Marie Riddles

Birdie Marie Riddles, 97, left for her heavenly home on November 29, 2022. Marie was born in Paoli, OK to William Cleve Calvert and Lettie Elizabeth (Golden) Calvert. She was raised in the small communities of Civit and Higgens Chapel, OK. She was the middle child of 11 children.

Services will be held at 1:00 PM Saturday, December 3rd, at the Whitt Funeral Home Chapel with Reverend Billy Morgan officiating.

Like many from her time, she grew up coming out of the Great Depression. She learned to work hard and take care of everything she had. While the other siblings worked out on the farm, Marie would rather take care of the family home, raise flowers, and cook. She loved to fix hair from an early age and would do her sisters’ hair if they would shine her shoes before church on Sunday. She would later go on to own Marie’s Beauty Shop in Duncan until 1967.
She left home at age 14 and moved to Pauls Valley, OK where she got her first job as a soda jerk in a drug store. Then moved to Oklahoma City where she worked multiple jobs in retail and food service. Some of her fondest memories were working for Mr. C.R. Anthony, and waitressing at the Skirvin Hotel and the Black Hotel. She also traveled across the US holding down jobs at an ordinance plant, as a nanny, in a potato canning factory, along with her usual retail and food service. She loved being in Atlantic City, NJ during the heyday of the boardwalk and big band era. Marie would come back to Oklahoma City where she married Jack Fulton and owned a small cafe until after the birth of her first son, Brent. She eventually separated and moved to Lawton, OK to be close to family. While in Lawton she worked in a cosmetics company and started beauty school to fulfill her lifelong dream of being a hairdresser. She loved making people look and feel good about themselves. Marie moved to Duncan to finish her training at Le Jean’s Beauty School. She met and married the love of her life, Burl Dean Riddles, Jr., on June 10, 1956. The family grew with the birth of another son, Charley, and addition of step-daughter Billie.

After closing her shop Marie enjoyed being a fulltime mom and homemaker. She never wavered from the young girl who enjoyed keeping a beautiful home, gardens, and was a wonderful cook. The family enjoyed many years of living throughout the United States as they traveled for Burl’s job, exploring new sites, scenery, and food together. The most important thing to Marie was family. Marie and Burl returned to Duncan to retire in 1982. After Burl’s passing Marie continued to live by herself for 17 more years until she moved to Canoe Brook Assisted Living. She made many new friends and enjoyed playing bingo, dominoes, and cards until her health restricted her.

Marie was preceded in death by her husband Burl, her parents, father-In-law and mother-In-law Burl Sr and Mattie Riddles, 3 brothers, and 6 sisters. Survivors include: son Brent and wife Susan Riddles of Thurmont, MD, step-daughter Billie Riddles Kilgore of Lafayette, LA, and son Charley and wife Nancy Riddles of Duncan, OK, grandsons Joe Bill Rouse of Taylorsville, MS, Jimmy Kilgore of Taylorsville, MS, Chad Riddles of Durango, CO, and Cameron Riddles of Sherman Oaks, CA, sister Emily Inez (Calvert) Middleton of Nevada, MO, sister-in-law Nila (Riddles) Michalicka of Union City, OK, and special friend and in-law Joe Kaiser of Duncan, OK.

The family wishes to thank Dr. Harold Proctor and staff at Duncan Medical Associates and the Country Club Care Nursing Home staff. Special thanks to the entire Canoe Brook Duncan Assisted Living staff for 8 years of love, care, and friendship and to the Health Watch Home Care Team for your personal care.

Online condolences can be made at www.whittfh.com.


 

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