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DR. U. B. WHITEIS, late of Urbana, was born in Bellefontaine, Ohio, in 1830, and died January 17, 1903. He was a son of Thomas and Hannah (Boyd) Whiteis. Thomas Whiteis was a brickmason, of Pennsylvania, and moved to Ohio about 1800, being among the earliest pioneers. His nine children are now all deceased. Dr. U. B. Whiteis was reared in Ohio and educated in the common schools; later he attended Ann Arbor, Keokuk and Chicago Universities. He practised medicine in Rockport, Ohio, for five years. He came to Iowa and found a location for practice, then returned to Ohio, where he was married, and came back to Urbana, Iowa, which he made his home until his death. He bought out the practice of Dr. Guthrie, then the only physician in the town, who left Urbana, and for some years Dr. Whiteis was the only physician. After practising four years he purchased eighty acres of land. He returned to Ohio, where he left his wife while he took a course at Chicago University, and the next year he resumed his practice in Urbana. He was a very fine physician, conscientious in the performance of his duties, not sparing himself in the cause of his patients, and made many long drives through the wilderness to answer sick calls. He continued his practice until two weeks before his death, which was felt to be a great loss to the community and he was widely mourned. His wife still lives in Urbana.
Dr. Whiteis took no active part in political affairs, but was an earnest Republican. He was a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen and of the Legon of Honor. He was an attendant of the Christian church, and reared his family in that faith.
Dr. Whiteis married Emeline, daughter of John and Tamzen (Fleming) Sproot; her father was a farmer in Pennsylvania, and when fifteen years of age came to Ohio with his brother, where they cleared up land, and later the whole family removed to Ohio. John Sproot married in Ohio, Tamzen Fleming, a neighbor, and their children were: Mary, widow of George Young, of Kansas; Rachel, wife of Disman Ohmstead, both deceased; Mrs. Whiteis; Marion D., deceased; Celina, (deceased) wife of John Stoner; Samuel, deceased; Margaret, wife of James Loyd, of Michigan; Tamzen, wife of Emanuel Walsh; John, of Montana; Hannah, (deceased) wife of Dr. Charles Mills; and Nancy. Mrs. Whiteis was married in Ohio, where she was reared. The children of Dr. and Mrs. Whiteis are: John, deceased; Samuel W., deceased; Edith, wife of Dr. Albert, of Iowa City, Iowa, and William.
Samuel W. Whiteis, deceased, was born in Urbana, January 12, 1868, and there received his preliminary education. He graduated at Tilford Collegiate Academy and spent one year at Cedar Rapids. He became a large land owner nd prominent citizen of Benton county, and was president of Urbana Savings Bank. He served five years as postmaster, and also held the office of school director and other local offices, and was a man of influence and very popular in the community. He was unmarried, and died June 10, 1909.
William Whiteis was born in Urbana, in 1869, and there spent his childhood. He attended school at Tilford, Iowa, and the University of Iowa, and later went abroad, where he spent some time at Vienna, Austria, and three years at school in Leipsic, Germany. He is now a prominent and rising young physician of Iowa City, Iowa. He is a man of considerable skill and stands high in his profession. Dr. Whiteis married Alice Fernstrom, of Lone Tree, Iowa, and they have one son, Robert.
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