Elizabeth Tripses

Elizabeth Tripses, 87, passed peacefully at home on December 29, 2013.

She was born January 17, 1926 in  Kansas City, Missouri.  She attended Central High School and then attended Kansas City University (later rename University of Missouri at Kansas City), receiving  Bachelors of Arts in Biology and Chemistry .

She married John Tripses on November 20, 1948 and was fortunate enough to share 65 years of love with him.

Elizabeth worked in Polio research and the University of Kansas in the early 1950’s and then quit to become a fulltime mother. In later years, when her children were grown, she went to work for the Imco Container Company as a Quality Control Analyst. She received certification from the American Society for Quality Control in the basic principles of statistical quality control.

In 1939, Elizabeth risked her own life to try to save two girls from drowning. She was successful in saving one but could not save the other. For this act of bravery, Elizabeth received the Carnegie Medal for Heroism.  Below is the notation from the Carnegie website describing the incident.

ELIZABETH FEIRING
Kansas City, Missouri

Elizabeth Feiring saved Joan H. and attempted to save Dorothy E. Doudrick from drowning, Blue Springs, Missouri, July 22, 1939. While paddling in Lake Tapawingo, Dorothy, 15, lost hold of an inflated tire tube and was submerged in water 12 feet deep 25 feet from the bank. Joan, 13, got hold of her, but neither could swim, and they were submerged several times. Elizabeth, 14, schoolgirl, rapidly swam 70 feet and took hold of Joan, who released Dorothy and threw her arms onto Elizabeth’s shoulders. The three girls were submerged, Elizabeth freed herself and rose, pulling Joan to the surface. She swam towing Joan to wadable water. She then swam 22 feet, dived, got hold of Dorothy, and pulled her to the surface, but she lost her hold; and Dorothy sank. She was greatly fatigued and swam 20 feet and then was aided to the bank. Both her shoulders were somewhat injured. Dorothy was drowned. 39096-3233

Elizabeth is preceded in death by her parents, Elmer and Eleanor Feiring, and her sister Georgia Horn.  She is survived by her husband, John Tripses, four children, seven grandchildren, and four great grandchildren.

Elizabeth loved life and always maintained an optimistic philosophy that situations, no matter how difficult, would come out right. She got up every morning with a smile, ready to greet the day and whatever it brought. She leaves a big footprint on many lives that cannot be filled. She was loved and will be missed.

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