Elizabeth Hipple Humphreys, 88, of Reading, died of natural causes at her home on Saturday, May 24. Born in Lancaster, PA, on March 12, 1915, Elizabeth was the daughter of the late Attorney John Alfred Hipple and the late Esther Matilda Brown Hipple, both of Lancaster. Elizabeth met Frank Merlin Humphreys of Lancaster while they were attending the Lancaster Girls and Boys High Schools. They were married on August 27, 1938, at the home of Elizabeth's parents in Mt. Joy, PA. Frank died on August, 26, 2002, one day before the couple's 64th wedding anniversary. Elizabeth received her B.A. in English from Temple University in 1937. She simultaneously studied art at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Elizabeth taught English at the Junior High School and High School levels for many years, in the Mt. Joy, Chester, Shillington, and Governor Mifflin school districts. Elizabeth and Frank moved to the Reading, PA, area in 1950, and raised their four daughters in a beautiful renovated barn on Mt. View Road in Grill, PA. Elizabeth was very active in the Parent Teacher Association at Farview Elementary School in Kenhorst, PA, and was President of the Governor Mifflin Coalition for Better Schools. This group was instrumental in making the final decisions about the the Governor Mifflin Senior High School building. She was the first to break the ground in the ceremony which launched the construction in 1955. Elizabeth was also active in other volunteer organizations, including The Literacy Council of Reading and the Historic Preservation Trust of Berks County. Surviving are three daughters, eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. A fourth daughter, Linda Lewis, wife of Richard Reed of Novato, CA, died in June, 2002. A memorial service will be held on Sunday, June 1, at 12:30 p.m. at Calvary Reformed Church of the United Church of Christ, 640 Centre Avenue, Reading. Greeting by the family and a reception will follow the service.

(Reading Eagle-5/26/2007)