Saturday 23 January 2016

Mrs. Timothy Eaton

Timothy Eaton met and married Margaret Beattie when he operated his dry goods business in St. Mary's, Ontario.  While Margaret Eaton's biggest role was raising their children, she also gave her husband suggestions from time to time regarding the store.  For instance, when the clerks working in the hat department couldn't get Mr. Eaton to install a mirror for customers, they approached Mrs. Eaton.  Soon enough, they had not one but two mirrors.

Timothy passed away from pneumonia in 1906.  However, his widow tried to keep his memory alive.  In 1914, she commissioned a church to be built in her husband's honour, Timothy Eaton Memorial United Church.  In 1919, to celebrate Eaton's 50th birthday, Mrs. Eaton opened the doors with a gold key, something her husband used to do every morning in the early years of the business.

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Mrs. Timothy Eaton opens the Eaton's Store with a golden key circa 1919 courtesy http://torontoist.com/2010/02/historicist_eatons_golden_jubilee/.

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