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Show 263 Shipp wives, the picture is grim. Well-documented records4 reveal that Maggie bore four children between 1879 and 1883, all in Salt Lake City. In those same years, Ellis produced two (daughter Ellis in 1879 and Ambrose Pare [named for a famous doctor] in 1882). Lizzie had three (twins Alvin David and Lida in 1880; Reuben Gray in 1882). That means nine children were fathered by Milford during his own preparation to be a medical doctor. A terrible toll was taken of these nine. Not one of Maggie's four reached maturation. One of Ellis' two died at six months; and Lizzie lost two of her three in the first few months of their lives. These losses (seven out of nine births) do not include the final chapter of childbearing among Milford's wives. Lizzie produced Elizabeth in 1884. She lived. Maggie had Theodore Clair in 1885. He died in 1889. In 1885 Ellis bore Paul Elbert who died the same day, and (in 1889) Nellie, who survived and 4 was the last of Milford Shipp's children. We can merely speculate as to what impact these deaths had on Milford. Whether he viewed them as items to place in his portfolio of personal failure may never be known. But the total impact of these losses, unless he was an exceptionally unfeeling husband, must certainly have had some effect upon his life thereafter. The only clues we have as to how Milford functioned as a father in the middle years lie in a few brief comments by Bardella. He encouraged education for his children. Whether they took their motivation from him or from their wel1-qualified mothers, all |
