MILWAUKEE - Age 67. Called Home to Heaven on February 19, 2024.

Vernal Keith Britton Jr. entered the world on February 20,1956 to the union of Vernal Keith Britton Sr. and Jeanne Baker Britton in Milwaukee WI. He was the sixth of seven children.

Vernal spent his childhood & formative years in the company of his family, schoolmates, neighborhood friends, and Church friends. He loved sports (A TRUE PACKER FAN... GO PACK!!!), and music, his favorite band was Earth, Wind, & Fire (which he saw in concert five times!).

He was taught and learned the love of the Lord by his parents at an early age. He accepted Christ and was baptized at the early age of eight years old by Brother J.O. Williams and was a faithful member of The Central Church of Christ. He even taught the Adult Bible Class and was preaching at the age of 10! Vernal later moved his congregational membership in 1973 where he was a faithful member of Hampton Avenue Church of Christ.

He attended and graduated from West Division High School (class of 1973).

He was briefly employed by A.O. Smith and Sears but his true passion was for preaching and teaching "The Gospel".

In 1978 he followed his passion and enrolled at Southwestern Christian College where he was a member of the SWCC Chorus with an excellent tenor voice and was Secretary of the National Ministerial Fraternity of Tau Phi Kappa. Vernal graduated from Southwestern Christian College in 1978 with honors receiving a B.A. Associates Degree In Religious Education.

In the summer of 1980 he went on to secure an internship ministry at the Page Blvd. Church of Christ in St. Louis, Missouri, under the mentorship of Minister Dr. David L. Lane. Not only was Dr. Lane impressed with Vernal's ministerial skills, but because of his extraordinary talent for singing, he nick named him "The Musical Britton".

In September of 1980 Vernal enrolled at David Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee where he met his future wife, Rosalind Oates. He graduated in 1982 with a B. A. in Religious Education with a minor in Psychology.

Vernal returned to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and was gainfully employed full-time at Zen's Manufacturing for 32 years. While working at Zen's Manufacturing during the week, he commuted to Evanston, Illinois, on the weekends as The Minister for The McDaniel Street Church of Christ.

On June 23, 1984 Vernal married his college sweetheart Rosalind Oates.

In the meantime while continuing to work at Zen's Manufacturing, Vernal resigned his position as The Minister for The McDaniel Street Church of Christ and became the Assistant Minister for Hampton Ave Church of Christ from 1984-1994 and was also the facilitator of Hampton Avenue's Prison Ministry.

During that time Vernal and Rosalind became the proud parents of "Beautiful Baby Girl Faith" on November 6, 1991.

Their congregational membership was later moved, in 1994, to Brentwood Church of Christ where Vernal was a faithful member until illness would not allow him to attend worship in-person and he was later called to eternal rest on February 19, 2024.

Some of Vernal's favorite past times included spending time with family and friends, fishing, watching movies (in particular westerns and police dramas), going to a variety of concerts, travelling (especially to warm destinations), and frequenting book stores (he was a voracious reader).

Vernal was preceded in death by, his parents Vernal K. Sr. & Jeanne Britton, sisters Beverly Carter, Darlene Mosby and Marlene Avery.

Vernal is survived by his wife of 39 years Rosalind Britton, one daughter Faith (Dennis) Bynum, two sisters Sharon Reed and Vernette (Phillip) Crum all of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, one brother Kent (Traci) Britton of Greys Lake, Illinois, four sister-in-laws Carol (Carnell) Scruggs of Nashville, Tennessee, Vivian (Louis) Johnson of Jackson, Tennessee, Diane Sorrels of Lima, Ohio, and Patricia Wilkerson of Lima, Ohio, one goddaughter Santasha Lambert-Alston, and a hosts of nieces, nephews, family, and friends.

Special acknowledgement and thanks to Tim Anderson, Mike Avery, Eria Caldwell, Mark Carter, the late Johnny Chestnut, Vernette and Phillip Crum, Leroy Driver, Darlene and Darwin Gross, James Miller, Jerry Pate, Marcus and Jill Riefel , Sharon Reed, Rudy Polk, Brentwood Church of Christ, Hampton Avenue Church of Christ, the Staff of Glendale Care & Rehab, The Milwaukee Radio Group/Saga Communications Family and the Hartson Funeral Home staff.

Also thanks to all who visited or called Vernal while he resided at Glendale Care and Rehab.

There will be no funeral/memorial services.

For anyone who may have any memory photos to add with your condolences, please feel free to share them on the condolence page of the hartsonfuneralhome.com website.

Thank you and may God Bless You All.