Eaton Reunion, 1926
The Montreal Daily Star
August 21, 1926
The Righteous Shall Flourish Like the Palm Tree
JOHN E. EATON was born in 1778, his wife, Catharine Vanduzen, was
born in 1786. They were still a young couple when they arrived in Canada,
and in 1802 the brother of John was married to Mary Ann Schovener. The
descendants of these four people now number 6,200. Of this army which
recalls the old Testament stories of Abraham - only 800 have joined their
ancestors. More than 5,000 are still living and most of those are in Canada.
When it is considered that 100 years ago the population of all Canada
was 100,000 persons, it will be seen that if each of these Canadians had
[just] as many descendants as the four people of the Eaton and Vanduzen
family, the Dominion would today have a population of 125 ,000,000. Without
source to immigration Canada would today number ten times its present
population if the noble example of the Eaton men had been followed.
The farm life and the open air have been conducive to long life with
the family. The average span of life of the descendants of the Eaton.
Vanduzen couple has been. more than twice as long as that of Ontario as
shown by the official statistics for the past six years.
The founders of this remarkable family are descended from Dutch families
who emigrated to the New World in 1620. Their descendants still retain
many valuable possessions which link them with the original Pilgrim Fathers
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