Michael and Charlottie Mauss of Murray, Utah, were married in 1893 and went on to have a total of nine children, including a set of triplets.
The triplets — one boy, followed by two girls — were born on October 16, 1900. They were named Vinal, Velma, and Vilda. (At the age of 90, Vinal told a reporter: “Vinal sounds the same as vinyl, but I came first.”)
Believed to be the first surviving set of triplets born west of the Mississippi, the trio was exhibited at the Utah State Fair in 1907.
Where did their names come from?
Family legend has it a friend of their mother’s heard the names somewhere, and in the excitement or exhaustion of having triplets, Mr. and Mrs. Mauss agreed to them.
(The name Velma was relatively common back in those days, but the names Vinal and Vilda were not.)
The triplets’ two older siblings were named Myrtle and Michael, and their four younger siblings were named Adella, Ruby, Lowell, and Afton.
What do you think of Vinal, Velma, and Vilda as triplet names?
Sources:
- “Murray Triplets to be Placed on Exhibition at State Fair.” Salt Lake Herald 26 Sept. 1907: 12.
- Wells, Elayne. “Triplets Celebrate 90th Birthday.” Deseret News 30 Jun. 1990.
- “Triplets, at 90, still vigorous.” Tulare Advance-Register 21 Dec. 1990: 3.
- Jacobsen-Wells, JoAnn. “Triplets Celebrate 91st Birthdays Thanks to Utah and ‘Man Upstairs’.” Deseret News 17 Oct. 1991.
- Michael Mauss – Find a Grave
Images: Clippings from the Salt Lake Herald (4 Oct. 1901 and 26 Sept. 1907)
Pretty awful names, especially together, but I love Vinal’s comment about existing before “vinyl” — touché, sir. If I had triplets and wanted to give them all V names (which I would never do) they would be Valentine, Vanessa, and Veronica.
I might have gone with Velda or Verna and Vincent, but Velma is nice.
Not a fan of Vinal or Vilda, but I have a soft spot for Velma having grown up watching Scooby Doo cartoons on Saturday mornings. It probably also helps that I went to elementary school with a girl named Vilma — I remember nothing else about her beyond her name and that she was nice.
Vinal died in 1992, Vilda died two days after her 98th birthday in 1998, and Velma in 1999 also at age 98.