Vivian Hatter

April 14, 1916, Gearline Vivian Brewster was born. You know her as Vivian Hatter, but most call her “Miss Hatter”. For everyone that have had the pleasure of knowing our mother, you know that she has always been full of fun and loved helping people. Vivian went home to be with her loving, Heavenly, Father on December 28, 2020. Vivian moved to Bartlesville in 1937, met and married, Phines L Hatter, and raised their four children Arthur Lee, Preston, Helen, and Shirley Kay.

Although Mrs. Hatter only had an eighth-grade education, she accomplished so many things that people are amazed when you tell them. Let’s see if we can remember them all. She and our Phines built two “rooming houses” in 1942, and she managed them. They also had two grocery stores on “7th Street, now called Adams Boulevard, operated and owned “Hatter’s Cleaners” where she also did alterations and sewing. In 1965, she attended and graduated from Troupe’s Beauty College in Tulsa and operated her own beauty shop named “Vivarene’s”. If all of this was not enough, she built/remodeled our home that is still standing on the corner of Elm Avenue and 8th Street. That’s not all of it! Oh, there is more… While doing all these things throughout the many years, she was very supportive of all activities at Douglass High School, the Greater First Baptist church, NAACP, PTA, various social clubs, and even the Bartlesville League of Women Voters. She has been honored by the Bartlesville’s Women’s Network and was featured in the 1997 issue of their magazine Tap Roots. By the way…did I mention that in her 80s, she taught herself how to type? Up until sometime this year, she played Spades and Solitaire games on her own computer.

During her later years, “Miss Hatter” lived with her oldest daughter Helen in Colorado, and charmed and made people happy there like she did here in Bartlesville. Up until recently, at the age of 104, Miss Hatter was able to work in her flower beds, fighting Helen to do the weekly laundry and OH YES, beating anyone that came to the house in playing dominoes

which she has taught all of her grandchildren, and great grandchildren. At least five of her older grandchildren learned how to drive on her 1960 white, push button transmission, Plymouth. At 102, Helen asked mother how it feels to be 102 years old. She said, “I really can’t say since I’ve never been 102 before, but I guess God has His reasons for keeping me here so long!” We look forward to seeing her again in the promise of the Resurrection. We love you more, more, more more!