The first was Elled May Ripley (1868-1940). The birth record lists George Ripley, likely her brother George W. Ripley, as informant but let's hope he was not the father. The stepfather Mekins is a possible candidate but we don't really know as the space for father is left blank. On Elled's death record, sister Violetta MacBean provides the information that George Ripley is the father. I see this fairly often in my research. The father dies early and the vulnerable daughters end up with illegitimate children. Sarah Ann seems to have made the best of the situation and done right by her girls, moving first to Amherst and then to Halifax living as a "widow". Sometimes the illegitimate children simply disappeared.
Violetta's (1871-1949) birth record lists Andrew Hunter, a Scottish labourer from Greenville, as father, the information supplied by Sarah Ann Ripley. "Widower" Andrew Hunter married Elizabeth McLellan 24 Sep 1870 and Violetta was born 1 Mar 1871 according to her birth record and 31 Mar 1869 according to her death record. In 1889, Lettie J. Ripley married William H. McBain, a telephone operator from Moncton NB. Although Lettie was apparently legally married in 1889, by the 1901 census, she was living with mother Sarah Ann Ripley and son James Mariner Ripley, born 1890, in Amherst. On Lettie's death record, daughter-in-law Freda Ripley says Lettie's father is an unknown Ripley and her mother is Sarah Meakim. So, Andrew Hunter was clearly named by Sarah Ann Ripley as Violetta's father but there's that Meakim name again. Which leads me to believe Freda is onto some secret but doesn't quite have the whole story.
When Violetta's son James Mariner Ripley marries Freda Adamore, he gives parents as Ella and William Ripley! Secrets abound. James Mariner Ripley was born in New Brunswick, and William McBain came from New Brunswick, and his mother Violetta was married to William McBain at the time, so I'm thinking his father really was William McBain. Why does James Mariner think his mother is Ella? On his death record, Freda (now going by her maiden name Adamore) supplies the information that James Mariner's parents were Railway worker William Ripley and Lettie Ripley, even though she also provided the information on the death record for Lettie McBean. It boggles the mind. James and Freda's daughter Marion V. Ripley (1920-2004) is buried with her mother in Sackville. It doesn't appear that she ever married, but who knows. Infant Crystal Lynn Lockyer, daughter of Ivan and Charlotte also appears on the marker.