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Emilie Tavernier was born at Montreal, Quebec, on February 19, 1800, the youngest of fifteen children. Left an orphan at an early age, she was brought up under the care of her aunts. Naturally gifted and amiable, Emilie became an accomplished young lady, enjoying the modest pleasures of society but always concerned for the needs of the poor. On June 4, 1823, at the age of twenty-three years, she married Jean-Baptiste Gamelin, a wealthy Montreal merchant. In the course of their happy but brief marriage, they had three sons, but each died at an early age. Jean-Baptiste died on October 1, 1827.
As "the Widow Gamelin," Emilie dedicated her energy and her financial resources to serving the poor in a spirit of humility, simplicity, and charity. A strong devotion to Our Mother of Sorrows gave her comfort and strength. Not content with visiting the poor in their homes, on March 4, 1830, she opened her first refuge for elderly and destitute women. Responding to numerous cholera epidemics and periods of civil unrest, Emilie began nursing the sick and visiting prisoners. These ministries flourished with the assistance of her many friends, and in 1841, Emilie obtained civil incorporation of her work. On February 2, 1842, Emilie took a private vow to serve the poor.
