September 8, 1933 - September 28, 2023
The services celebrating and honoring the life of Winnie Mae DeShazo Fenimore, 90, of Enid, will be held Tuesday, October 3, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. in the Brown-Cummings Funeral Home. Burial will follow in the Enid Cemetery. Services are under the direction of Brown-Cummings Funeral Home.
On September 8, 1933, just as the sun was rising over the horizon in Maysville, Oklahoma, Winnie Mae DeShazo was born and would spend 90 years to love and work for her Heavenly Father.
Her family included her parents, D. L. and Eula Mae (Berryhill) DeShazo; and grandparents Josh and Anna Berryhill and Clem and Alice DeShazo.
Winnie Mae loved to tell the story of how she was named. Her Berryhill grandparents lived close to the parents of renowned aviator Wiley Post. Named for Post’s famous airplane, she was, in a sense, “born with wings,” fully equipped for her well earned flight to Heaven.
She loved remembering her adventures at her grandparents’ country store when she was young. Later, her family moved to Bridge Creek, here as the eldest child she spent many hard years working on the farm while going to school. Farm work did have a reward. One summer day while hoeing a cotton patch she met one of the Blanchard Fenimore boys who introduced her to his brother Jack. Winnie Mae and Jack married a year later after she graduated from Bridge Creek Schools on July 11, 1952.
They lived in Edmond where Jack was in his second year of college. After his graduation they lived for a short time in Amarillo, Texas and moved to Collinsville, where Jack taught math and was a girls basketball coach. Winne Mae went to beautician’s college and within a short time, they had three children, Vivian, Jack Curtis and Vareeda.
They lived in Loyal and Drummond where Jack was school Superintendent and Winnie Mae worked as a manicurist at a barbershop in Enid. She drove to OKC a couple days a week to barber college and in 1968 earned her Barbers License from Advanced Barber College. She became Enid’s first female barber. In 1970 she became the owner and operator of the Youngblood Hotel Barbershop. In 1974 she moved her shop to the Bass Building. Her third shop location was on Garriott Road across the street from Bass Hospital. In 1992 she moved the barbershop to Cleveland Street where she worked for about 30 years and where she and Jack lived after his retirement.
They were married almost 50 years when Jack died in 2002 while on a fishing trip. She continued to love her customers and kept working for many years. After almost 50 years as a barber, she sold the property and finally retired at age 85.
In her barbershop she cut hair, did foot reflexology, sold vitamins and health products and made many friends, but her greatest love was preaching the Bible while she cut her customers hair. Over the years she also cut hair for and counseled many Vance pilots and commanders; she attended many of their events, was presented with Air Force Challenge Coins and Colonel Lloyd "Fig" Newton wrote her a letter of appreciation. For many area families, like the Brown-Cummings family, she cut their hair for multiple generations.
Over the years Jack and Winnie Mae had amazing vegetable gardens. They could make a little patch of ground spring forth a bounteous crop.
She loved to travel and went on many cruises and trips with her daughter Vareeda, and other family members. She also fondly remembers her trips with her daughter-in-law Milda, especially their trip to Paris and going up into the Eiffel Tower.
Winnie Mae loved her children and grandchildren Jonathan, Leah and Lisha and loved spending time with them. She also loved attending Philadelphia Missionary Baptist Church where she was a faithful member and taught Sunday School and played the piano. She had a loving church family and helped mentor many children and their parents, including Craig Fischer and his family, continuing to be parent, grandmother, and great-mother to them. She also loved the color purple on just about everything, from her clothing and home decorations, to her barber chairs and finally a purple casket.
As an always healthy person who took great care of herself, it seemed unlikely that Winnie Mae would be stricken with cancer. However, we know that illness can take anyone at any time. She reflected that although she did not understand why or how she had gotten cancer, she trusted in God and discovered she had been given the opportunity to testify to people she would have never crossed paths with otherwise.
Winnie Mae was predeceased by her parents, husband Jack, daughter Vareeda and sister Ruth.
She is survived by her daughter Vivian and her husband Court Atchinson; son Jack Curtis Fenimore and his wife Milda; and grandson Jonathan and his wife Sarah; and granddaughters Leah and Lisha; siblings: Paul DeShazo, Ann Frederick Sabelo and Steve & Glenda DeShazo;
Berryhill aunts: Faye Day, Laveda Kelly Ballard, and Jo Gottman; Fenimore family: Floyd Fenimore, Melvin & Glenda Fenimore and Elbert Fenimore; along with numerous nephews, nieces, cousins; and many dear friends.
The family appreciates everyone that sent cards and flowers, called, visited, prepared meals and prayed for her. Winnie Mae really appreciated everyone that made her 90th birthday a special event. The family also appreciates the doctors, nurses, staff members at Integris, The Commons and Golden Oaks skilled nursing facilities, and for the tender care of Complete OK Hospice this past few months.
Memorials can be made to the Bible Fund through Philadelphia Missionary Baptist Church with Brown-Cummings Funeral Home serving as custodian of the funds.
Obituaries are posted, in part, due to the generosity of The Commons.
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