Bettie B. Tripp

FARMINGTON – It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved mom, Bettie Black Tripp, who departed this life on April 16, 2025, at the age of 88. Daughter, wife, mother, aunt and friend will be sorely missed by all who knew her. Her smile was contagious, her wisdom profound and her kindness memorable.

Bettie was born Nov. 7, 1936, the only child of Louis Hobbs and Doris Metcalf Black. She attended schools in West Farmington and Farmington, graduating from Farmington High School, Class of 1955. After graduation she worked at Franklin County Memorial Hospital as a nurse’s aide.

On March 2, 1957, she married Leslie Cecil Tripp and moved to Chesterville. They would later have two daughters, Jennifer Lynne and Merica Anne.

She was also a member of the Union Baptist Church in Farmington Falls where she served as clerk for 35 years. Many of those years she was also privileged to be Sunday School Superintendent. In that role she was blessed to present bibles to many of the area’s children who are now grown and have children of their own.

She also held membership in the Farmington, Pomona and State Grange, the Wakefield Philathea Class where she served as Treasurer and the Chesterville Cemetery Association where she served as Clerk.

She enjoyed volunteering, planning, and hosting class reunions for the Farmington High School Class of ’55 and working in the museum at the Farmington Fair. She also enjoyed traveling every summer with her daughters. Whether it was a trip to the coast, or a week in Prince Edward Island, she was all in.

She loved to knit and crochet, always working on something and making countless afghans, mittens and delicate doilies. Many of these items were sold at craft fairs from Caribou to Wells and many places in between. A lot of good friends were made along the way. After being diagnosed with ovarian cancer a year and eight months ago, she began making hats for others where she was receiving treatment. She believed the warmth of a handmade hat, and knowing someone cared, could make a difference. It was her way of giving back and something she could offer that came from her heart.

She is survived and will be forever missed but always in our hearts by her two daughters, Jennifer Lynne and Merica Anne; five sisters-in-law; many nieces and nephews; and two special friends, Kitty Gee of Chesterville and Gloria Dunn of Temple.

She was predeceased by her mother and father; her husband, seven brothers-in-law and three sisters-in-law.

The family would like to thank the nurses, doctors and staff at Maine Health Franklin Hospital for their care and compassion during this difficult time, the nurses and staff at Franklin Hospital Cancer Care and IV Therapy and the Harold Alfond Center for Cancer Care for helping us navigate her cancer journey and North Star Ambulance EMS for always being there when we needed them.

Public graveside funeral services will be held Wednesday, June 18 at 1 p.m. at Fairview Cemetery in Farmington.

Memories can be shared with the family in Bettie’s Book of Memories at http://www.wilesrc.com. Wiles Remembrance Center of Farmington is honored to be caring for funeral services.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to:

Harold Alfond Center

for Cancer Care

P.O. Box 828

Waterville, ME 04903

give.mainegeneral.org or:

Ovarian Cancer

Research Alliance

P.O. Box 32141

New York, NY 10087

ocrahope.org