Floyd Archie WHITTEN

WHITTEN, KLINEFELTER, NOVOTNY

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 7/29/2007 at 12:26:30

Floyd A. Whitten, 65, president of the National Association of Blacksmiths and Welders and historian for the Iowa branch of the association; in Rowan, Ia.

Chicago Tribune (IL)
Date: October 22, 1963

Floyd Whitten Dies Suddenly

Floyd Whitten died very suddenly Friday evening athis home from a heart attack. Funeral services were held Monday afternoon at the Congregational church in Rowan with burial at the Rowan Cemetery. The Eyler Funeral home was in charge of arrangements.

Floyd Archie Whitten was born December 26, 1897 at Rowan, the oldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Whitten. He attended the Rowan Schools. In 1917 in his last year of High school (4 days after World War I began) he enlisted in the Navy after serving for two years and 4 months on U.S. Savannah and U. S. Submarine G. He was discharged on August 3,1919. On November 24, 1920 he was married to Inez Klinefelter of Alexander, Iowa. To this union two daughters were born, Onalee Fern on March 15, 1923, who passed away in Infancy and Norma Jean on June 4, 1924, in Tama, Iowa, where the family resided for 18 years. In Tama Floyd worked for the State Highway as dragline operator and later as machinist for the Central Fiber Produce Co. About a year after the heginning of World War II he enlisted in the Navy with the rank of Warrant Officer, and after a year and a half as instructor in the Diesel Engineering school in Richmond. Va., he was assigned to the Mine Sweeper "Prevail" and served a year in the Mediterrean. On his return he was assigned as an instructor In Diesel Engineering at the Merchant Marine Academy at King Point, Long Island. He was discharged from the Navy on February 19. 1946 as Chief Warrant Officer. He immediately entered the Merchant Marines and continued the same duty at the Academy at King Point. He was discharged as Lt. (j. g.) in April, 1950. Since leaving the service he has made his home at Rowan, where he was a partner in a well known Blacksmith and Machine shop until his retirement in April of this year. Many of the inventions being used in the shop today are a result of his ingenuity. He was a member of the Rowan Congregational church, past master of the Masonic Lodge, past patron of O. E. S., past commander of the 3rd district of the American Legion, the forty and eight, and since 1962 has been president of the National Association of Blacksmiths and Welders association.

He passed away at his home on October 18th, 1963 and leaves to mourn his passing his wife, Inez, daughter, Jean Novotny and her husband, one grandson, Mike and three granddaughters, Nikki, Katy, Debbie, of Vanadium, New Mexico, his parents, Mr. and Mrs. H. J. Whitten, three brothers, Ralph of Des Moines, Clarence and Kenneth of Rowan. Also many valued friends he has made throughout his varied career.

Wright County Monitor
October 24, 1963