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Eleanor (Franzen) Churchill was born July 25, 1888 in Worthington, Minnesota daughter of Svante Carl and Mary (Kugler) Franzen. After receiving her B.A. from Wellesley College in 1911, Eleanor taught at a private girls school in Missouri. As a missionary in Bombay she managed and taught at the Clarke-Abbott School and Home for Indian Boys. In India Eleanor met Carroll Churchill, an engineer working to improve the handweaving industry in the country. The two married in 1914. In 1920 the Churchills moved to Kentucky with their children where Carroll taught physics at Berea College. He left the college to found Churchill Weavers in 1922. Using an improved loom design he developed in India, Churchill built fly-shuttle looms to manufacture an extensive line of handwoven textiles. Churchill Weavers provided jobs for local people in all aspects of the business. Eleanor's personal enjoyment of weaving, her management skills and a strong sense of design led her to become primary designer for the company. Churchill marketed products through gift shops and department stores. Churchill Weavers continues as a thriving business in Berea. Eleanor Churchill died October 3, 1981 in Berea, Kentucky. |
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13, 2001 |
