She married James Ripley on 3 September 1857 in Amherst, Nova Scotia. The 1881 census listed husband James, wife Dorothy, and children C Allison, J Hilliard, G Rupert, Anna, and John W Ripley. She died on 16 April 1882 in Chignecto, Cumberland, NS, and is buried in the Nappan, Cumberland Methodist cemetery. Her tombstone has the full name as above, so maiden name may have been Smith.