Evangeline Marrs Simpson Whipple (January 15, 1857 – September 1, 1930) was an American philanthropist and author, who was known for her humanitarian activities as a member of the American Red Cross in Europe during the First World War.
Evangeline E. Thurston Marrs was born in Wayland, Massachusetts.[1] She was the only daughter born to Jane Van Poelien Marrs (1832–1906),[2] an immigrant from England, and Dana Francis Marrs (b. 1826),[a] a machinist and farmer from Ireland.[4][5][6] Her older brother was photographer Kingsmill Marrs, who married Laura Norcross (a daughter of mayor Otis Norcross).[7]
Marriages
First marriage
In 1882, Evangeline was first married to Michael Hodge Simpson (1809–1884), a wealthy cotton manufacturer from Saxonville, Massachusetts,[8] who was 48 years her senior.[5][4] As a wedding present, he gave her $1 million (equivalent to $28,079,310 in 2021) in bonds.[9] While the newlyweds went on their honeymoon in Europe, Simpson commissioned a $150,000 (equivalent to $4,211,897 in 2021) mansion to be built for Evangeline in Wayland, overlooking Dudley Pond. Local residents responded badly to their age difference however, and the couple did not end up spending much time in the mansion.[4] Simpson died of heart failure in 1884 and left an estate of $10–12 million to Evangeline.[9][5]
Second marriage
Evangeline, and her second husband, Bishop Whipple, in the late 1890s.
As a wealthy widow, Evangeline later began a relationship with Rose Cleveland, the sister of President Grover Cleveland.[10] Rose had served as her brother's White House hostess (First Lady of the United States) from 1885 to 1886 because he was not married when he took office.[11] The relationship between the women continued until Evangeline met Bishop Henry Benjamin Whipple in Florida while she was on vacation. Henry Whipple was the first bishop of Minnesota, known for advocating for Native American rights. He maintained a winter home in Florida, and founded a church in Maitland, Florida.[5] Evangeline was an "intimate friend" of Whipple's first wife Cornelia Wright Whipple, a daughter of Benjamin Wright of Jefferson County, whom he married in 1842 and who died in 1890 from injuries sustained in a railroad accident.[3]
Evangeline married the bishop in 1896,[3] moved to Minnesota, and changed her legal family name to Whipple. Henry Whipple was 36 years her senior.[5][12] She then began a period of humanitarian and philanthropy, working with her husband, a missionary for The Episcopal Church. She greatly expanded the Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour, provided the fund for the construction of the St. Mary's School for Girls, also in Faribault, and worked to improve education provided to women.
Henry died in 1901. In his honor, Evangeline commissioned several memorials to him, including the bell tower for the Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour.[12] She stayed in Minnesota following his death and continued supporting the community.[5] In 1902, she traveled to Italy with Rose Cleveland. They corresponded when apart.[13]
Italy
In 1910, Whipple left Minnesota for Italy, traveling with Cleveland, to be with her terminally ill brother Kingsmill Marrs, and never returned to the United States.[5] Whipple moved to Bagni di Lucca and the two women spent the next eight years doing philanthropic and civic work, such as building an orphanage. In recognition of their contribution to the city, Bagni di Lucca named a street after Whipple.[14][page needed] Whipple often socialized with her friends such as Nelly Erichsen in the three houses that she owned.[5]
After the onset of the Great War, both Whipple and Cleveland volunteered for the Red Cross in Italy, in addition to their friend Erichsen. During the war, Whipple also worked to address the Spanish flu pandemic and transport people displaced due to the war to Bagni di Lucca by providing humanitarian aid. Erichsen contracted Spanish influenza during the 1918 flu pandemic, and died shortly after the end of the war. Cleveland also died several days later from the flu after nursing for Erichsen.[5]
Whipple continued to travel around Europe and advocate for women's issues around the continent.[citation needed] In 1928, A Famous Corner of Tuscany written by her was published. It was dedicated to Cleveland.[5][15][16]
Death and legacy
Whipple and Cleveland's monuments, English Cemetery, Bagni di Lucca, Italy
In 1930, Evangeline fell ill while traveling in London, and died shortly after in 1930. She was buried alongside Rose Cleveland in the English Cemetery section in Bagni di Lucca.[5] In her will, she left millions of dollars to schools, churches, people, and Native American programs in Minnesota that she worked with.[5] It is believed that she gave a total of what would have been $53 million in 2013 to the St. Mary's School for Girls, now called the Shattuck-Saint Mary's.[17]
Archived at the Minnesota Historical Society is the correspondence, described as love letters, between Evangeline and Rose. It is part of the Whipple-Scandrett collection.[15]
Her influence on the Faribault, Minnesota area was portrayed in Rice County Historical Society's version of A Night at the Museum that features historical people in a 2013 event.[18] The historical society received a grant from Minnesota Historical Society in the amount of $9,800 to produce archives of Whipple's life. Tilly Laskey, who traveled to Tuscany to research Whipple's life and is considered the "premier historian" on her legacy, was expected to be commissioned to work on the project called "Hidden in Plain Sight: Recovering Evangeline Marrs Whipple’s Minnesota Story Through Archival Research."[17]
References
Notes
^According to her 1896 wedding announcement to Bishop Whipple, she was the daughter of the late Dr. Francis Marrs.[3]
Sources
^Mackenzie, George Norbury (1917). Colonial Families of the United States of America: In which is Given the History, Genealogy and Armorial Bearings of Colonial Families who Settled in the American Colonies from the Time of the Settlement of Jamestown, 13th May, 1607, to the Battle of Lexington, 19th April, 1775. Grafton Press. p. 469. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
^Dept, New Jersey Treasury (1910). Annual Report, Treasurer of the State of New Jersey ...: Report of the Joint Committee on Treasurer's Accounts and of the State Treasurer ... p. 40. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
^ abc"BISHOP WHIPPLE WEDS; The Noted Churchman United to Mrs. Evangeline Simpson" (PDF). The New York Times. October 24, 1896. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
^ abcThe Remarkable Life of Michael Simpson, Part Two(PDF), Newsletter of The Friends of Saxonville, Winter 2003, pp. 4–7, retrieved July 21, 2017
^Addison, Henry Robert; Oakes, Charles Henry; Lawson, William John; Sladen, Douglas Brooke Wheelton (1900). Who's Who 1900 | An Annual Biographical Dictionary | Fifty-Second Year of Issue. London: A. & C. Black. p. 1048. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
^"Michael Hodge Simpson". framinghamhistory.org. Framingham History Center. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
^ ab"A Successful Life". The Milan Exchange. Milan, Tennessee. December 27, 1884. p. 6. Retrieved April 8, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
^Faderman, Lillian (2012). Odd Girls and Twilight Lovers: A History of Lesbian Life in Twentieth-Century America. New York: Columbia University Press. p. 32. ISBN978-0231530743.
^"Frances Cleveland Biography :: National First Ladies' Library". www.firstladies.org. Retrieved 2019-06-20.
^ abEvangeline Marrs Simpson Whipple (1930-09-01). "Evangeline Whipple". In honor of the people. Minnesota Historical Society. Retrieved 2016-09-07.
^"First Lady Biography: Frances Cleveland / Rose Elizabeth Cleveland". The National First Ladies' Library. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
^Lillian Faderman (January 3, 2012). Odd Girls and Twilight Lovers: A History of Lesbian Life in Twentieth-Century America. Columbia University Press.
^ abKatherine A.S. Sibley (14 March 2016). A Companion to First Ladies. Wiley. p. PT519. ISBN978-1-118-73218-2.
^Mrs. Evangeline E. Marrs Whipple (1928). A Famous Corner of Tuscany. Jarrolds, limited.
^ abBoarini, Cristeta (October 17, 2013). "Three Rice County orgs receive Minnesota Historical Society grants". Southernminn.com.
^Boarini, Cristeta (2013). "'A Night at the Museum' brings history to life at the Rice County Historical Society". Southernminn.com.
Further reading
Hardy, Rob (2007). "The Passion of Rose Elizabeth Cleveland". New England Review. 28 (1): 180–193. JSTOR 40244938. - includes samples of their correspondence
Salenius, Sirpa (2014). "Life with Evangeline Whipple". Life with Evangeline Whipplel. pp. 69–83. doi:10.1057/9781137452887_5. ISBN978-1-349-49851-2.
Salenius, S. (2014). Rose Elizabeth Cleveland: First Lady and Literary Scholar. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN978-0231530743.
January 12, 2023
evangeline, marrs, whipple, evangeline, marrs, simpson, whipple, january, 1857, september, 1930, american, philanthropist, author, known, humanitarian, activities, member, american, cross, europe, during, first, world, bornevangeline, thurston, marrs, 1857, ja. Evangeline Marrs Simpson Whipple January 15 1857 September 1 1930 was an American philanthropist and author who was known for her humanitarian activities as a member of the American Red Cross in Europe during the First World War Evangeline Marrs WhippleBornEvangeline Thurston Marrs 1857 01 15 January 15 1857Wayland Massachusetts USDiedSeptember 1 1930 1930 09 01 aged 73 London EnglandKnown forPhilanthropySpouse s Michael Hodge Simpson m 1882 died 1884 wbr Henry Benjamin Whipple m 1896 died 1901 wbr PartnerRose Cleveland Contents 1 Early life 2 Marriages 2 1 First marriage 2 2 Second marriage 3 Italy 4 Death and legacy 5 References 6 Further readingEarly life EditEvangeline E Thurston Marrs was born in Wayland Massachusetts 1 She was the only daughter born to Jane Van Poelien Marrs 1832 1906 2 an immigrant from England and Dana Francis Marrs b 1826 a a machinist and farmer from Ireland 4 5 6 Her older brother was photographer Kingsmill Marrs who married Laura Norcross a daughter of mayor Otis Norcross 7 Marriages EditFirst marriage Edit In 1882 Evangeline was first married to Michael Hodge Simpson 1809 1884 a wealthy cotton manufacturer from Saxonville Massachusetts 8 who was 48 years her senior 5 4 As a wedding present he gave her 1 million equivalent to 28 079 310 in 2021 in bonds 9 While the newlyweds went on their honeymoon in Europe Simpson commissioned a 150 000 equivalent to 4 211 897 in 2021 mansion to be built for Evangeline in Wayland overlooking Dudley Pond Local residents responded badly to their age difference however and the couple did not end up spending much time in the mansion 4 Simpson died of heart failure in 1884 and left an estate of 10 12 million to Evangeline 9 5 Second marriage Edit Evangeline and her second husband Bishop Whipple in the late 1890s As a wealthy widow Evangeline later began a relationship with Rose Cleveland the sister of President Grover Cleveland 10 Rose had served as her brother s White House hostess First Lady of the United States from 1885 to 1886 because he was not married when he took office 11 The relationship between the women continued until Evangeline met Bishop Henry Benjamin Whipple in Florida while she was on vacation Henry Whipple was the first bishop of Minnesota known for advocating for Native American rights He maintained a winter home in Florida and founded a church in Maitland Florida 5 Evangeline was an intimate friend of Whipple s first wife Cornelia Wright Whipple a daughter of Benjamin Wright of Jefferson County whom he married in 1842 and who died in 1890 from injuries sustained in a railroad accident 3 Evangeline married the bishop in 1896 3 moved to Minnesota and changed her legal family name to Whipple Henry Whipple was 36 years her senior 5 12 She then began a period of humanitarian and philanthropy working with her husband a missionary for The Episcopal Church She greatly expanded the Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour provided the fund for the construction of the St Mary s School for Girls also in Faribault and worked to improve education provided to women Henry died in 1901 In his honor Evangeline commissioned several memorials to him including the bell tower for the Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour 12 She stayed in Minnesota following his death and continued supporting the community 5 In 1902 she traveled to Italy with Rose Cleveland They corresponded when apart 13 Italy EditIn 1910 Whipple left Minnesota for Italy traveling with Cleveland to be with her terminally ill brother Kingsmill Marrs and never returned to the United States 5 Whipple moved to Bagni di Lucca and the two women spent the next eight years doing philanthropic and civic work such as building an orphanage In recognition of their contribution to the city Bagni di Lucca named a street after Whipple 14 page needed Whipple often socialized with her friends such as Nelly Erichsen in the three houses that she owned 5 After the onset of the Great War both Whipple and Cleveland volunteered for the Red Cross in Italy in addition to their friend Erichsen During the war Whipple also worked to address the Spanish flu pandemic and transport people displaced due to the war to Bagni di Lucca by providing humanitarian aid Erichsen contracted Spanish influenza during the 1918 flu pandemic and died shortly after the end of the war Cleveland also died several days later from the flu after nursing for Erichsen 5 Whipple continued to travel around Europe and advocate for women s issues around the continent citation needed In 1928 A Famous Corner of Tuscany written by her was published It was dedicated to Cleveland 5 15 16 Death and legacy Edit Whipple and Cleveland s monuments English Cemetery Bagni di Lucca Italy In 1930 Evangeline fell ill while traveling in London and died shortly after in 1930 She was buried alongside Rose Cleveland in the English Cemetery section in Bagni di Lucca 5 In her will she left millions of dollars to schools churches people and Native American programs in Minnesota that she worked with 5 It is believed that she gave a total of what would have been 53 million in 2013 to the St Mary s School for Girls now called the Shattuck Saint Mary s 17 Archived at the Minnesota Historical Society is the correspondence described as love letters between Evangeline and Rose It is part of the Whipple Scandrett collection 15 Her influence on the Faribault Minnesota area was portrayed in Rice County Historical Society s version of A Night at the Museum that features historical people in a 2013 event 18 The historical society received a grant from Minnesota Historical Society in the amount of 9 800 to produce archives of Whipple s life Tilly Laskey who traveled to Tuscany to research Whipple s life and is considered the premier historian on her legacy was expected to be commissioned to work on the project called Hidden in Plain Sight Recovering Evangeline Marrs Whipple s Minnesota Story Through Archival Research 17 References EditNotes According to her 1896 wedding announcement to Bishop Whipple she was the daughter of the late Dr Francis Marrs 3 Sources Mackenzie George Norbury 1917 Colonial Families of the United States of America In which is Given the History Genealogy and Armorial Bearings of Colonial Families who Settled in the American Colonies from the Time of the Settlement of Jamestown 13th May 1607 to the Battle of Lexington 19th April 1775 Grafton Press p 469 Retrieved 1 March 2019 Dept New Jersey Treasury 1910 Annual Report Treasurer of the State of New Jersey Report of the Joint Committee on Treasurer s Accounts and of the State Treasurer p 40 Retrieved 1 March 2019 a b c BISHOP WHIPPLE WEDS The Noted Churchman United to Mrs Evangeline Simpson PDF The New York Times October 24 1896 Retrieved 1 March 2019 a b c The Remarkable Life of Michael Simpson Part Two PDF Newsletter of The Friends of Saxonville Winter 2003 pp 4 7 retrieved July 21 2017 a b c d e f g h i j k l Tilly Laskey May 26 2017 Whipple Evangeline Marrs Simpson 1857 1930 MNOPEDIA Minnesota Historical Society Retrieved July 21 2017 Addison Henry Robert Oakes Charles Henry Lawson William John Sladen Douglas Brooke Wheelton 1900 Who s Who 1900 An Annual Biographical Dictionary Fifty Second Year of Issue London A amp C Black p 1048 Retrieved 1 March 2019 Kingsmill Marrs Photographs ca 1850 1915 www masshist org Massachusetts Historical Society Retrieved 1 March 2019 Michael Hodge Simpson framinghamhistory org Framingham History Center Retrieved 1 March 2019 a b A Successful Life The Milan Exchange Milan Tennessee December 27 1884 p 6 Retrieved April 8 2017 via newspapers com Faderman Lillian 2012 Odd Girls and Twilight Lovers A History of Lesbian Life in Twentieth Century America New York Columbia University Press p 32 ISBN 978 0231530743 Frances Cleveland Biography National First Ladies Library www firstladies org Retrieved 2019 06 20 a b Evangeline Marrs Simpson Whipple 1930 09 01 Evangeline Whipple In honor of the people Minnesota Historical Society Retrieved 2016 09 07 First Lady Biography Frances Cleveland Rose Elizabeth Cleveland The National First Ladies Library Retrieved July 22 2017 Lillian Faderman January 3 2012 Odd Girls and Twilight Lovers A History of Lesbian Life in Twentieth Century America Columbia University Press a b Katherine A S Sibley 14 March 2016 A Companion to First Ladies Wiley p PT519 ISBN 978 1 118 73218 2 Mrs Evangeline E Marrs Whipple 1928 A Famous Corner of Tuscany Jarrolds limited a b Boarini Cristeta October 17 2013 Three Rice County orgs receive Minnesota Historical Society grants Southernminn com Boarini Cristeta 2013 A Night at the Museum brings history to life at the Rice County Historical Society Southernminn com Further reading EditHardy Rob 2007 The Passion of Rose Elizabeth Cleveland New England Review 28 1 180 193 JSTOR 40244938 includes samples of their correspondence Salenius Sirpa 2014 Life with Evangeline Whipple Life with Evangeline Whipplel pp 69 83 doi 10 1057 9781137452887 5 ISBN 978 1 349 49851 2 Salenius S 2014 Rose Elizabeth Cleveland First Lady and Literary Scholar New York Palgrave Macmillan ISBN 978 0231530743 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Evangeline Marrs Whipple amp oldid 1086321572, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
