WHITAKER, John F. 1844-1926

WHITAKER, FORMAN, FULLER

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 5/1/2012 at 12:02:36

Birth: Jun. 5, 1844, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania.

Death: Jan. 20, 1926, Osage, Mitchell County, Iowa.

BIOGRAPHY:

"John Whitaker, one of the earliest settlers of Mitchell County, born in Lycoming Co., Penn., June 5, 1844, is the son of Benjamin and Sophronia (Forman) Whitaker, who built the first log cabin in Osage, on the corner where the postoffice building now stands. John, then a boy eight years old, rode the horse to haul logs. It was one and one-half stories high, a portion of it being used as a store by Mr. Harding, also the postoffice.

"Mr. Whitaker took up a portion of the land on which the town was laid out. His house was a rendezouis for land seekers. When coming to the county, he possessed the only team of horses there, and journeyed to McGregor and Elkader for flour anf groceries to supply the demands of the settlers. Here John grew to manhood, receiving his education in the pioneer schools.

"In 1865 he married Martha Fuller, a native of Vermont. They commenced life with limited means, but by tireless application and hard work have accumulated a fine property, and to-day are among the well-to-do farmers of the county. He has 500 acres of splendid land, under a high state of cultivation."

[ From "History of Mitchell and Worth Counties, Iowa" (1883), p. 387 ]

Parents:
Benjamin Whitaker (1814 - 1894)
Sophronia Foreman Whitaker (1819 - 1879)

Spouse:
Martha J. Fuller Whitaker (1843 - 1908)

Children:
Elmer Franklin Whitaker (1869 - 1940)

Burial:
Osage Cemetery, Osage, Mitchell County, Iowa.

[ Credit: DM Scott ]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Photo of John and Martha Fuller Whitaker, from STANDARD HISTORICAL ATLAS OF MITCHELL COUNTY, IOWA, 1911, Published by Anderson Pub. Co., Chicago.

Mitchell Obituaries maintained by Sharyl Ferrall.
WebBBS 4.33 Genealogy Modification Package by WebJourneymen