MINOT — Candi Gilpatric could not sit back and do nothing when her friend Eda Tripp started having medical problems but needed to put together Thanksgiving baskets for those in the community who needed help.

Tripp, who has put together gift and food baskets for Minot families for 18 years, died Dec. 11 after a battle with cancer.

Among a long list of town duties, Tripp was a selectwoman for 18 years, chairwoman of the board of assessors, a member of the school board for two years, election clerk for more than 38 years and director of general assistance.

Gilpatric was a longtime friend of Tripp’s and had worked with her in several capacities. She is chairwoman of the planning board and the election warden.

With Tripp’s health declining in November, Gilpatric offered to help with the Thanksgiving baskets.

“She was reluctant to give up control but eventually let me help,” Gilpatric said.

She did 10 baskets for Thanksgiving, but Tripp was still very involved.

With Tripp’s death, producing the Christmas baskets fell to Gilpatric. She said Tripp’s death drives her to keep it going and to do it right.

“Her son said we always have to be on our toes (because) she’s always going to be watching over us,” Gilpatric said. “She didn’t take second best, so I’m trying to follow in her shoes the best I can.”

With help from her mother, Constance Benwitz, and various members of the community, this year there are 11 boxes for elderly couples and 14 family boxes.

“We call ourselves ‘Eda’s Elves,’” Gilpatric said.

She uses numbers on the boxes instead of names, so people helping will not know who it is for.

“Eda’s thing was always protecting the privacy of people,” Gilpatric said.

She said they had more than 500 pounds of food donated, including hams, canned corn and green beans, boxes of stuffing and squashes donated from Flaherty’s Farm and Maple Store.

“This is quite a giving town,” Gilpatric said.

She said a previous resident of Minot who now works at Big Lots dropped off boxes of toys to be given as gifts, and Minot Consolidated School held a food drive.

The students also drew pictures on brown bags to make festive gift bags. Donated toys included Play-Doh, stuffed animals, Barbies, action figures and even some porcelain dolls.

The older couples will receive gifts with their boxes, too, Gilpatric said.

Minot Hebron Athletic Association donated money, which was used to buy coats and gloves.

Teachers from Minot Consolidated School also sponsored some families on top of all of the gifts and food collected.

“It’s amazing how the community came together,” Gilpatric said. “This is a small town taking care of their people.”

Brittany Hemond and Sarah Robinson heard about the undertaking and wanted to help.

“They came in Monday and helped fill all the boxes and bags,” Gilpatric said. “They took the mission on wonderfully. I couldn’t have done it without them.”

She said so much goes into putting all of this together that she has been living and breathing it.

Gilpatric said that because she knows many of the families, she wants to make it perfect.

“The families are very appreciative of the help,” she said. “Some people who Eda helped spoke at her service last week to say how much she’d helped them and how thankful they were.”

Gilpatric had delivered three baskets by Monday afternoon and was hoping to finish by Tuesday night.

The town will continue the tradition next year. However, Gilpatric said, the effort will probably fall to the selectperson who works with general assistance. 

“But I’ll help out,” she said.

Candi Gilpatric, center, hands her mother, Constance Benwitz, a note card with information about a family that will receive a food box as Gilpatric, Benwitz, Sarah Robinson, right, and Brittany Hemond pack boxes with food at the Minot Town Office on Monday. The volunteers filled boxes with donated food for 14 families and 11 older couples who could use a hand this holiday season. (Daryn Slover/Sun Journal)

Students from Minot Consolidated School decorated bags that donated gifts were put in for children in need. (Daryn Slover/Sun Journal)

A picture of Eda Tripp hangs on the wall at the Minot Town Office. Tripp had overseen the care boxes at Thanksgiving and Christmas for 18 years until she died on Dec. 11. (Daryn Slover/Sun Journal)

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