A Life celebration for Betty Hodge, 81, former Lawton resident, will be 10:00 a.m. Monday in the Becker Funeral Home Memorial Chapel. "Betty" Hodge, born Berta Rippl, stepped into the presence of her loving Lord and Savior on May 14, in Lancaster, PA, after a brief illness. Burial will be in the Post Cemetery, Fort Sill, under the direction of the Becker Funeral Home & Cremation Service. Betty was born in Augsburg, Germany on November 24, 1930. She was sent to live with relatives in the country during the war by her mother, Franziska Rolle-Rippl and step-father, Isidor Rippl. She worked in a dress factory in Germany after the war and came to the United States, achieving citizen status shortly after marrying James D. Hodge on June 21, 1955. After James died in 1996, Betty was the loving caregiver to his mentally-impaired sister, Jean Hodge, until her death in 2001. Betty was a homemaker, a loyal friend, as well as a loving mother, Oma and Omi. She was a long-time member of Western Hills Christian Church of Lawton where she was known as the "Candy Lady" by young and old alike. Well loved by family and friends, she was very active in her church, knew no strangers and enjoyed visiting the sick and shut-in at hospitals and nursing homes. More recently, she attended Abbeyville Road Christian Church in Lancaster where she was living with her daughter and son-in-law. Betty is survived by one son, Donald K. Hodge, husband of Sue of Lawton, and one daughter, Linda Crouch, wife of Karl, of Lancaster. She is also survived by five grandchildren: Iesha Oldham-Hodge, wife of Steve Oldham, and Patricia Hodge, both of Lawton, as well as Kelli Crouch Baughman, wife of Tom, Nikki Crouch and Caleb Crouch, all of Lancaster. Betty is also survived by five great-grandchildren: Loggan and Coltan Oldham-Hodge as well as Kiera, Landen and Leelan Baughmam. She is also survived by a sister, Hannelore Rehm of Germany. In addition to her husband, Betty was preceded in death by her parents, a set of twin brothers, Karl and Adolph Rippl and one great-grandchild, Christian Oldham-Hodge, who died in 2003. The family will be receiving visitors on Sunday, May 20, from 6:00-7:30 p.m. at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be Community Garden which works hand in hand with a local food bank to provide fresh produce as a supplement to the staples the food bank provides. Checks would be written to the Abbeyville Road Christian Church, 551 Abbeyville Road, Lancaster PA 17603.