in the Delphian Club, was a leader in the Oklahoma Home and Community Education club, and chaperoned on school band, chorus, and piano competition trips.  Bee also set up community fashion shows, was active in the First United Methodist Church of Broken Bow, United Methodist Women and the Methodist Youth Fellowship, and worked local and statewide political campaigns.

A passionate advocate of the Broken Bow Public Library, Bee successfully fundraised to build its impressive current structure, was the Chairperson of the Friends of the Broken Bow Library, and sat on the Southeastern Public Library System regional board for many terms.  In addition, she planned numerous community events from showers to public institution openings and organized Main Street USA activities in Broken Bow.  Bee was an active member of the Broken Bow Garden Club and an avid OSU sports fan – so much so that she secured the sponsors that enabled OSU sports radio network broadcasts in McCurtain County.

In 2014, Bee and David moved to New Orleans, LA, to be near their children and grandchildren. They quickly made friends at their new residence, the Lambeth House Continuing Care Retirement Community. With Bee’s gift for bringing people together, she soon began organizing birthday celebrations and Circle of Care activities there. Bee and David found a new church home at Rayne Memorial United Methodist Church, where they attended services and Sunday school class.   

Bee’s busy life was filled with friends, family, and the joy of serving others, as she brought her own unique brand of sunshine into everyone’s life she touched. On February 13, 2021, she died peacefully of heart failure.  She was predeceased by her parents, her sister Joyce Jones (and Riley), her brothers Dean Harrington (and DeLois), and Fibber Harrington, her brothers-in-law Mack Hamilton and George Schwarz and cousin-in-law Frank Begley.  She is survived by her husband David, daughters Lisa Norris and Nancy (Rosie) Wohl (and Mike), son Harold Norris II (and Kell Julliard), grandchildren Cassie Segal, Katie Wohl, Ben Segal (and Larissa), Eleanor Hamilton-Wohl (and Matt), Olivia Wohl, Ashley Segal, one great grandchild Noah Hamilton-Wohl, sisters Polly Hamilton and Pam Schwarz, sister-in-law Nancy Harrington and cousin Laquetta Begley.

A virtual memorial service is scheduled for Saturday, March 13th at 11 am Central Standard Time. A physical location to view Bee's service will be at the First United Methodist Church in Broken Bow, OK.

In lieu of flowers and in the spirit of Bee, the family requests that donations be made to the Broken Bow Public Library, Wesley Foundation OSU, the Southern Poverty Law Center, or Rayne Memorial United Methodist Church (New Orleans).  For further details about donating visit: Bunch Singleton Funeral Home https://www.bunchsingleton.com/obituary/Bee-Norris

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