Engraved Silver Cup
Evangeline Whipple gave this sterling silver cup to Martha Evangeline Thompson, the daughter of Blanche and Reverend Delbert Thompson. (1) The cup is made from sterling silver and has very intricate designs on it. Engraved into the cup is a personal message from Evangeline Whipple that reads “With love for my little namesake from Evangeline Whipple.” (1) Mrs. Whipple was giving the cup to Martha Thompson because Martha was named after Mrs. Whipple. The cup was given to Martha Evangeline Thompson in the year 1898 on her birthday. (1) The cup represents the relationship between two families that were very important members of the Lutheran church. The two families were very close to each other during the late 1890s. By giving Martha Thompson this very expensive and intricate sterling silver cup, Mrs. Whipple shows how valuable their families’ relationship was to her. The cup was passed down for generations in the Whipple family and eventually was given to Evangeline Simpson from Bishop Henry Whipple in 1896, the year they married. (1) Her last name was changed to Whipple when she received the silver cup. The engraved quote was of course done some time after Evangeline received the cup from Henry. Bishop Henry Whipple was a very important and iconic part of the Lutheran church. Concordia College has a building named after Bishop Whipple and he is seen as a very prestigious member of the Lutheran Concordia College. (2) Whipple is very popular in the area for his work with Native American people. Whipple is responsible for helping Native Americans attain many basic rights and saving many lives. (2)
The cup represents the elegant lives of the Whipple and Thompson families during the 1890s. It shows how the high members of the Lutheran church were very prestigious during the era. The cup represents values of family, relationships, and friendships during the 1890s. It also reveals the taste of people around the Concordia area was very high at this time, but technology was still very low. This cup is seen as a very elegant and beautiful part of Concordia history, but represents so much more to the two families it was passed between.
(1) “Silver Whipple Cup ,” Concordia Memory Project, accessed December 9, 2013
(2) Von Wald, H. Whipple's Legacy, Uncovered (2012, November 08). Concordian