Betty Lee (Peterson) Prince (1924 - 1999)

Born 10 Sep 1924 in Duxbury, Massachusetts

Ancestors

Wife of Earl Wesley Hipple — married 22 Oct 1948 in Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania

Died 20 Apr 1999 at age 74 in South Paris, Maine

Problems/Questions Profile manager: AL Wellman [send private message]

Biography

Betty Lee was adopted at birth by her unmarried mother's brother John Peterson and his wife Evelyn; and her Massachusetts birth record indicates they are her birth parents.

Betty Lee married Earl Wesley Hipple (1922-1988) at Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania, on 22 October 1948. While separated from Earl, she became pregnant by an extramarital relationship; and her son born about 1951 was adopted shortly after birth.

After divorcing Earl Hipple, Betty Lee was the second wife of Richard Cooper Prince (1921-1979).

Betty Lee's mother Emily outlived Betty Lee. Emily pretended Betty Lee was her niece while providing both emotional and financial support through the difficult times in her daughter's life. Betty Lee's inability to conceive children with her first husband had been a factor in their separation and later divorce. Betty Lee was past her optimum childbearing years at the time of her second marriage. After giving up her only child for adoption, Betty Lee remembered his birthday for the rest of her life, and it was invariably marked by sadness that she was unaware of his circumstances.

Unfortunately, the author of this narrative is unable to recall more than the approximate date of birth of Betty Lee's son. Both Betty Lee and her mother Emily were of an era when they felt socially obligated to conceal the identity of the fathers of their children. As DNA testing has become more available for the families of adopted children to explore their genetic ancestry, the author has published his recollections in the hope his distant cousins may have an opportunity to realize the love of their grandmothers and understand the circumstances of their separation.

Sources

• First-hand information provided during interviews with her cousin AL Wellman