Our Lodge Mother

Ruby Lippincott

This year's Lodge Mother of the Year is Ruby Lippincott

It is with pride that I thank Malta Lodge for selecting me to be their Lodge mother.

 

The history of my life is one of a country girl.

 

I was born at the Hopewell hospital in Thermopolis, Wyoming to Jennie Mayfield Vass and Hugh Vass on May 15, 1921..

 

At the time my parents were living on the Punteney Place on Cottonwood. It was a very long trip to town with muddy roads slowing the trip. To Thermopolis - first by team and buggy to the Short Place on

North Fork and then a Model T Ford the rest of the way to Thermopolis.

 

My first summer was spent near the Sugar Loaf in the Owl Creek Mountains where my father had filed on a homestead.. We had a new log cabin to live in.

 

We lived in a sheep wagon during the fall, winter, and spring months wherever the sheep were being ranged until I was two years old.

 

My parents bought a farm on Owl Creek when I was nearly three years old. We lived there until my father's death in 1937. During that time my sister Vera and my brother Hugh were born.

 

The farm was the headquarters for their growing sheep outfit which was headquartered on Cottonwood Creek. As soon as school was out my sister, brother, and I were at the sheep camp.

 

I went to school at Belleview, Grandview, and Hamilton Dome -Žail rural one room schools. I had to board with the teacher during my first and second grade years., and we lived in small living quarters at the school.

 

I graduated from the 8th grade from Grandview. The graduation ceremony for all of the rural schools was held at the auditorium at the Thermopolis High School.

 

Now we walked about a mile to catch the high school bus. Since the bus had a stop for a high school student and stopped a short distance from the Grandview School to pick high school students, my sister and brother could ride the bus.

 

After my father died in 1937 we moved to Kirby where my father had purchased a house to make it easier for us to go to school. Vera and Hugh attended the Kirby School, and I rode the big gray miner's bus to high school in Thermopolis.

 

Later our mother sold the house in Kirby and bought a house in Thermopolis. We still spent many hours on week ends working with the sheep and tending the herder's camp.

 

In 1939 I graduated from the Thermopolis High School along with 68 classmates.

 

I attended the University of Wyoming for one year receiving an emergency war time teaching certificate.

My work experience is the following: One year teaching 2 students in a rural school; office work, Lake Washington Ship Yards, Seattle; office work Lockheed Aircraft in California; office work for Squadron B Orderly Room, Air Transport Command, Dallas, Texas; office work for Gallagher Freight Lines agent, Thermopolis, Wy, cashier-secretary for Hot Springs R.E.A., Inc. for 35 years. I had several part time jobs over the years.

 

Rudd Lippincott and I were married in 1944. Our marriage lasted 7 yeas and ended in divorce.

 

We had 3 children, Tim who is a commercial pilot, Janet who is a special education teacher, John died when he was 17, much to our sorrow and heartbreak.

 

I became a member of Vesper Chapter #19 OES in 1967 during Alice Toth's year as Worthy Matron.

 

I served as Worthy Matron during the 1979 -1980 year. Dick Walker was my Worthy Patron.

 

Over the years I hve served as Adah, Ruth, Esther, and Martha.

 

All of my Eastern Star membership has been enjoyable, and I have enjoyed the friendship and love of the Eastern Star members.

 

My step father George MacKenzie was a mason in Scotland and joined Malta Lodge in Thermopolis. My brother, Hugh Vass, is a member of Malta Lodge,. My son, Tim Lippincot, is a member of Malta Lodge and is a Past Master.

 

My sister, Vera Baird, and my mother, Jennie MacKenzie, were Eastern Star members. My sister in law, Mary Sue Vass, is a member of Vesper Chapter #19, DES.