1924
Betty
2016
Betty J. Hippo
April 11, 1924 — October 13, 2016
Betty Jane (Smith) Hippo, 92, passed away on October 13, 2016 at La Posada Hospice in Las Cruces, New Mexico. She was born in Juniata, Pennsylvania, April 11, 1924 to Myrtle and William Smith. She was a very wise, caring woman who had a simple faith in Jesus and is now with Him and family members but without her annoying oxygen tube.
Betty was the fifth of eleven children. She was the oldest of the girls and was depended on by her mother to care for the younger children. She felt responsible to keep in touch with her siblings even after moving to New Mexico in 1980. As she was a caregiver early in life, she never finished high school but was a very intelligent woman and was discerning in matters of life. She is survived by siblings Helen Rainey, Elma Sell (Roy) and Jerry Smith. She was predeceased by siblings Bill, Herman, Paul, Nellie, Mae, John, Jeanie.
She married Edward William Hippo June 6, 1942 and they had five children. She was employed for ten years as a dietary aide in the kitchen at Altoona Hospital before she moved in 1980 to New Mexico. She lived with her eldest daughter Pat and granddaughter Tammy. She was a big help in caring for Tammy as Pat had adopted Tammy two years prior as a single mother.
She soon became Grandma Betty to many children at University Presbyterian Church and community as she cared for small children. She loved the children and tried to get teddy bears to as many sick children as possible. Eventually during the Christmas season parents would be invited to come to the house with their babies and toddlers to enjoy the Christmas decorations, including over 400 Christmas bears, and to be photographed with the bears and receive a new bear. Her smile at those times was so delightful. As she aged some of the children held a bear adoption at the church to adopt one of her bears. They wrote precious thank you notes to her. Not only was she known to children as Grandma Betty but affectionately as the BEARLADY. She also had a greeting card ministry for many years to the shut ins at the church.
She is survived by Patricia Gail Hippo, her oldest daughter and caregiver of Las Cruces, New Mexico and her son Edwin Jesse Hippo (Nancy) of Roundlake, Illinois.
She is also survived by four grandchildren: Frederick Hippo, (Nicole), Lori Kidd (Greg), Tammy Gardner (James), and Denise Dougherty, and ten great grandchildren: Katelyn, Erin, Lauren, Morgan, Dylan, Grant, Michael, Amanda, Amber, and Haleigh.
She was predeceased by her parents, her husband Edward William (October 27, 1974) and three of their children: Edward William (1950), Deborah Jane Dougherty (2014), and William John (1975).
Graveside services will be held on Wednesday, October 19, at 11:00 am at Blair Memorial Park Chapel in Bellwood, Pennsylvania.
Betty was the fifth of eleven children. She was the oldest of the girls and was depended on by her mother to care for the younger children. She felt responsible to keep in touch with her siblings even after moving to New Mexico in 1980. As she was a caregiver early in life, she never finished high school but was a very intelligent woman and was discerning in matters of life. She is survived by siblings Helen Rainey, Elma Sell (Roy) and Jerry Smith. She was predeceased by siblings Bill, Herman, Paul, Nellie, Mae, John, Jeanie.
She married Edward William Hippo June 6, 1942 and they had five children. She was employed for ten years as a dietary aide in the kitchen at Altoona Hospital before she moved in 1980 to New Mexico. She lived with her eldest daughter Pat and granddaughter Tammy. She was a big help in caring for Tammy as Pat had adopted Tammy two years prior as a single mother.
She soon became Grandma Betty to many children at University Presbyterian Church and community as she cared for small children. She loved the children and tried to get teddy bears to as many sick children as possible. Eventually during the Christmas season parents would be invited to come to the house with their babies and toddlers to enjoy the Christmas decorations, including over 400 Christmas bears, and to be photographed with the bears and receive a new bear. Her smile at those times was so delightful. As she aged some of the children held a bear adoption at the church to adopt one of her bears. They wrote precious thank you notes to her. Not only was she known to children as Grandma Betty but affectionately as the BEARLADY. She also had a greeting card ministry for many years to the shut ins at the church.
She is survived by Patricia Gail Hippo, her oldest daughter and caregiver of Las Cruces, New Mexico and her son Edwin Jesse Hippo (Nancy) of Roundlake, Illinois.
She is also survived by four grandchildren: Frederick Hippo, (Nicole), Lori Kidd (Greg), Tammy Gardner (James), and Denise Dougherty, and ten great grandchildren: Katelyn, Erin, Lauren, Morgan, Dylan, Grant, Michael, Amanda, Amber, and Haleigh.
She was predeceased by her parents, her husband Edward William (October 27, 1974) and three of their children: Edward William (1950), Deborah Jane Dougherty (2014), and William John (1975).
Graveside services will be held on Wednesday, October 19, at 11:00 am at Blair Memorial Park Chapel in Bellwood, Pennsylvania.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Betty J. Hippo, please visit our flower store.
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