CLARENCE "NICK" LE ROY SHIPLEY
By Bonnie Shipley Anderson and notes of Brenda Hoopes Shipley
Clarence Leroy Shipley was born August 11, 1903, to Joseph Anderton Shipley and Frances
Hill in the family home in American Fork, Utah, where the city library stands today. He
was the tallest and youngest child of eight, three brothers and four sisters, Flora,
Alice, Joseph Raymond, Erma, Warren "A", Adrian James, Naomia, and then Dad. The
family called him Tatsie when he was small and later he acquired the name Nick.
At the age of two his two oldest sisters, Flora and Alice, died of Diphtheria within days of each other. Dad never came down with Diphtheria in fact he never had any childhood diseases nor a bee sting or mosquito bite. He would give Ticks a ride home to find a place to embed into Moma or one of the children. Adrian died one year later. The rest of the children lived to be adults.
Dad was raised in the American Fork and Salt Lake City areas. When the family moved to Salt Lake City from American Fork, they bought a red brick house with a shoe shop on the lot next to the street. The address was 840 North Temple Street. They ran the shop for many years and Daddy worked in the shop when they needed him, otherwise he found other things to do. Dad said he never liked working with the shoes when a youth.
One of his childhood memories that stayed with him all his life was of his home burning to the ground in the middle of the night and the panic of waking everyone up and getting out alive. Where ever he moved to after that he had to check the bedroom windows to make sure there was an easy way to get out. He was always cautious about electrical appliances and heating devices too.
One lesson Dad learned the hard way was to obey his father. He was told to not ride a particular horse. He did anyway and it resulted in him getting bucked off and suffering a very sore body and pain in his right hip. He couldn't tell anyone about the injury because he had disobeyed so it became his secret. A few days later the pain started to go away and so he thought he was safe in not telling anyone. When he was older he suffered a lot from pain in his right hip which he felt resulted from disregarding his father’s counsel.
Bonnie asked her Dad if American Fort, (really American Fork), was ever attacked by wild Indians while he was growing up. His answer was the only wild Indian he ever saw was an intoxicated one who came into his school room and scared the teacher, the children, and himself half to death. She asked him if he rode in a horse and buggy and he said yes and told her about the first time he saw a automobile. He was on the street and heard a loud explosion sound that frightened the horses and all the people. People were running off the street and children were crying and running for their parents. Soon this "creature" came into view blowing smoke and making loud noises. He ran all the way home and hid under his mother's bed. Another story about modern inventions he enjoyed telling was about his first time seeing an airplane in flight.
Dad left home at the tender age of thirteen. He didn't enjoy the shoe repair business and his mother believed he should be out making a living on his own. He did continue to help out when he was needed in the shop.
At the age of seventeen, December 5, 1921, in Farmington Utah he married Thelma Rebecca Reid. November 28, 1925, the young couple became parents of a precious baby girl and named her Shirley Mae. Shirley was born in Los Angeles, California. This marriage ended in divorce sometime later.
The Shipley family moved slowly one or two members at a time until they were all relocated from Salt Lake City Utah to the Los Angeles California area.
Dad worked at buying, hauling, and peddling fruit in his
early years. He would go all over California, Montana, Idaho, Arizona, and Utah. One of
his favorite stories to tell about this occupation was his experiences with the rich and
famous of Beverly Hills, California. Instead of going to the servants door in the rear of
the mansions like tradesmen should of, he would go right up to the front door and ring the
bell. When the butler would answer the door wearing white gloves and carrying his silver
name card tray, Dad would instantly put a very polished apple on the tray and say,
"Please take this to the Lady of the house." As long as the butler couldn't slam
the door in his face or tell him to go to the back entrance first, the butler had to take
it to her. This invariably meant a sale, where as the cook would usually say no preferring
to buy from someone she knew. Dad made many friendships during his peddling days and kept
the friendships through the years.
Another period of his life he enjoyed telling about was
riding the "rails" during the Depression. He told stories of living in Hobo
villages and the magnificent outdoors. Going all over the country and seeing different
places was an adventure in itself for him. He met the King of the Hobo's one time
somewhere in Utah and to his death would never reveal the place. He had quite a lot of
incidents to tell of this time and not all of them pleasant. He saw a man murdered and a
few times the camps were attacked or burned by well meaning, upstanding citizens of the
surrounding towns. As long as I lived at home I was never surprised to come home and find
a rolled up pack on the back porch and there would be a new face around for a day or week
or month until the train whistle got to sweet sounding for the guest to stay any longer.
One never knew when to expect them to show up or leave. Dad always had a warm supper, bed,
and a clean, warm place in the garage or back porch and a hair cut for anyone needing
them.
Daddy always cut the Negro shoeshine man's hair because no one else in town would do it. He would bring him home for supper and a hair cut at least once a month. The first time he brought him home Daddy sent the children to bed right after supper because they wouldn't stop staring at the guest and he was starting to act nervous. That turned into being a big mistake because soon as they got to their room they began to verbalize their questions and thoughts of the first black man they had seen at least up close. There were comments about if he was black all over. Would the clippers be able to cut his steel wool hair? All of this conversation came up through the heating vent and was magnified some way. Daddy said he never cut anyone's hair as fast as he cut his and drove him like a madman to his house to return home before his little brood went to sleep. There was no sleep until he made it very clear to each child not to talk about any individual negatively again.
Dad met Madge Gertrude Holst Davies in California and they were married in Salt Lake City, Utah on August 1, 1938. Madge had a three year old daughter, Clare Ann Davies. Clare used the Shipley name for many years and always called him Dad. She took very good care of Dad from the time Mom and him were divorced in 13 August 1966, (Rexburg, Madison County, Idaho), until his death. June 8, 1939, their home was blessed with a baby boy they named Jack Joseph Shipley. Jack was born in the LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah. Four years later in Los Angeles, California on October 20 , 1942, a daughter joined the family and they named her Bonnie Madge Shipley.
The family had moved back to the LA area because of World War II. Dad was about ready to be sent to Alaska to work on the railroad for the defense effort. He preferred working as a painter at the Willington Boat Works and living with his family.
In July of 1943, Mom and the children returned to
Idaho Falls, Idaho and Dad later joined them. Dad went to work as a Brakeman for
te Union Pacific Rail Road. He got fired when he told the Engineer to start the
train and they left an important man in Pocatello, Idaho. Dad had a hard time
working the Night Shift. He also worked at Snowball's in Idaho Falls but soon
went to work at Youngren's Shoe Shop for Olaf
and Sophie Youngren and worked for them off and on until 1956.
The family bought a small
house on Elmore Street in Idaho Falls about 1944 or 45. It seemed the little family was
starting to settle down. In 1947 Grant Bowen moved his family Faye Joyce his wife and
children Buddy and Linda, into a trailer on Dad's property and Grant went to work at Youngren's
after getting out of the Navy. Faye Joyce was the oldest daughter of Moma’s sister Erma.
Faye Joyce lived with us when she was a young girl so she could work in Idaho
Falls at the Kress's Five and Dime. I believe this
is when the close relationship between Dad and the Bowen's started. Right before
retirement Dad worked for Grant in his shoe repair shop in Rexburg, Idaho. Dad spent many
happy times working, hunting and fishing with Grant, Bud and Steve Bowen.
Christmas Eve 1947 found the family back in Los Angeles staying with Frances and William Wisdom, Dad’s niece and her husband. Dad went to work as a painter for Helms Bakery and the family lived for a short time in Compton and then moved into a duplex next door to his niece Irene Fassbinder Christensen and her son Dennis Lyle Christensen. Better known as Dennis the Menace. They lived in front of Dad’s sister Naomia Shipley Fassbinder Brown and her husband Henry (Frank) Franklin Brown’s home on 78th Street between Broadway and Figerola . "Fannie" Frances Hill Shipley, Dad’s mother, was living with Aunt Naomia and Uncle Frank. She was about 82 years old blind and confined to her chair from the results of a broken hip and old age. The family saw a different gentleness and patience in Dad that they hadn't noticed before, when he was caring for his mother and helping her to bed or to her chair.
Weekends found the Shipleys out at the Redondo Beach or some other beach the majority of Sundays. Mom and the children on the shore, busy building sand castles and playing in the waves. Dad always on the pier fishing for the big one. He had quit fishing off the shore years before when he helped land an startling catch. He was fishing when the man next to him had caught something obviously large And he asked Dad for help to pull it in. It was quite a catch being over one hundred pounds. The capture was a dead man who had been in the water for sometime and had many nibbles out of him. The Redondo pier, where Dad fished - historically there have been seven piers—built, rebuilt, destroyed and dismantled in the last 100 hundred years. We also visited Long Beach and Huntington Beach. I don’t remember any others.
Dad made sure each night that he came home from the bakery he had treats for the children. With our "health nut" mother there wasn't any sugary treats around the house. We waited and watched for him most nights to see what treasures and stories he had that night. He would tell us what our goodies had been for when we received them they were a little crumbled but very delicious.
In 1951 because of Mom’s health they moved back to Idaho Falls. She was down to about 89 pounds and was sleeping sitting straight up in a chair. Dad went back to work for the Youngrens where he had worked previously.
Sundays now found the Shipley's at one of many fishing holes. Dad would get everyone up before the sun came up and would rush to get to the river while the fishing was good! The children and Mom were left where the car was and Dad took off for parts unknown. He was concerned that the children would make noise and the big one would get away. Moma spent the day sitting in the car reading or resting in the shade of a tree. The children had great times exploring, swimming, making forts and tents, playing and just having great fun. When it got dark Mom and the children sat in the car telling stories or sleeping while waiting until very dark for Dad to return. After all he couldn't miss the good fishing at sundown. Of course it usually had been some time since the sun went down. To be fair I would have to say Dad did spend time fishing with the family and teaching the children to fish but at sometime he would disappear.
The seasons at our house were Fishing, Big Animal Hunting Season and Bird Hunting Season. Our appetites were satisfied with every kind of fish from Brook Trout to Salmon besides Bear, Elk, Deer, Antelope, Ducks, Peasants, Cottontail, and whatever could be caught, trapped or shot. Just a few of the fish Dad fished for are Lake, Brook, Brown, Cut Throat and Rainbow Trout.
The Summer before the Palisades Dam was filled Dad took his family to all his favorite fishing and hunting places to share them with his family and to see them for one last time. There is still beauty all around that area. Bear Creek - A good summer drive for viewing outstanding scenery. Parts of the road are narrow and rocky. Caution should be used when traveling. Trailer traffic is not recommended on Jensen Creek Loop road from Bear Creek to McCoy. Fall Creek - Travertine deposits a mile up the canyon graphically portray the massive geological activity which took place millions of years ago. Fall Creek Falls - Off State Highway 26 on Snake River-Palisades Dam road, the Falls spill from a height of 60 feet into the Snake River from Fall Creek over an outcropping of travertine. No developed viewing points. Palisades Reservoir - This area offers a beautiful drive, boating, fishing, and an observation point from which to view the lake, dam, spillway, and powerhouse. Skyline Road - Provides a scenic summer drive from Fall creek to the Brockman area with a view of the Snake River Mountains and the Tetons. Pickup or 4-wheel drive vehicles recommended. Travertine Springs - A lukewarm sulphur spring located three miles up Fall Creek above Fall Creek Falls. Upper Palisades Lake - A beautiful high mountain lake worth the seven mile hike up Palisades Creek east of State Highway 26. Offers good fishing. Closed to all motorized vehicle use. Travel Plan maps available. Waterfall Canyon - Scenic waterfall located 3 miles from Upper Palisades lake in Waterfall Canyon will make the hike worthwhile. Closed to all motorized vehicle use.
It was hard for Dad when the children got older and wanted to do other things then go fishing. They couldn't understand why he cared being he always disappeared. It was just another case of the communication gap that happens in some families. Dad thought he was sharing his loves with the children even though he wasn't with them all of the time. He did share it with them by making it available to them.
He bought his own shoe sales and repair store at Shelley Idaho in 1956. The family lived behind the shoe shop for about a year and then moved into a home South of Shelley in the country.
Bonnie had a cat named Pinkie that she got from her Aunt Erma’s farm and it soon adopted Dad. Dad had claimed for years he hated cats but very soon he had Pinkie coming when he whistled and guarding the shop when he went next door to visit his friend the barber. She would sit on the counter by the cash register when someone came in ignoring them unless they came towards the cash register. Then she would leap up and growl at them and hiss or if they tried to open a shoe box she would attack them by wrapping her front paws around their arm and biting and scratching with her hind feet. As you see he never needed to lock the shop when he went visiting. He let her take sun naps in the shop display windows and could be found talking to her daily. Of course only when he thought no one was listening. Pinkie's favorite place to sit was on Dad's sewing table. She was fascinated by the needle going up and down. When Pinkie had her babies Dad would put them all in the shop window when school let out and wait for the children to pick one out. He always required a note from their parents and kept a waiting list for one of Pinkie's kittens. When Pinkie died he took her and buried her in the back yard. Usually he would just dump the dead animal but that wasn’t good enough for Pinkie.
In 1958, the Shipleys moved back to Idaho Falls where Dad went to work at the Broadway Shoe Repair Shop leasing the repair portion. Mom didn’t like the drive to her job in Idaho Falls in the Winter time from South of Shelley.
Since working for Youngren's Dad had a reputation for making orthopedic inserts for shoes. People came from all over South Eastern Idaho to have him make inserts for them. It took a lot of time and effort with most of the job being made by hand.
June 8, 1949, Dad became a grandfather for the first time. Shirley and her husband, John, became parents of a baby boy they named Jon Todd Hensley. Mitzi came along on July 4, 1954. In 1961, Dad was blessed with three additional grandchildren in a nine month period of time. Bonnie and her husband, Lewis Brent Fletcher gave birth to Michael Brent on February 17, 1961. Jack and Patricia gave birth to Blaine Jack Shipley on June 30, 1961. Clare and Dallas were blessed with the arrival of a 18 month old little doll which they named Deborah Lynn Short. Dad told Bonnie that his children had to quit having babies because Mom and him couldn't take anymore of the excitement that had gone on for the past 9 months. That isn't what happened, Kenneth L. Fletcher was born September 4, 1963, Jerry Dee Short came to Clare's house at the tender age of a few days old, Corinna H. Shipley born October 23, 1969, Veronica H. Shipley born September 12, 1973, Charlotte H. Shipley born September 28, 1977, Ryan LeRoy Shipley born December 26, 1978, Jeanine H. Shipley born July 13, 1981 and Peggy H. Shipley born on July 11, 1983. Jakob Joseph Anderson born February l0, 1977 and delivered to Bonnie and Charles in October 1980 and his sister Mary Christina born December 25, 1978, and delivered to the Andersons in October 1980, thus ending the arrival of grandchildren. Then came the great grandchildren. First born was Nathan Heuer born November 27, 1979, and James Christian Hartwell born September 29, 1982, to Debbie Short. Jessica Marie Short was born June 2, 1992, and Braedon Dee Short born June 22, 1995 to Jerry and Susan Short. (Hailey Ann was born 25 Sep 1996 after Daddy passed away. He would of loved her so much.)
Dad lived for over 20 years with his life time friend Pat Young. They shared a house on North Water Avenue in Idaho Falls. When Pat got too sick to take care of himself Dad went to live in a Retirement Apartment in Rigby, Jefferson, Idaho. He wanted to be close to Earl Gardner his long time friend and brother-in-law.
On September 12, 1990, Dad married Clara Lambert. They never went anywhere but they still kind of eloped in the sense they didn't let their children know of their plans. In December of 1991, the marriage was annulled. Clara still continued to do what she could for Dad until his health deteriorated and he needed to be under medical care 24 hours a day and went to live in the Valley Care Nursing Center in Idaho Falls.
One of Dad’s legs started to go out in the late 80 's. He went to the Doctor many times wanting a solution and use of his leg back. Finally the Doctor told him he would just have to face the fact that leg was over 80 years old and wore out. He looked the doctor straight in the face and said, "Well what about the other leg it still works and it’s over 80 years old too?". The young doctor was left speechless.
Saturday morning, February 19, 1994, when the Aides came in to feed Dad breakfast, he told them he didn't need to eat because he was going to die today. He didn’t but he did die about 28 hours later on February 20, 1994, at l2:00 Noon and he hadn’t ate since his announcement.
Dad was preceded in death by his grandson Jon Todd Hensley who died April 5, 1986, in Salt Lake City, Utah and his parents and all his brothers and sisters and brother and sister-in-laws and all his friends that we know of.
Dad took his fishing and driving license with him and I feel certain he is checking out all the fishing holes to take us to when we join him.
Check back later for some of Dad’s hunting experiences.
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