Joined: Feb 2007
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Reesor, Daniels Anson (1860 – 1940)
3/13/2010 at 7:56 AM
Was born at Markham Ontario on March 13th 1860. His parents were William Reesor, and Mary Jane Campbell. He was educated in Public School, and High School at Whitby, and Oshawa.
In 1882 he moved to Brandon, Manitoba where he opened in June the city’s first Jewellery store named Reesor’s Jewellery. He was also an Optometrist, and helped Brandonites with the maintenance of their ocular health, and the correction of their eye problems.
It is written that he owned more land along Rosser Avenue than any other entrepreneur in the city. In 1898 a fire gutted his Jewellery establishment on Rosser Avenue.
In 1901 fire again struck on Rosser Avenue, which spread from the W. J. Currie confectionary store between Eight and Ninth Street, and destroyed or damaged some north side landmark structures including the D. A. Reesor Block.
For many years he served on the Brandon city council, was a member of the Brandon Hospital Board, the summer, and winter fair Boards, and the Brandon Board of Trade. He was a member of the Mason’s, the Liberal Party, the Methodist Church, and he was a founding member of the Manitoba Association of Optometrists.
In 1938 the Brandon Board of Trade tendered a testimonial dinner for the 35 owners or one time partners of establishments dating back beyond 1898, among them Mr. D. A. Reessor was given a “Well Done” ovation for being the sole owner of his jewellery business for 56 years.
On September 10th 1890 he married Miss Lulu H. Campbell in Ontario. They had two Daughters, Lulu Kathleen, (Born 1894), and Marion Gertrude, (Born 1904), but his wife Lulu Died soon after the birth of Marion Gertrude.
He remarried his second wife Miss Mary Ann McKelvie, (Born 1863 at Port Hope, Ontario) at Durham, Ontario on October 11th 1909.
He died in Brandon on September 27th 1940 at the age of 80 years, and is buried in the Brandon Cemetery. His Jewellery store was sold soon after to Mr. Fred Fenwick.
His wife Mary Ann died on 28th September 1946, and is interned in the Brandon Cemetery.
Source: Brandon a City by G. F. Barker. The Brandon Cemetery (On line). The History of Manitoba by George Bryce, 1906)