Whenever I hear the expression “horse and buggy doctor”, Dr. O. P. Shippey comes to mind. For nearly a half century, this man made house calls, taking care of sick folks and delivering babies in all kinds of weather. This was before the days of medical insurance and government medical plans. During the years of the ”Great Depression” doctor bills were quite often settled by bartering for various commodities. A lasting example of this custom are six beautiful spruce trees along the ditchbank in front of the property where Dr. Shippey lived and had his practice many years ago. (These trees were planted as payment for delivery of twin babies born up on the Cochetopa area.)

Dr. Shippey used the kitchen table to perform surgery on a burst appendix when my mom’s sister, Eva Burch was .a young lady. Two ribs were removed during the operation to allow for drainage. My Aunt Eva told me a few years ago that Dr. Shippey had saved her life three different times down through the years!

It is remarkable what great things were accomplished in the medical field before the advent of modern drugs. Dr. Shippey died in 1942 - about the time of the miracle drugs developed during WWII.

As a boy growing up in Saguache, I remember seeing Dr. Shippey gathering grass seed along the town ditch banks in the late summer. This seed was later scattered at the family ranch east of Villa Grove.

Another fond memory of mine is of listening to this man’s beautiful bass singing voice at community events. I have been told that he was quite often asked to sing at funerals.

Before my Dad went to Fitz-simmons Army Hospital for gall bladder surgery, we often called Dr. Shippey to relieve the pain of a gall bladder attack. While waiting for the hypodermic injection to take affect, Dr. Shippey would make himself at home, almost like a family member. It wasn’t unusual to see him lift a pan lid to see what Mom was cooking on the old wood range.

The Saguache County Museum has a nice display of Dr. Shippey’s instruments, etc. and a nicely done history of his practice — thanks to Evelyn Curtis. Several hundred of us have signed in the book, showing us to be “Dr. Shippey Babies”!