SHADE AND FLOWERS ON NICUT - The Reip House

(01/28/2024)
Vada Reip Davis, 91, died at Espyville, Pennsylvania, on December 29, 2007, selling the family homestead and remarrying. She is buried at the Reip Cemetery at Nicut.

By Bob Weaver 2001

The Reip house on Nicut Road is a notable structure, particularly with its beautiful shade trees, numerous gardens and green lawns. It was built by Warden Mollohan about 1914, who was married to Erma Reip. "Much of the material came from Sears and Roebuck," said Vada Reip, widow of Dalton Reip who died in 1977.

Stately Reip house built in 1915

Evelyn Weber (L) house guest and Vada Reip (R) admire flowers

Vada is proud of her ten-room house and its surroundings. At age 85 she carefully works several bountiful flower gardens close to the house. "I use to have a big garden and do a lot of canning," she said, but the vegetable patch is now small. She is assisted by Evelyn Weber, a long-term house guest who came to live with the Reip family 29 years ago.

Vada was the daughter of Curt Parsons. She married Dalton in 1933, one of the eight children of Ira and Mary Belle Price. In earlier years Dalton had an oxen team and worked with oil and gas, but mostly he farmed. They purchased the house from the family in 1952.

Ira and Mary Belle Price Reip "hang on wall"

Dalton and Vada Parsons Reip shortly after marriage in 1933

The Reip Boys (L to R) Dalton, Manfred, Ira and Hobert. Not shown the four girls, Emma Mollohan, Edna Gordon, Jessie Wyge and Ora Pearl Groves

"I have lived here in this nice place nearly my whole life," she said. "It has been hard to keep up at times." The original property had 389 acres, but much of the land has been sold and the huge old barn has been torn down.

"All four of my kids were raised here," she said, speaking of Dalton, Jr. and Robert Blaine Reip and daughters, Emma Jean Conley and Deloris Hersman.

During the Sunday visit, Vada sat on the large porch recalling life with her husband and telling humorous stories about life on Nicut.

Backyard garden with gazebo

Shade trees and grass surround house

Vada's country kitchen

A cool place on a hot Sunday