1937 Whitaker Reunion

BELCHER, CARTER, FAIR, HAGUE, JONES, KEMMERER, KOPF, LONGNECKER, MEADOR, REYNOLDSON, ROBISON, TICHENOR, TURNER, WHITAKER

Posted By: Sandra Breitkreutz (email)
Date: 5/9/2003 at 22:01:59

WHITAKER FAMILY; STORY PIONEERS HOLD REUNION
(unidentified 1937 newspaper clipping)

One of the interesting family reunions many of which are held at this season of the year, was that of the Whitaker family, Story county pioneers, held at the home of Mrs. Mattie Robison at Maxwell, Sunday, July 18.

Relatives numbering 58 were present for the affair, a feature of which was the bountiful picnic dinner which was spread at the lunch hour.

Guests were present from Des Moines, Boone, Ames, Nevada, Colo, Mitchellville, Buckeye, Minneapolis, Chicago, Erickson and Maxwell.

The afternoon was spent in visiting and looking over the oldtime photographs and group pictures of the pioneer families.

Numerous letters of greeting were read from those unable, through circumstances, to be present and an especially interesting feature was the meeting of two cousins for the first time in fifty years.

Mother Whitaker, 87 years of age, was the oldest member of the family present, while little Mary Ann, nine-month-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Howard Whitaker of Des Moines was the youngest.

A history of the original family, which had been previously prepared was read and proved of much interest.

This history indicates that some of the earliest records of the name in England reveals that of Simon de Whitaker of Leistershire, England, during the reign of King Edward I, in the year 1273 A.D.

The first of the name to immigrate to America was Rev. Alexander Whitaker who came to Virginia in 1611. He officiated at the baptism and wedding of the great chief, Pocahontas.

The ancestor of the Story county Whitakers was born in 1800 and came to Lancaster, Penn. In 1815. The family came further west and settled near Des Moines in 1855 and later came to Story county and settled in the old Samuel Whitaker farm homestead six miles south of Nevada a year later, or in 1856, bringing with him his three sons and one daughter, Thomas, Sarah, Samuel and Daken, all now deceased.

Since that time there has always been a number of the clan living in Story county.

It was decided to make these reunions annual affairs.

Those registered for the reunion at the home of Mrs. Robison were:

Mrs. Mattie Robison, Mr. and Mrs. Clay Robinson, Mr. and Mrs. Roscoe Longnecker, all of Maxwell; Mrs. Ida Belcher and Rollin Belcher of Nevada; Mr. and Mrs. Rollin Whitaker and son Donald of Chicago; Mrs. Laura Whitaker, Mrs. Carrie Fair, Mr. Don Fair and Miss Veta Fair, all of Maxwell; Mr. and Mrs. Ross Fair and son Irwin Donald of Des Moines.

Mr. and Mrs. J.W. Kopf and son Bob of Nevada; Mr. and Mrs. Charles Turner and children Jennie, Kathryn, Forest, Chas. Jr., Mable and Francis, all of Maxwell; Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Tichenor of Colo; Mr. and Mrs. J.W. Hague of Nevada; Mr. and Mrs. George Tichenor of Colo.

Mrs. Mary Tichenor of Colo; Mrs. Louisa Carter of Maxwell; Mr. and Mrs. Curt Whitaker and son Ritchie of Des Moines; Mary Jane Whitaker of Minneapolis; Verle Jones of Ames; Mr. and Mrs. John Whitaker of Mitchellville; Mr. and Mrs. Howard Whitaker and children Mary Ann and Buddy of Des Moines.

Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Meador and Albert Meador and Kenneth Meador of Buckeye; Mr. and Mrs. F.W. Reynoldson and son Harold of Boone; Mr. and Mrs. Joe Kemmerer of Erickson; Ray Whitaker of Des Moines; Carlton Tichenor of Colo and Jackie Whitaker of Mitchelville.