Delphine Kipp

Delphine Emma Kipp passed away Tuesday, April 26, at Samaritan Hospice in Mount Holly, at age 100, a milestone she never expected to reach since her mother, Elisabeth (Randerman), who migrated from Bremerhaven, Germany at age 17 with a cousin and uncle, died a young 36 when Delphine was just nine. Delphine was predeceased by her husband Tillman and oldest son Earl. Her death was caused by aggressive pancreatic cancer diagnosed a week prior to her death. Delphine and her older brother Felix Olsommer (deceased) were born in Promised Land, Greentown, Pa, to Edward and Elisabeth Olsommer. Her birthdate: September 12, 1915. Her father owned a farm of several hundred acres and the children were expected to help. Tasks included picking stones from a field to put on a horse driven “sled” and unloading them for stone walls at the fields’ edge. She milked cows, fed the chickens, walked the horses to the lake for water, and remembered at age 11 making a pancake breakfast for “rich Philadelphians” vacationing during summer months or hunting season in their eight bedroom house. The barn on the property still stands, restored by a recent owner. Survivors include her daughters Doris Alaimo (Richard), of Mount Holly and Louise Walden of Cheyenne, Wyo.; sons Bob (Judy) of Mount Holly and Jack (friend Shirley) of Burlington as well as granddaughters Becky Kipp, Donna Tate, Lisa Bowen and Jackie Barber and grandsons Brian, Leigh (Jen) and Miles (Sue) Powell and Jesse Kipp plus great grandchildren (Brian, Casey, Paige, Avery, Henry, Madison, Miles, Teagan, Makayla, McKenzie, Ronnie, Zachary, Kyle, Jessica and David); great great granchildren Zayden, Talon, Brennen, Alexis, Gavin, Chloe and Mila; nieces Helen (John) Leahey of Ormond Beach, Fla.; Esther (Jerry) Clarke of Michigan, Judy (John) O’Donnel of Shippensburg, Pa.; nephews Donald (Janet) Olsommer of Moscow, Pa and George (Ethel) McKerrow , Leon (Sally) McKerrow of Freedom, NY; cousin Dr. Klaus Ventzke (Dr. Kea) of Bremen, Germany. A woman of strong opinion and faith, she never missed Sunday church services until recent years and enjoyed getting together with her "Forever Young" friends. A homemaker who completely enjoyed time with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, she never lost interest in their activities. She was the conduit for family updates and when asked at her 100th birthday party what she considered the greatest invention in her lifetime, she said the cellphone. Her favorite president was Ronald Reagan. A telling glimpse of her personality: the first time she voted she was driven to the polls by an uncle who told her who to vote for “but when I got in the booth I voted for the person I wanted.” Blind for the last nine months of her life, and still in her home, she listened to television news to keep up to date with world and local happenings and continued her daily Bible reading by having her special caregiver Catherine Adjon read requested chapters. An order to her longtime doctor, Dr. Charles Kastenberg, whom she loved to go see: “You can’t retire until I die.” When she was 60, she took an adult school class to learn to crochet. She enjoyed gardening, watching birds and was thrilled if she saw hummingbirds. Canning and making jam, a necessity when she was growing up, was a special talent. Her jarred peaches and tomatoes were so perfectly arranged they resembled works of art and were valued as gifts by family. She loved “going berrying” to pick strawberries and blueberries into her early 90’s, and those occasions were the only time she wore pants instead of a skirt or dress. Visitation will be 2-4 Sunday afternoon, May 1, at Perinchief Chapels, 438 High St., in Mount Holly followed by a service there at 4PM. Burial will be private on Monday May 2. Contributions may be made to Covenant Church, 528 Main St., Lumberton, NJ 08048 or the Salvation Army. (Always worried about families who didn’t have enough healthy food, it would make her especially happy if you personally helped a needy family. Buy a bag of groceries and say, “This is from Delphine.” )

Delphine Kipp

September 12, 1915 - April 26, 2016