Margaret Charlotte Tripp

Margaret C. Tripp, age 104 of Hastings, Michigan died on January 11, 2023. Margaret passed peacefully in her own home where she had lived for 60 years thanks to the assistance of her devoted granddaughter, Andrea.

She was born on July 19, 1918, in Washington, D.C., the daughter of Hugo H.G. Menke and Lydia C. (Thiel) Menke. She was a 1936 graduate of McKinley High School in Washington, D.C., a 1940 graduate from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor of Science and in 1970 received a Masters' Degree in Library Science from Western Michigan University. Margaret initially worked as a Laboratory Technician at Sibley Hospital in Washington, D.C., but was not excited about spending her whole life working at Sibley Hospital. She joined the Army during World War II as a Second Lieutenant serving from 1944 to 1946. Margaret spent most of her time overseas at the Refugee Camps of El Shaat and Nuseirat in Palestine where she was assigned to a British Hospital Unit as a part of UNRA (United Nations Relief Agency). While in Palestine she traveled extensively in Palestine and to Egypt. Margaret returned and worked at W.S. Merrill Company in Cincinnati and then moved back to Maryland. She worked in a laboratory at Fort Dietrich where she met her future husband, Leonard M. Tripp. They were married July 31, 1948, and moved to Iron Mountain Michigan where Leonard took a job in the laboratory with a Veteran's Hospital. They moved to Hastings in 1962 when Leonard took a job at Pennock Hospital. In 1970 Margaret acquired her Masters' Degree in Library Science and shortly thereafter began a job as the librarian at Lakewood High School where she worked for 10 years. After retirement Margaret and Leonard traveled extensively, spending one summer working as volunteers at Sheldon Jackson College in Sitka, Alaska. Margaret volunteered at Pennock hospital for many years, as well as being a longtime member of the American Association of University Women. Margaret was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Hastings and worked for 30 years with the First Presbyterian Church annual rummage sale to raise funds for missions. Beginning in 1979 Margaret and Leonard wintered in their home on Big Pine Key in Florida.

Margaret is survived by her three sons, John L. Tripp (Leta) of Dowling, David H. Tripp (Clare) of Gun Lake, Stephen Tripp of Allegan. Margaret is survived by grandchildren, Zachary Tripp, Skyler Tripp (Lauren), Andrea Tripp, Devon Tripp and Paul D. Tripp (Margeline) and three great-grandchildren, Ollie, Henry and Nora.

She was predeceased in death by her parents, husband and her brother, Frederick Menke.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Hastings Kiwanis Southeastern Elementary Playground Fund, PO Box 38, Hastings, MI 49058.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, January 18, 2023, from 6:00 – 8:00 pm at Girrbach Funeral Home, 328 South Broadway, Hastings, Michigan 49058. A service will be held on January 19, 2023, at 11:00 o'clock at the Hastings First Presbyterian Church, 405 N. M-37 Highway, Hastings, Michigan 49058, with luncheon to follow. Arrangements by Girrbach Funeral Home, to leave an online condolence visit www.girrbachfuneralhome.net.