I met Mrs. Dorothy May (Shipp) Colby in 2000- when she was 87 years old. She would often eat at The Mint Café and my family and I started visiting with her. She knew hundreds of stories about the old west, her family and living in a world different then now. You could say simpler, yet all her stories were full of details & life. If she even repeated a story (which didn’t happen too often) the names, dates, places & events would stay exactly the same.
She loved music & in a town of 3000 there weren’t many show’s but when there were she was there. We shared a love of old old songs and I loved it when she was in the audience so I could do one or two. She would sit in the back & sing along with me. (no one else knew what I was singing about but we did) She enjoyed singing, but didn’t sing very often citing that she wasn’t anywhere near as good of a singer as she used to be. But I remember one time having her over at our home & I convinced her to sing & after a bit of coxing she taught me her version of ‘The Wreck of the ’97’ in the purest soprano I have heard. It was like listening to a 1920’s phonograph record.
But back to her stories, growing up with cowboys & Indians, the water wars, horseback riding, the depression, working, moving 58 times, her marriage to her husband Elmer, them going out dancing together, raising her children, working and love . A rich exciting life back when things were simpler yet not simple.
One day I was sitting with the guitar and something she had said came to me. She told me once, “I still wake up every morning and I turn over and reach out to say hello to my husband Elmer. I expect him to be there.” When she told me that he had been gone for 12 years. That so touched and spoke to me, that is a true love.
Which got me thinking, wishing perhaps sometimes life could be like that. And I ended up writing a song. ‘Simple Kind of Love’ is a song for her holding all my fondest memories of her & her life- I had the great honor of performing it for the first time live with her in the audience as a surprise. I did explain to her later that not everything in the song was exact (she was married for more than 50 years, Elmer has been gone longer then 3) but she said waving her finger at me, “Don’t you dare change one word of that song. It’s beautiful.” That honest & praise from her was humbling. Then it became the title cut on my debut CD. ‘Simple Kind of Love’ summed up what I wanted my music to be about.
Well sadly she passed on last week. Yes she did get to hear her song finished, and I got to give her a copy of the CD (and a CD player to play it with- her first.) and I so enjoyed spending time with her.
Now I didn’t know this but one of her requests was if I could make it up to sing her song for her at her service she would enjoy that but she didn’t want me to feel obligated if it was to much of a bother to come (that is the selflessness of this lady) Her daughter Lois was kind enough to ask me again with no obligations. Touched & honored, doesn’t even begin to describe how I felt and still do feel. Her service was today and I was able to attend and get to sing for her one last time. Thank goodness for airplanes and fair weather. I will miss her and I am ever thankful for the impact she has made on my life, and I thank her for giving me a real chance to say goodbye.
Mrs. Colby this song is for you and will always be. Thank you for the love, support, stories, letting us feel like part of your family and showing that love can be uncomplicated, simple and true.
Simple Kind of Love
By Lacie Madison
She hears the music play, and slowly closes her eyes,
She’s in the back but I’m watching so I see,
That she still wears the ring, she wore for 50 years
Plus the 3 that he’s been gone yet she still has her memories.
Ain’t it funny, how it takes you back in time.
Back to the place she’s dreaming of.
And how I wish that she could go back again.
Back to a simple kind of love.
Where there were drive in shows, and dancing was an art,
And having friends not lovers was okay.
And playing with someone’s heart, was wrong and not a right,
And when you fell in love you were there to stay.
Ain’t it funny, how it takes you back in time.
Back to the place I’m dreaming of.
And how I wish that she could go back again.
Back to a simple kind of love.
Now all I have to know, about the life she lived back then,
Is by watching the old movies playing on my TV.
And yet I sometimes wish, that that had been my life,
Where love and living was simple as could be.
Ain’t it funny, how it takes you back in time.
Back to the place I’m dreaming of.
And how I wish that I could go back again.
Back to a simple kind of love.
She hears the music play, and slowly closes her eyes,
She’s in the back but I’m watching so I see.
In memory of Mrs. Dorothy May (Shipp) Colby.
January 11th, 1913 to January 23rd, 2009
Love always,
-Lacie
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