Book Description

This booklet about our Great Aunt Minnie was prepared for the immediate family and descendants of Martha Leister Deardorff, Mary Ruth Leister Strickler and Spencer Leister. We are the children of Ruth Dunphey Leister whose mother was Flora Eaton Dunphey the sister of Minnie Eaton. Aunt Minnie had planned to write a book about her 44 years as a missionary in Sierra Leone. We inherited her notes, letters, Sierra Leone artifacts and her steamer trunk. Included in the letters were about 200 that were written to our grandmother and mother. Martha went through the letters and notes and selected some that were of special interest to us. We have included information about Aunt Minnie's father, Alonzo Eaton, and his family along with articles that were written about her. Minnie Emily Eaton was born in Dayton, Montgomery County, Ohio, December 3, 1866. Minnie was the daughter of Alonzo C. Eaton and Julia Florentine Weller. She died January 19, 1954 in Pomona, Los Angeles County, CA at 87 years of age. Minnie Eaton was educated at Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio. In 1887 her father brought the family by train from Ohio to San Diego and then by wagon to homestead near Valley Center in San Diego County. She taught school for a short time in San Diego County. On July 10, 1892 by letter of transfer she became a member of First Church of the United Brethren in Christ of Los Angeles and remained a member there the rest of her life.-Author note