Bette Jo Colonius, 68, of Salem, passed away Aug. 28, 2019. She was born on April 24, 1951, in St. Louis, Mo., the daughter of Robert Eugene and Christine Joyce Simino Tripp.
Mrs. Colonius moved from St. Louis to Licking in 2000 where she started working at the South Central Correctional Center. Bette was always a special, loving and hardworking lady. Family meant everything to Bette and she would do anything for them. She experienced a stroke and heart attack in 2016 and barely made it through, so her family liked to say those were her “bonus years.” She enjoyed playing bingo and loved coming to St. Louis and visiting her mother and family. She was a marathon shopper and shopped until she dropped. She also loved animals of all kinds.
She is survived by her daughters, Angela Colonius and Tammy Colonius; mother, Christine Tripp; fiancé, Eldon Flett, whom she met at the correctional center and engaged since 2001; sisters, Rhonda Sanders, Lisa Haas and Vicky Desmond; brother, Dennis Tripp; two grandchildren and a great-granddaughter and many nieces and nephews.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Lee Colonius; a grandson and father, Robert Tripp.
A funeral service is 3 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 4, at Fox Funeral Home, 128 S. Main St., Licking, with the Rev. Darius Wentz officiating. Visitation is two hours prior to the service. Interment follows at Licking Cemetery. Arrangements entrusted to Fox Funeral Home. Online condolences may be left at www.foxfh.net.