Dorothy Ann Trippler 1927 - 2020

Dorothy Trippler left this world Monday night, March 16, 2020. In conversations we had before she left us, she knew that Grandma and Papa were patiently waiting for her up in Heaven. I smiled and told her that I knew Grandma was making her famous cinnamon rolls and was anxious to share them with her, and Papa was excited to show her the garden he was creating for her to see. One of the sayings she loved so much was “Footprints,” and at one moment when she knew her time was close she told me she only saw one set of footprints, and that made her smile.

Mom came to live with me, her daughter, Carol Ann Macy-Stroup, and her grandchildren, Greg and Katyanna “Katya” Macy, in 1997. We shared many great times together. She was a woman of great faith and loved her friends and family beyond words. My adopted sister Marci in Brookings, Oregon, shared how Mom brought sunshine and joy and love to everyone….her talents and creativity and passion with life were all freely and generously shared … and strangers were not strangers for long.

She loved playing her guitar for visitors, and one of the things she loved to do was call friends and family and sing "Happy Birthday" to them on their special day. In 2011, all of us were blessed with the addition of my husband, Dean Stroup. Knowing Mom since we were kids in sixth grade brought a special love to him from Mom. One of the many things she loved was her bedroom. Through her bedroom windows she had a chance to see all the birds, squirrels, birdhouses and feeders Dean put up. A loving thank you goes out to Greg, who freely spent time sitting with her and sharing his school moments and art projects. Also a special loving hug goes out to Katya, who made sure she fixed the majority of her meals and answered phone calls for her and loved her beyond words. And to Dean for spending many loving moments sitting and talking with her and looking at the pictures in her collection and doing a special blessed healing ceremony for her before she passed on. In the last moments of her life, Dean and I checked on her comfort level about every 10 minutes and were with her as she drew her last breath. The next morning, flowers arrived from another adopted sister, Emily Ann in Kentucky, with a note saying “Let the party begin!” How appropriate: that would have been the way Mom felt!

Mom was born December 2, 1927, in Avon, South Dakota. At a very young age, Grandma, Papa, Mom and her brother Art moved to Tangent, Oregon. In 1941, Mom had her own radio show on KWIL in Albany, Oregon. She played the guitar and was known as “Little Dot & the Wyoming Drifters." In 1942, they moved to Portland, Oregon. In 1943, she attended Girls Poly High School, graduating with honors as student body president in January of 1947. In June of 1948, she married Jack Biggs. They divorced in 1958. In September 1959, she became a dental assistant and retired in 1977 when she met her husband, John Trippler. She moved to McMinnville, Oregon, in 1997 to live with us after John passed away.

Mom is survived by her son, Ron and Pam Biggs of Lafayette, Oregon; and her step-son, Bob and Paulette Trippler of Ivins, Utah. She has also been blessed with many loving cousins, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and even became a great-great-grandma in 2016! She was preceded in death by her mom, Anna; dad, John; and brother, Arthur Kroeneke.

I know Mom would want to give a special thank you to her close doctors, Dr. Ted Nyquist, our family doctor, and his loving staff; Dr. Derek Rains, our orthopedic surgeon; Dr. Ryan Griffiths, her kidney doctor; and Dr. Wayne Hurty, her heart doctor.

In addition, Dean would drive us to Salem for her appointment with Advanced Vascular Therapy. She loved that trip over the Salem ferry and through the hop fields, remembering when her family picked hops years ago and when the workers would take their lunch break she would play the guitar and sing to them all.

When she arrived at the therapy office, she loved being greeted by Dr. Roseborough with a big smile and a shake of her hand. In addition, she loved each and every staff member. In October, when her health was going downhill quickly, the staff told her they looked forward to seeing her in the new year. She loved them and worked hard to make it to the January appointment. When she arrived, several of the staff came out to her and gave her hugs! A special thank you goes out to David, who we referred to as my son and her grandson, who showed great love and care to her while doing her CT scan work.

Last, but certainly not least, involves the staff at Fresenius Dialysis here in McMinnville that she went to see three times a week. All of them showed such loving care and thoughtful attention. That also goes for the patients who she shared dialysis with who became a part of her family.
All of you are thanked not only from Mom, but from her family, too!

Mom will be cremated and placed in Grandma’s gravesite at Skyline Memorial Gardens in Portland, Oregon. One thing Mom requested is that she did not want a funeral or service. She wanted everyone to take a moment in a loving, quiet place and remember how much she loved you all! I ran across a beautiful saying, "If tears could build a stairway and memories were a lane…We would walk right up to heaven and bring you back again!" God speed, Mom…..we will remember and love you…..until we meet again!