Jean Marie Black, daughter of William Mackie (1897-1950) and Mary Louise (Vansyckle) (1900-1990) Black, was born 20 July 1924, East Lansing, Ingham County, Michigan. She graduated in 1942 from Okemos High School. Jean had 5 siblings that also graduated from OHS; Ada Agnes (1941) [1923-2017], Mary Lou (1947) [1929-1991], William Mackie, Jr. (1951) [1933-2006], Margaret (1953), and Georgia Kay (1959) [1941-1999].
Lansing State Journal (Lansing, Michigan) Tuesday 9 June 1942
Jean was valedictorian of the Class of '42.
She went on to graduate from nursing school in 1945. Jean married Alfred Lenneth "Len" Britt 27 December 1944, Okemos, Ingham County.
Lansing State Journal (Lansing, Michigan) Tuesday 6 June 1944
Mr. and Mrs. William Black of Okemos announce the engagement of their daughter, Jean Marie, to Aviation Cadet Lenneth Britt, son of Mrs. June Favors of Peoria, Ill. Miss Black is attending Edward W. Sparrow hospital School of Nursing and resides at the nurses home of the hospital. Cadet Britt is stationed at Jones field, Bonham, Tex. No date has been set for the wedding.
Lansing State Journal (Lansing, Michigan) Monday 18 June 1945
An Okemos young woman is among the nurses graduating from the E. W. Sparrow nurses training school Thursday, June 21. Jean Black Britt is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Black. She graduated from Okemos high school and took a pre-hospital course at Wayne university before her training in the Lansing hospital.
Lansing State Journal (Lansing, Michigan) Wednesday 20 June 1945
SPARROW HOSPITAL NURSING SCHOOL TO GRADUATE 32 STUDENTS THRUSDAY
Thirty-two graduates of the Edward W. Sparrow hospital school of nursing will be presented with diplomas at 8 o'clock Thursday evening at commencement exercises in the Michigan Avenue Methodist church, it was revealed Wednesday.
The graduating nurses, including....Jean Marie Black Britt....
Lansing State Journal (Lansing, Michigan) Friday 5 October 1945
Lynn Britt, recently discharged from the Air Force, is continuing his studies at Michigan State college in veterinarian work. His wife, Jean Black Britt is finishing her nurses course at the Little Traverse Bay hospital.
Jean and Len celebrated 70 years and 7 children together before Len, born 24 August 1924 in Illinois, died 17 January 2015, Geauga County, Ohio. Len was a retired veterinary pathologist. Jean and Len, early in their marriage, lost a daughter, Leslee Karen (1947-1949), to leukemia.
Jean died 25 May 2018, Geauga County, Ohio. She was interred with family and daughter Leslee, Glendale Cemetery, Okemos.
