Katherine Tripp

Katherine Marie Tripp, (née Hogan), age 87, of Norwood, Missouri, passed away peacefully in her sleep on Tuesday, July 4, 2023, in her home. Katherine was born August 22, 1935, in the bustling, steel town of Granite City, Illinois, to John Henry and Mary Gulema (Hogan) Singer. She lived in that area for about 62 years. She graduated from Granite City High School where she received the very first Art award. She was introduced to her beloved sweetheart, Melvin Edward Tripp, by a neighbor and lifetime friend, George Brimm. Katherine and Melvin were married in her parents’ home, and they lived in Granite City for 39 years where they raised two daughters, Valerie and Lisa.

She worked as a secretary in education for most of her career and she retired as school secretary from Maryville Elementary in 1997. The family attended Bethel Chapel Pentecostal Church faithfully where she also served as church secretary for many years. In 1997, she and Melvin moved to Norwood, Missouri, where this shy, city born lady adapted very well to country living.

Katherine loved to play the piano. She also played the accordion and saxophone, and she had a beautiful voice. She enjoyed scrapbooking all the photos that Melvin took, and she sewed, crocheted and gardened. She loved to help people and she was passionate about ‘going to church’. In her last months, as she struggled with dementia, she still never forgot church and would ask almost every day if there was church today. When we would tell her “Not today.” She would shake her head in disbelief and say, “what’s wrong with them that they aren’t having church today?”

She adored her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Katherine and Melvin enjoyed many days on their little country acreage with their family and they attended Highway of Holiness Church in Macomb, Missouri, which is pastored by her son-in-law, Rev. Mark Hutson. Katherine loved the Lord, read her Bible faithfully, and was very proud of the fact that she read it through entirely at least 41 times in her lifetime.

She is predeceased by the love of her life, Melvin, who passed in 2013, her parents, John and Gulema, her brothers, Leroy and Freddie, and her sister, Faye Collins.

She is survived by her two daughters, Valerie Dawn Cox and her husband, Steve, of Norwood, Missouri, and Lisa Ann Hutson and her husband, Mark of Macomb, Missouri, her grandchildren, Bethany Cox and Kristen (Cox) Whited, both of Norwood, Missouri, Shawn and Davina Cox and Matthew and Anna Hutson all of Macomb, Missouri, Tommy and Andrea (Hutson) Hammond, of Vidor, Texas, Jonathan and Hannah Hutson of Catoosa, Oklahoma, and Jared and Shalae Hutson, of Paden, Oklahoma, and finally the pride and joy of her last years, her fifteen great-grandchildren, Olivia, Ian, Wyatt, Addilynn, Dannika, Paisley, Tripp, Sawyer, Wade, Grant, Libby, Reese, Rogan, Andrew and Kane, her sisters-in-law, Patrice Tripp and Geraldine Singer. She is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and other family members and friends.

The family would like to express their sincere gratitude to the members of Intrepid, especially Bernetta Williams and to Cammie Lathrom and to her granddaughter, Kristen. Their dedication and effort to provide quality care over the last months was a heartwarming blessing to the entire family. We thank God for the gift of Katherine’s life and the blessing of the time we spent with her.