Edwin Eaton D.D. (1818 - 1872)

Born 7 Mar 1818 in Cattaraugus County, New York, USA

Ancestors

Husband of Eliza Billing (Austin) Eaton — married 24 Dec 1850 in Huron County, Ohio, USA

Descendants

Died 10 May 1872 at age 54 in La Grange, Lewis County, Missouri, USA

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Biography

Birth

Born: 7 March 1818 in Cattaraugus County, New York, USA.^[1]

Marriage and Children

Married: Eliza Billing Austin on 24 December 1850 in Huron County, Ohio.^[2]

Children of Edwin Eaton D.D. and Eliza Billing Austin:

1. Lida E. Eaton. Born c 1852 in Ripley, Ohio; married Robert Erskine Fitch; died February 6, 1918 in Laramie, Wyoming (ch. Edwin Fitch, Robert G. Fitch).
2. Fred Eaton. Born c 1854 in Florida; he married Eva.
3. Helen Mattie Eaton Born c 1857 in Monroeville, Ohio; died January 3, 1955 in Laramie, Wyoming. Never married.
4. Harry Eaton. Born August 1859.
5. Edwin Arunah Eaton. See next.
6. Raymond A. Eaton. Born c 1866 in Michigan; died Oct. 1939 in Denver, Colorado; married Marjorie Semple 2 June 1909 (ch. Marjorie S. Eaton, Raymond A. Eaton Jr.).

Death

Died: 10 May 1872 in La Grange, Lewis County, Missouri, USA.^[1][3]

Obituaries:

Norwalk Daily Reflector, 22 May 1872 Page 6 column 5

Died – At his late residence, La Grange Mo., Rev. Edwin Eaton, aged fifty-three years. He was thrown from his carriage on the evening of the 9th, and died at six the next morning.

The deceased was widely known in this county, and will be deeply mourned by a large circle of friends. He leaves a wife and six children to mourn his sudden and untimely death.

Freemont Journal (Weekly), 31 May 1872 Page 3 column 6

Died – At his late residence, La Grange Mo., Rev. Edwin Eaton, aged fifty-three years. He was thrown from his carriage on the evening of the 9th, and died at six the next morning.

The deceased was a brother in-law to Perry Close, Esq. of this city, and was well known in Huron county. He leaves a wife and six children to mourn his sudden and untimely death.

Newspaper Clipping. Newspaper unknown, no date. Glued inside family bible.

Upon last sabbath morning, May twelfth we were called upon to witness the funeral exercises of Rev. Edwin Eaton D.D. who was a resident of this place, which, according to as wish often expressed by him before his death, took place quietly and unostentatiously at his own residence and were conducted by Rev. J.F. Cook, and followed by some very appropriate remarks by the long cherished friend of the deceased, Rev. J. Kelley, of Quiney, Ill's, who spoke in impressive tones of his character as a citizen, a christian, a minister, and a prototype for all who should live after him; after which the body, accompanied by a lareg procession of acquaintances and friends, was borne to the cemetery, as its final resting place.

The circumstances of his death, as received from those who were present, are as follows: Though residing with his family in LaGrange, in order that his health might be improved, he had purchased a farm about three miles in the country, to which he was accustomed to go daily for the purpose of improving and cultivating it; and on last Thursday afternoon, having prepared a load of wood to take home, and endeavoring to get upon the front part of the wagon, he slipped and fell, frightening the horses, which started to run; but fortunately they ran but a short distance when the tongue of the wagon struck a tree, preventing the wagon from passing over him, having fallen in front of it, which undoubtedly would have caused instant death, and the injury was received from the wheel striking the body, and the wagon having been thrown by the shock, he still possessed the presence of mind and strength sufficient to withdraw himself from his position. He was then placed in a wagon and taken to his home, where he spent the night in intense suffering. He talked very little going home though expressed a hope that he was not badly hurt; and during the night he spoke only when aroused to some extent from his sense of agony and then only in answer to some question; and therefore he made no requests and was permitted to lave no words od comfort to his family. At six o'clock the following morning his soul departed and we feel assured, took its flight to that temple "not made with hands."

We learned that Dr. Eaton was born in Catarugus Co., N.Y., March 7th 1818. He first turned his attention to the law; but feeling that it was his duty to preach the Gospel, he entered the ministry, about thirty-five years ago. His first pastorate was at War Lake, Mich., from which place he was called to Bueyrus, Ohio; wence he was called to Bellevue, and while there his friends at Bueyrus obtained for him the position of a chaplain in the U.S. Navy, which he held about nine years and then resigned. During the time he was in the Navy, he traveled a great part of the old world, thereby adding to his store of knowledge and greatly increasing his powers for usefullness. After leaving the Navy, he was called to Coldwater, Mich. and from there to Muscatine, Iowa, where he remained five years, highly esteemed as a citizen and greatly loved by his church as a christian minister; but on account of his health was compelled to resign his pastoral care. We further laerned theat wherever Dr. Eaton has spent any portion of his pastoral life no pastor has been more faithful and more loved by his church.

Dr Eaton came to LaGrange about nine months ago and after regaining his health to some extent he was called by the church here as an associate pastor. We all learned to highly respect and regard him as a citizen and on account of his mild and gentle disposition, his earnest chrisitian spirit, his promptness to attend and interest manifested in the prosperity of our prayer meetings and Sabbath school and on account of his faithfulness as a pastor, we also learned to love him as a chistian brother. To the family of our brother we all extend our warmest sympathies in their affliction and sincerely hope that we are permitted to remain profit by his example.

Records

Narrative Biography

EDWIN EATON, D.D. was b. 1818 in New York. No record of his exact birth or baptism has yet been found and the date and place is known from the Daughters of the American Revolution applications of daughters Lida and Helen Eaton , and from census records. It would appear his parents were living in Gorham, New York at the time of his birth. When he was only 1 year old his parents removed to Peru, Huron Co., Ohio. In his mid-20s, he became Baptist preacher. On December 24, 1850 in Huron Co., Ohio, he married ELIZA BILLING AUSTIN, the daughter of Timothy Austin and Rebekah Harris. She was b. 1828 in Massachusetts.

Edwin Eaton was a Baptist preacher for the last 28 years of his life. “When choosing his life work, under clear and forcible convictions of duty, he abandoned the study of law and the prospects of worldly position and fame, for the ministry.” Soon after his marriage he may have removed to Michigan because by 1851 he was already known as popular and active Baptist preacher in the churches in Coldwater, Michigan. However, his first child was born in Ripley, Ohio in c. 1852. Interestingly, he may have done some missionary work in Florida as he had son born there c. 1854 and an Edwin Eaton was performing baptisms there at the time. Their third child was born in Monroeville, Ohio about 1857. On June 3, 1858, Rev. Edwin Eaton, “of Monroeville,” was chosen to be the pastor of the Baptist Church in Coldwater.^[4] During his time there, he oversaw the building of a new and larger church and a great growth in church membership. He remained in Coldwater until April 1866 when he moved to a church in Muscatine, Iowa. It was here that the degree of Doctor of Divinity was conferred upon him. In October 1867, he was chosen president of the first Iowa State Baptist Convention and of the Union for Ministerial Education. He held these positions for the next three years. In 1871, in failing health, he resigned his position as preacher of the church in Muscatine and removed to La Grange, Missouri with “the hope that rest and milder climate might restore his exhausted energies.” In 1880, Eliza Eaton was still living in La Grange with her daughter Mattie (Helen) and her son Ray. By this time, her other children Lida, Fred and Edwin had moved Wyoming.

Rev. Edwin Eaton D.D. died on May 10, 1872 in La Grange, Missouri. “As a man and citizen, he commanded, in an eminent degree, the confidence and respect in the community he lived.” In 1880, Eliza Eaton was still living in La Grange with her daughter Mattie (Helen) and her son Ray. By this time, her other children Lida, Fred and Edwin had moved Wyoming. After 1880, what became of Eliza Austin Eaton is not known. From the DAR reports submitted by her daughters Lida and Helen, we know she died in 1895.

Sources

Footnotes and citations:

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970 (Ancestry.com online database). Application of grandson Edwin Eaton Fitch.
2. ↑ "Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013," database with images, FamilySearch. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XZKG-1M6), Edwin Eaton and Eliza B. Austin, 24 Dec 1850; citing Marriage, Huron, Ohio, United States.
3. ↑ Mitchell. Historical Sketches of Iowa Baptists. (1886): page 486.
4. ↑ Johnson. History of Branch County, Michigan. (1879): page 121.

Source list:

• 1860 United States Census, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MWD2-5N5 ), Edwin Eaton, 1860.

• 1870 United States Census, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDVG-GTF : 11 June 2019), Edwin Eaton, 1870.

• "Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013," database with images, FamilySearch. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XZKG-1M6), Edwin Eaton and Eliza B. Austin, 24 Dec 1850; citing Marriage, Huron, Ohio, United States.

• Missouri, Wills and Probate Records, 1766-1988. (Ancestry.com online database). Will of Edwin Eaton, case file no. 169.

• Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970 (Ancestry.com online database). Application of grandson Edwin Eaton Fitch.

• Lineage Book of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, vol. 31 (Washington D.C., 1900): page 86. Application no. 30247 for daughter Mrs. Lida Eaton Fitch. Ancestry.com Link

• Lineage Book of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, vol. 32 (Washington D.C., 1911): page 67. Application no. 31185 for daughter Mrs.Helen M. Eaton. Ancestry.com Link

• Collin, Rev Henry P. Twentieth Century History and Biographical Record of Branch County, Michigan, (1906): pages 196, 197. (available on google.books.com)

• Mitchell, Rev. S.H. Historical Sketches of Iowa Baptists. (Burlington, Iowa, 1886): pages 427, 431, 486. Ancestry.com Link.

• Johnson, Crisfield. History of Branch County, Michigan, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Some of its Prominent Men and Pioneers. (Philadelphia, 1879): page 121, 238. Archive.org Link