HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Elisabeth P. Hanscom, formerly of Sanford, died May 18, 2024, in Huntsville, Ala., after a long illness. Shed had been in hospice in her own home for many months. She was 69.

Beth, as everyone called her, was a veteran of the first Gulf War and served over in Saudi Arabia, in 1991. Prior to that, she was a Disbursing Clerk in the U.S. Navy and was stationed in Washington, D.C., and Rota, Spain.

Beth was born in Portland, and was given up for adoption. She was adopted by Ward and Nancy Hanscom of Sanford, and grew up with their son, Stephen Hanscom. She lived in Sanford most of her early years. She played some sports in high school, was a member of the Glee Club and Drama Club, and helped with the yearbook for several years. During summers, she attended the Luther Gulick Camps in Raymond, first as a young camper and then as a counselor. She spent time at her families summer cottage on Square Pond. She went on several trips with her parents to Europe and one high school trip to Spain.

After high school, she attended Queens College in Charlotte, N.C., took some other courses at the University of Maine in Portland and Machias. She joined the Navy several years later where she became a distributing clerk. She married Lester Sitton and had one child while in Washington, D.C., a daughter, Heather and another daughter, Jennifer, while stationed in Rota, Spain. She got out of the Navy while in Spain and upon returning to Sanford, while convinced to re-up, she joined the Naval Reserves in Portland. During that time, Beth was activated for the first Gulf War. She spent several months over Saudi Arabia in 1991, returned home and got out of service. She remained in Sanford for many years, raising two girls, then ended up with a divorce. She was very active with the local YMCA swim team as well as Sanford High swim team, doing stats, creating awards, and running the timing system. After both her girls graduated high school, she traveled to Florida to live, where she worked for Lowes, then on to Virginia Beach where she worked at Lowes but left to take care of her first grandchild.

Over the next several years, she moved to Huntsville, Ala., worked at Home Depot in the garden center and after both of her parents died in 2011, quit her job and began making handmade greeting card and selling them on Etsy for several years. She moved from Huntsville to Oak Grove, Ala., where she became sick and was put on disability through the state of Alabama. After a couple of years and not getting any better, she moved back to the Huntsville area. She then became sicker and sicker, ending up in hospice, at home, where she spent her last months. Creating cards and goodies from paper was her true passion, but unfortunately was not able to continue doing it because of her illnesses.

Beth is survived by a daughter, Heather Baker of Hazel Green, Ala., and two grandchildren, Zoe and Aiden Baker, and an ex-son-in-law; a daughter, Jennifer Howton of Loxley, Ala., her husband Black and two children, Emily and Bobby; a brother, Stephen Hanscom, of Rockland, many cousins, aunts and uncles and because she was adopted, two blood relatives, a brother, James Cole of New Hampshire and sister, Florence Ricker of Florida.

Due to Beth cremating her body, there will be no service or memorial for her. Instead, when her ashes are returned to her daughter, Jenny, in Loxley, there will be a gathering for family members where her ashes will be thrown out into the ocean, into the Gulf of Mexico.

“A Sailor belongs to the Sea, so that is where I will rest for my eternity.”

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