VERO AT 100
LIVING HISTORY
TRIPSON FAMILY
Waldo’s original homestead is now part of an events venue called Waldo’s
Secret Garden. In the background is the house Waldo built for the family of
his daughter Barbara Tripson.
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children,·· he is reported to have told the 7ripsons. ´,·m not
going to raise yours.··
7hus, he immediately started to build a house for Barbara
and -ohn net door. 7he four 7ripson children grew up with
their grandparents living Must a few feet away and the 7ripson
dairy operations almost as close.
´, would go over in the morning and 3apa would maNe
me a Melly omelet,·· recalled granddaughter Logan 7ripson
*eeslin. ´He was basically retired at the time. He·d sit in his
garage and sand and paint things. :hen it·s your grandfather,
you Nnow he loves you and you don·t have any sense of
what other people Nnow about him.··
*eeslin said :aldo was more than a netdoor neighbor.
'uring her senior year of high school, she rememberd
being surprised when she received an acceptance letter
from 0acalester &ollege in 0innesota, even though she had
never applied. ´, had never heard of 0acalester and how
all my stuͿ had been submitted,·· she said. ,t turned out her
grandfather had submitted the application, including the
entrance essay.
:hile 0arN 7ripson loved and admired his grandfather, he
also saw :aldo·s darNer side and believes some of his issues
were related to drinNing. ´He epected people to be ¶-ohnny on
the Spot· and do what he wanted and sometimes he could be
mean. He wanted you to succeed liNe he did. He·d get you up
in the morning at o·clocN and say, ¶'on·t let the sun catch you
sleeping in bed.· He was rough and ready. He was frontier.··
0arN 7ripson and wife, Hildie, ended up buying :aldo·s
home in . Advocates for historic preservation, the two
have made few changes to both houses, with both appearing
as they might in the days of :aldo. ,n true :aldo entrepreneurial
fashion, the 7ripsons today run the property ³
Nnown as :aldo·s Secret *arden ³ as a venue for weddings
and other large events.
Across State 5oad , 0arN·s cousin, Sean, continues to oversee
the cattle ranch founded by :aldo and taNen over by 5alph.
Sean runs 7reasure HammocN 5anch along with son, 0iNe.
5andy·s son, 5andy -r., has transitioned the family·s grove
business into a palm nursery while youngest son, Bobby, is a
founder of 1atalie·s 2rchid ,sland -uice &ompany.
NEW DISCOVERIES
:aldo had his hand in so many enterprises that his various
proMects still pop up today, surprising his heirs. >>