To those of you who may not know the story of Ellis Reynolds Shipp, she came across the plains as a child with her father and mother. Their first home was in Pleasant Grove. Her mother passed away, her father remarried. They later moved to Mt. Pleasant. Everyone who knew her knew she had a great gift. She learned fast, remembered everything. She was obviously very intelligent. When Brigham Young came to Mt. Pleasant for a conference, he asked to meet with this young girl. After visiting with her a short while, he invited her to live in the Lion House with his family where she could get the best education possible here in the Utah Territory. She prayed about it and worried some about leaving her father. Her father encouraged her to go to Salt Lake and take advantage of Brigham Young's offer. She was tutored with the children of Brigham Young. One of her tutors was Karl Maeser. She later married Milford Shipp and ultimately gave birth to ten children. Four of those children died in infancy. Milford had entered into polygamy and married four more wives. Brigham Young announced that women would be sent east for training as doctors so that they could return to Utah and serve as physicians. Ellis left her children with her sister wives and went to Philadelphia to study medicine. After three years, she returned home and set up her medical practice in Salt Lake. During her career she delivered more than 5,000 babies. She also served on the Relief Society General Board. Amongst everything else she accomplished in her life, she wrote a book of poetry entitled "Life Lines". As you read the poem below, she mentions the fort, the mill, school days, and dances with candle light. Many of these memories I am sure were of our own dear Mt. Pleasant! The Daughters of Utah Pioneers honored her this month of October with a story. We are proud to call her one of our own. You can read more of her life here!
What blessed days! log cabin days!
Near sixty years ago,---
When by the firelight's ruddy haze,
Our cheeks were all aglow!
And youthful hearts were bounding high
With hope and guileless cheer,
For down fell snowflakes from the sky,
And holidays were near!
Fond memories so brightly come,
Like beams of radiant light---
Oh, there was some one coming
To greet me Christmas night;
Some one, who months and months ago,
had sailed across the sea,
Returning with his mission done,
Now coming home to me!
What pretty dreams of pleasant sport,
Of coasting down the hill,
Of sleigh-rides to the old town fort,
And skating by the mill;
Of spelling schools to show our might
In education's lore,
The dance at early candle light,
And payments at the door.
A tallow dip it was, perchance,
Or produce from the farm
Secured the ticket for the dance
Thus adding to its charm.
For very oft our lot had been
To dance by sage-brush blaze.
While feet kept time to violin,
In dear, old frontier days!
Thou good, old days! dear, youthful days!
of coarse and homely fare,
Pure, simple life-more simple ways
In joy finds no compare!
When Father tilled and mother sewed
And bravely met each fate,
Together bore lif's heavy load,
Through early hours and late!
For those they loved, 'twas joy to toil,
No struggle seemed too great,
They gained their substance from the soil,
and learned in faith to wait.
'Twas God sustained them day by day---
His light had led them there---
He was their strength, and staff, and stay,
Through every changing year!
Sweet, dear, old days! romantic days!
Of beauty, love and truth,
Now long since fitted from my gaze,
O dear, old days of youth!
When under fond and sheltering wing,
We knew but love's caress,
What sacred bliss those mem'ries bring---
Parental tenderness!
Parental wisdom, too, was brought
To guide each youthful mind,
Then truth and honesty were taught,
Life's choicest pearls to find;
O Guileless days!dear, good, old days!
They'll ne'er forgotten be!
They ever will attract the gaze
Of our fond memory!
Ellis Reynolds Shipp
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