Walter Oliver "Oliver" Mitchell^[1]

1885 - 1953  (67 years)

• Name	Walter Oliver "Oliver" Mitchell
  Born	24 Apr 1885	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [2, 3]
  Gender	Male
  Residence	1891	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [3]
  	United Brethren
  Occupation	1909	London, Middlesex, Ontario, Canada   [1]
  	button maker
  Occupation	1911	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [4]
  	plumber
  Residence	1911	14 Mitchell Ave., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  Residence	1937	455 Queen St. S., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [2]
  Employer	Bef 1945	Mitchell Button Company, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [2]
  Died	10 Feb 1953	Islington, York Co., Ontario   [2]
  Website	2009
  	Photograph
  	Grace Schmidt Room of Local History Digital Collection Description: Black and white, full-length, studio portrait of Bertha (nee Shoemaker) and Oliver Mitchell. Notes: Photograph is a copy of original. Inscriptions: On original photograph: Mother Boehmer's sister
  Name	Oliver Mitchell
  Name	W. O. Mitchell
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-24663
  Buried	Woodland Cem., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [2]
  Person ID	I24663	Generations
  Last Modified	6 Apr 2024

  
  

  Father	Walter Edward Mitchell,   b. 28 Sep 1860, Birmingham, , Warwickshire, England ,   d. 20 Dec 1930, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 70 years)
  Mother	Elizabeth Webster,   b. 1858, , England ,   d. 1930  (Age 72 years)
  Family ID	F6196	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Bertha Magdalena Shoemaker,   b. 23 Feb 1884, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 19 Mar 1937, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 53 years)
  Married	26 Oct 1909	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1, 2]
  Children	1. Olive Aliffia Mitchell,   b. 1 Oct 1911, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Last Modified	7 Apr 2024
  Family ID	F6195	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Photos

  https://images.ourontario.ca/kitchener/details.asp?r=vs&ID=42308&number=46 Black and white, full-length, studio portrait of Bertha (nee Shoemaker) and Odener Mitchell.

  
  

• Notes

  Following a brief illness, Walter Oliver Mitchell, 67, formerly of 455 Queen St. South, Kitchener, died yesterday at the residence of his daughter, Mrs. Harrison Ebbage, Islington. A retired superintendent of the Mitchell Button Factory, he left Kitchener in 1945. A son of the late Walter and Elizabeth Mitchell, he was born at Kitchener, April 24, 1885. He was a member of the Baptist Church. His marriage to the former Bertha Shoemaker, who predeceased him in 1937, took place in Kitchener, Oct 26, 1909. Surviving, besides his daughter, Mrs. Harrison Ebbage, Islington, are a brother, William E. Mitchell, Kitchener, one sister, Mrs. Lillian Gould, St. Marys, and two grandchildren. One son died in infancy. The body is at the Schreiter Sandrock Funeral home where a public service will be held Friday at 3 p.m. Interment will be made in Woodland Cemetery. The Kitchener-Waterloo Record 11 Feb 1953 __________________ Prosperous Future Assured For The Mitchell Button Co. High Class Finished Article Brings Many Orders to the Firm. Business Inquiries From Overseas are Numerous. It was the pleasure of a News Record representative to visit the factory of the 'Mitchell Button Coy. on ______________ Street. Upon his arrival, Mr. W. O. Mitchell took him in charge and conducted him over the premises. The first impressions gathered were the courtesy of the management, and the neat and tidy appearance of the factory. The reporter expressed a wish to see the entire process through which the pearl passes from the shell stage until it becomes the beautiful polished button packed and ready for shipping. Mr. Mitchell was pleased to explain and demonstrate the various machines which bring about the wonderful transformation. First, the reporter was taken to the big storage barrels in which the huge clam shaped pearl shells from the South Seas are stored. Other barrels contained shells similar in shape, but without the sheen of those from the South seas. These are known as fresh water pearl, and come from the Mississippi river. The shells remain in soak until ready for the cutting, machines. Mr. Mitchell explained that the water keeps the shells soft and, in cutting, they are less likely to break. The cutting machine is an ingenious device which can be adjusted to cut the shell to any size ranging from the smallest collar button up to the big three inch ornamental From the cutter the round disks are taken to the grinder where a revolving belt conveys the disks into the emery wheels which remove all the dark outer surface, and the button to the correct thickness. When this process has been completed button are sorted, and any showing flaws are reground to a smaller size. Next comes the facing process in which the buttons are passed through revolving machine which bevels and rounds the edges; and, if necessary, cuts a pattern on the button. From the facer they are passed on to the drilling machine where the little holes one, two, three or four in number are bored. When the drilling is completed the buttons again are sorted and rejects sent to be ground to a smaller size. Those that are found to be perfect after the drilling are placed in a huge revolving barrel together with a quantity of saw dust. This process polishes the buttons and leaves them the finished article. Next they are taken to the carding room whore Button they are sewn to the cardboards The Mitchell Button Coy. has but recently started operations in Berlin, and the fact that they cannot begin to fill the orders that are constantly pouring in speaks volumes to the class of their finished article. "Ever since we opened up, orders have been coming in so fast that we have been forced to refuse man of them," said Mr. Mitchell Continuing Mr. Mitchell said, "When labor conditions again become normal we will extend our factory so that our output will be equal to the demand. Alfred we have had numerous enquiries from overseas dominions, but have been forced to refuse their business." The factory is situated at the rear of the Pequegnat block, and the floor space is fully sixty by seventy feet. Besides this space there is a big store room at the rea in which the raw material is store, and the workshop is located. The machinery, needless to say, is the very latest and best that money could purchase. Hydro supplies the power. Judging by present indications this young firm has a prosperous future before them, and no doubt will develop into one of the foremost Button manufacturing industries in Canada. THE BERLIN NEWS RECORD, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST I6, 1916

  
  

• Sources

  [S4] Vit - ON - Marriage Registration, 020287-09. Walter Oliver MITCHELL, 24, of London, s/o Walter Edward MITCHELL, button maker, & Elizabeth WEBSTER, married Bertha Magdalena SHOEMAKER, 26, of Berlin, d/o Jacob SHOEMAKER, fruit dealer, & Eliza HALL, witn: Lillian B. & Angus L. MITCHELL of Berlin, 26 Oct 1909 at Berlin [S74] News - ON, Waterloo, Kitchener - Kitchener-Waterloo Record (1948-1994), Obituary of Walter Oliver Mitchell - 11 Feb 1953. [S1592] Census - ON, Waterloo, Berlin - 1891, Section 2 Page 20. [S655] z Vit - ON - Birth Registration, birth certificate 51006 (1911), Olive Aliffia Mitchell. Olive Afliffia Mitchell, b. 1 Oct 1911 Berlin, d/o Walter Oliver Mitchell (plumber of 14 Mitchell Ave) & Bertha Magdalena Shoemaker married 26 Oct 1909 Berlin

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 24 Apr 1885 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - United Brethren - 1891 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - button maker - 1909 - London, Middlesex, Ontario, Canada Married - 26 Oct 1909 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - plumber - 1911 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - 1911 - 14 Mitchell Ave., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - 1937 - 455 Queen St. S., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Employer - Bef 1945 - Mitchell Button Company, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Died - 10 Feb 1953 - Islington, York Co., Ontario Buried - - Woodland Cem., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth