Betty Hixson

Betty Droge Hixson
July 30, 1925 - Nov. 18, 2017
Betty Droge Hixson passed away on November 18, 2017 in Bethel, CT. Betty will be missed by all who knew her, but her life is the wonderful story of an intelligent, hard working, beautiful and selfless woman who left her family and friends with an inspiring legacy of lifelong learning, curiosity and adventure.
Like many of her childhood friends in Brooklyn, Betty's story begins with immigrant parents and the American Dream. Karl Droge, later to become Betty's father, arrived in New York City in 1906 at the ripe old age of 16 on a steam ship bound from Bremerhaven, Germany. Karl returned to Germany immediately after the First World War with the sole mission of keeping his pledge to marry Betty Meyer from the neighboring village of Neuenwalde. The couple returned to the U.S. and moved into a small apartment in Greenpoint before settling in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Karl and Betty founded and operated a thriving ice cream business. Soon, they were the proud parents of a son and daughter, also named Karl and Betty.
Betty grew up admiring her older brother Karl as he served in the Merchant Marines in World War II, attended Cornell as an engineering student and eventually went on to run the family ice cream business. Betty, excelling as a student in New York's excellent public schools, went on to graduate second in her class at Bay Ridge Girls High School, attend Concordia College, receive a B.A. summa cum laude from Valparaiso University and then a B.S. from Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing. Long before these accomplishments, her proud parents had renamed a simple, classic ice cream dish (with requisite wooden spoon) enjoyed by thousands of New York City school children and Karl Droge customers as the "Betty Cup."
While at Johns Hopkins, Betty married Ph.D. student Norman Kretzmann. They soon welcomed the arrival of a baby girl, Anita Kretzmann. Betty and Norman eventually parted ways. Norman went on to Chair the Philosophy Department at Cornell University and Betty entered the field of Nursing at Lennox Hill Hospital in New York City, where she later met her second husband, Joseph Hixson. Betty, Joe, Anita and newly arrived Justin, moved from the East Village to Bethel, just across the street from what is now the Holbrook Farm. Sarah and Mark soon became the newest members of the household. Thus, Betty established the family home where she raised her four children and lived for nearly 50 years. During their marriage, Joe commuted to New York from West Redding and worked as a science reporter for the New York Herald Tribune. Visits by Joe's children, Judy, John, Kate and Ned, were always a source of happiness for Betty.
After her marriage to Joe ended, Betty raised her children on her own, somehow juggling her professional and parental commitments without missing a beat. Betty continued her nursing career at Ridgebury Elementary School in Ridgefield. This allowed her to take full advantage of summer vacations and travel extensively with her children, sharing with them her love for exploration and discovery. With a station wagon and a tent, Betty traveled with her children to Acadia National Park, the Grand Canyon, Cape Hatteras and Montauk Point. They also traveled to Neuenwalde, retracing a trip Betty made at the age of eight. Without fail, even when confronted with the never ending chores facing a single mother, Betty made sure her children understood that life was full of possibilities and encouraged them to pursue their dreams. Her intellectual curiosity and wide ranging interests fueled Betty's lifelong love of reading and conversation. It sometimes seemed she knew something about everything.
Her nursing career continued in a number of other roles until her retirement, during which Betty served as a literacy volunteer for newly arrived immigrants, traveled with family, and attended Elderhostel retreats. As recently as May, she enjoyed time in the Adirondacks with her family and boating on Schroon Lake. She enjoyed sharing recollections of her youth with her family, and was particularly fond of telling the story of when in her early twenties she met Eleanor Roosevelt in Hyde Park. Betty remained an avid reader and continued to make new friends into her 90s. She was a parishioner of St. Paul's Lutheran Church where she enjoyed attending Bible study classes. Betty felt particularly blessed as grandmother ("Oma") to Lauren, Ethan, Edward and Matthew.
The story has a comforting ending: Betty passed away peacefully with family at her side after a brief period of decline. Betty leaves behind friends and family who will forever remember and be inspired by this remarkable woman.
Betty is survived by daughter Anita Kretzmann and her partner Steve Falis; son Justin Hixson and his wife Tara Hixson; daughter Sarah Hixson; son Mark Hixson and wife Angela Ross-Hixson, as well as her loving grandchildren Lauren, Ethan, Edward and Matthew; her nieces Carolyn and Margaret Droge, and Joe's children.
A memorial service will be held at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, 44 Spring Street, Danbury, CT, on Saturday, December 9, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Dorothy Day Hospitality House, 11 Spring Street, Danbury, CT 06810 are appreciated.