WHITAKER, Leland "Jack" 1914-2002

WHITAKER, JOHNSON, PARRETT, COOP, GILLASPIE, SUTTON, NELSON

Posted By: Richard K Thompson (email)
Date: 8/25/2010 at 15:23:19

Fairfield Ledger
Thursday November 14, 2002

Leland "Jack" WHITAKER

Leland Arthur "Jack" WHITAKER, 88, of 506 E. Lowe Ave., died at 10:35 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2002, at Parkview Care Center.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at First Presbyterian Church. A graveside service at Evergreen Cemetery will be held at a later date.

Family visitation will be held from 10 a.m. until the 11 a.m. memorial service Saturday at the church.

Memorials may be made to First Presbyterian Church, Jefferson County Park or the donor's choice.

Mr. WHITAKER was born June 12, 1914, in Jefferson County, the son of Thomas Arthur "T.A." and Myrtle A. JOHNSON WHITAKER. He married Esther L. PARRETT June 26, 1938, at Cross Lanes Presbyterian Church. She died Feb. 21, 1995.

Mr. WHITAKER graduated from Fairfield High School in 1933 and attended Iowa State University for three quarters.

Mr. WHITAKER was a United States Post Office mail carrier. He was a United States Navy veteran of World War II. He served in the Fleet Post Office in San Francisco, Calif.

He was a member of First Presbyterian Church, where he served as an elder.

He was a 50-plus year member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, as well as a member of the Lions Club, National Association of Retired Federal Employees, Odd Fellows, Y's Men, Fairfield Letter Carriers Association. He was a charter member of the Jefferson County Police Reserve and a trustee of the Bonnifield Log House. As a member of Fairfield Friendship Force, he and his wife traveled to New Zealand, England and Scotland.

On the 100th anniversary of the Iowa State Fair in 1954, Mr. WHITAKER, along with his father and son, rode horseback with the Iowa Centennial State Fair Caravan from Farifield to Des Moines. They represented three generations of the WHITAKER family, and his father was the oldest horseback rider to participate.

Mr. WHITAKER also was the model for "William Henry COOP and Friend" statue in Central Park.

Survivors included two daughters, Sandra GILLASPIE and husband Rodger of Fairfield and Jean SUTTON and husband Jonathan of Minneapolis, Minn.; eight grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and one brother, Darrell J. WHITAKER.

In addition to his wife, he was preceded in death by one son, Thomas WHITAKER; his parents; one sister, Hazel NELSON; and one brother, Wayne WHITAKER.

*Transcribed for genealogy purposes. I am not related to the person(s) mentioned. I did serve in the Fairfield Lions Club for a time when we were both members.

Note: Buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Fairfield, Iowa. Old.P.345