Laura Elizabeth Britt 1926 - 2021

Mrs. Laura Elizabeth (Raines) Britt passed away Monday evening, March 8, 2021, at her McMinnville, Oregon, residence, surrounded by her three daughters and granddaughter. She was 94.

Born May 7, 1926, in Sheridan, Oregon, Elizabeth was the only daughter of Emmett Allen Raines, a farmer, and Mary Florence (Brown) Raines, a homemaker. Elizabeth joined brothers, Allen, age 12, and Paul, age 8, to complete the Raines family. She attended school in Sheridan, becoming engaged to Warren Britt during her senior year of high school. They wed on August 2, 1945, and, adding courtship to marriage, remained a loving and loyal couple for 70 years before Warren passed in March of 2015.

Elizabeth’s family reaped benefits from all she learned growing up on a farm. Liz’s canning, freezing and organizing skills added to Warren’s gardening, hunting and fishing bounties, resulting in one of the tastiest diets around.

The banking industry was fortunate to employ Elizabeth for most of her career – at the First National Bank in Sheridan, which later became US National Bank. With only a few short breaks to have children, Elizabeth finally retired in 1989 from US Bank in McMinnville after 40 years of service.

She enjoyed traveling with her family and visiting with immediate and extended family at large and small gatherings. Her epic photo albums and scrapbooks lovingly memorialized her family’s adventures, growing pains, celebrations (as well as some rather regrettable clothing and hairstyles). In 1982, Elizabeth caught the genealogy bug and was able to do extensive work in tracing both Raines and Britt ancestry, adding to the precious family history and records she leaves behind.

The outdoors, nature and travel were cherished by the Britts, as long as they were able to drive, fly or ride a bus, even if it was just an hour’s drive through the local hills. In 1970, Warren and Elizabeth took a “honeymoon” to Hawaii in celebration of their 25th wedding anniversary. They fell in love with the Islands, returning three more times together over the ensuing years.

Elizabeth was immensely proud of all her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She made sure family gatherings were an important part of life growing up: picnics, reunions, game nights, overnighters with cousins, holiday parties, celebrations. Grandma Lizzie loved playing cards and dominoes. Rumor has it that her “winning is everything” mindset was passed on to every child, grandchild and great-grandchild. With countless road trips, vacations, beach and day trips added to the mix, the Britt adventures and gatherings brought Liz and Warren’s entire family closer to one another and to their beautiful outdoors.

While Elizabeth was somewhat reserved, or shy, she loved her friends and family deeply, and she cared about the world, its people and events. As life slowed down, she enjoyed reading and often had multiple stacks of books from the local library. She worked jigsaw and word puzzles, played cards, collected music boxes. She followed politics and was eager (and proud) to vote in November 2020. One can only imagine what it was like to witness almost 95 years of human progress and change in a single lifetime, but Elizabeth did so with openness, tolerance and grace. By her own words, the faith in God she shared with Warren, their church activities and personal contributions, and friendships forged therein, helped her through many of life’s lows, highs and challenges. After Warren passed in 2015, Elizabeth so looked forward to the day she would join him with their Lord in Heaven. May they rejoice together, now and forever.

Liz was organized and preferred a routine; she knew what she wanted, when and how. She could be stubborn and even impatient if life (or you) did not timely cooperate. But that just made you love her more, because if you knew Liz, you also knew that she put others’ care and needs way out in front for as long as she humanly could. Even longer. She was a loving wife, caregiver, mom, second mom, grandmother, friend, confidant. She will be missed by so, so many.

Elizabeth was predeceased by husband, Warren Britt; brothers, Allen and Paul Raines; son-in-law, Calvin Kilmer; and grandson, Lance Kilmer. She is survived by daughter, Linda (Don) Hevener of McMinnville, daughter, Mary Lou (Patrick Brock) Kilmer of Albany, and daughter, Shelly (Randy Rodacker) Corrias of Lincoln City; granddaughter, Leann McCormick; grandsons, Christopher (Amy) Ries, and Corey (Adrienne) Ries, grandson, Brian Hevener; and seven great-grandchildren, Laney, Nathan, Austin, Devon, Inara, Orion and Emma Elizabeth.

Services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, October 7, 2022, at the Chapel of Macy & Son, McMinnville. To leave online condolences, please visit www.macyandson.com

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