Obituary of RICHIE EDWIN BRITTLE MINISTER, DIES AT AGE 87 (headline) Richmond Times-Dispatch (VA) - June 26, 1991 The Rev. Richie Edwin Brittle, a Southside minister who performed more than 5,000 weddings and conducted more than 5,000 funerals, died Monday night at the Franklin Nursing Home. He was 87. Dr. Brittle began his ministry in 1928 and served at the Cypress Chapel in Suffolk for 21 years, at the Bethlehem Christian Church in Suffolk for 38 years and at the Hunterdale United Church of Christ in Franklin for 33 years. He also served at the Eure Christian Church in Eure, N.C., Burton's Grove Christian Church in Wakefield, Union Christian Church in Dendron, New Lebanon Christian Church in Elberon and the Waverly Christian Church in Waverly. In 1979, Dr. Brittle received the First Citizen Award from the Franklin Business and Professional Women's Club. The Progressive Farmer's Magazine named him the rural minister of the year for Virginia in 1952. A graduate of Elon College, Dr. Brittle also attended Emory University and Vanderbilt University. He received his Doctorate of Divinity from Elon in 1957. Dr. Brittle served for 10 years on the board of trustees of the Elon Home for Children at Elon College. He also served on the board of trustees of Patrick Henry Hospital in Denbigh. He was a member of the McAllister Masonic Lodge 185 AF&AM and of the Hunterdale Ruritan Club. He was the widower of Agnes Riddick Brittle. He is survived by a son, R. Edwin Brittle Jr. of Franklin; a daughter, Martha B. Wilkins of Fort Lee; a sister, Dorothy B. Edwards of Chesapeake; and a brother, Gibert C. Brittle of Wakefield. A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday at Bethlehem Christian Church in Suffolk. Burial will be in the Holly Lawn Cemetery, also in Suffolk. Memorial donations may be made to the Richie Edwin Brittle and Agnes R. Brittle Scholarship Fund at Elon College. Edition: Two Star Page: B-2 Copyright (c) 1991 Richmond Newspapers, Inc. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ––– Narrative Summary of the Obituary ––– Rev. Richie Edwin Brittle, a Southside Virginia minister who served multiple Christian churches and received several honors, died on 24 Jun 1991 at age 87 in Franklin, Virginia. A funeral service was held for Rev. Richie Edwin Brittle at 2 p.m. on 27 Jun 1991 at Bethlehem Christian Church in Suffolk, followed by burial in Holly Lawn Cemetery, Suffolk, Virginia. ––– Transcript ––– RICHIE EDWIN BRITTLE MINISTER, DIES AT AGE 87 The Rev. Richie Edwin Brittle, a Southside minister who performed more than 5,000 weddings and conducted more than 5,000 funerals, died Monday night at the Franklin Nursing Home. He was 87. Dr. Brittle began his ministry in 1928 and served at the Cypress Chapel in Suffolk for 21 years, at the Bethlehem Christian Church in Suffolk for 38 years and at the Hunterdale United Church of Christ in Franklin for 33 years. He also served at the Eure Christian Church in Eure, N.C., Burton's Grove Christian Church in Wakefield, Union Christian Church in Dendron, New Lebanon Christian Church in Elberon and the Waverly Christian Church in Waverly. In 1979, Dr. Brittle received the First Citizen Award from the Franklin Business and Professional Women's Club. The Progressive Farmer's Magazine named him the rural minister of the year for Virginia in 1952. A graduate of Elon College, Dr. Brittle also attended Emory University and Vanderbilt University. He received his Doctorate of Divinity from Elon in 1957. Dr. Brittle served for 10 years on the board of trustees of the Elon Home for Children at Elon College. He also served on the board of trustees of Patrick Henry Hospital in Denbigh. He was a member of the McAllister Masonic Lodge 185 AF&AM and of the Hunterdale Ruritan Club. He was the widower of Agnes Riddick Brittle. He is survived by a son, R. Edwin Brittle Jr. of Franklin; a daughter, Martha B. Wilkins of Fort Lee; a sister, Dorothy B. Edwards of Chesapeake; and a brother, Gibert C. Brittle of Wakefield. A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday [27 June 1991] at Bethlehem Christian Church in Suffolk. Burial will be in the Holly Lawn Cemetery, also in Suffolk. Memorial donations may be made to the Richie Edwin Brittle and Agnes R. Brittle Scholarship Fund at Elon College. ––– Vital Statistics ––– |-----------------------------------------------------------------| | Name | Richie Edwin Brittle | | Age | 87 | | Birth | 1904 (estimated); Unknown | | Death | 24 June 1991; Franklin Nursing Home, Franklin, Virginia | |-----------------------------------------------------------------| ––– Table of Relationships ––– |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | Name | Relationship | Residence | | Richie Edwin Brittle | Decedent | Franklin, Virginia | | Agnes Riddick Brittle | Predeceased spouse | Unknown | | R. Edwin Brittle Jr. | Son | Franklin, Virginia | | Martha B. Wilkins | Daughter | Fort Lee, Virginia | | Dorothy B. Edwards | Sister | Chesapeake, Virginia | | Gibert C. Brittle | Brother | Wakefield, Virginia | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| ––– Publication Details ––– |------------------------------------| | Field | Value | | Location | Richmond, Virginia | | Name | Richmond Times-Dispatch | | Date | 26 June 1991 | | Edition | Two Star | | Section | B | | Page | B-2 | |------------------------------------| ––– Other Relevant Information ––– • Southside minister who performed more than 5,000 weddings and more than 5,000 funerals. • Served Cypress Chapel in Suffolk for 21 years. • Served Bethlehem Christian Church in Suffolk for 38 years. • Served Hunterdale United Church of Christ in Franklin for 33 years. • Also served churches in Eure, North Carolina; Wakefield; Dendron; Elberon; and Waverly. • Received First Citizen Award from the Franklin Business and Professional Women's Club in 1979. • Named rural minister of the year for Virginia by The Progressive Farmer's Magazine in 1952. • Graduate of Elon College; also attended Emory University and Vanderbilt University. • Received Doctorate of Divinity from Elon College in 1957. • Served on the board of trustees of the Elon Home for Children at Elon College for 10 years. • Served on the board of trustees of Patrick Henry Hospital in Denbigh. • Member of McAllister Masonic Lodge 185 AF&AM. • Member of Hunterdale Ruritan Club. • His spouse's birth name was Agnes Riddick. 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