John Fuett WHITNEY

WHITNEY, LETTS, MICKA, BURR

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 11/11/2010 at 11:48:14

6 June 1856 -- 16 January 1939

FORMER LOCAL MAN DIES IN MADISON
John Whitney Succumbs Monday After Short Illness; Final Rites Held Wednesday.

John F. Whitney, 82, former resident of this locality whose parents were among the first settlers of Magnolia township, died at 8 a.m. Monday in his home at 17 South Hancock street, Madison, Wisconsin following a several days' illness from heart trouble and complications. The body was brought to the Allen funeral home here Monday and services were conducted at 11 a.m. Wednesday in the Magnolia Advent Christian church, four miles south of the city, by the Rev. E. L. Woodworth, pastor. Burial was made in the West Magnolia cemetery with John and Elliot Frazier, Frank Bennett, W. D. Brown, Herbert lee, and Ralph Harvey, all of Evansville as pallbearers.

Mr. Whitney, son of James Reilly and Catherine Letts Whitney, was born June 6, 1856 in Magnolia. His father was a pioneer blacksmith of Magnolia who invented the first riding plow and the steel beam plow. The latter, who will be remembered here by old timers served in the early days as postmaster of Magnolia, justice of the peace, and president of the school board. As path master his duties were to look after the roads of that locality. The deceased, a pensioned railroad man, served as conductor for the Chicago and Northwestern Railway company for 50 years, and at one time was conductor of the "Bobby," a two car passenger train operating through Evansville between Janesville and Madison and Madison via Footville. While employed with the railroad company, Mr. Whitney resided in Baraboo, Lancaster, Chicago, Milwaukee, and Madison; and a sister, Mrs. Edith Micka, Lone Rock, Ia. A brother F. M. Whitney, Eagle Grove, Ia., also a pensioned railroad man, and a sister, Mrs. Fred Burr, Lancaster, preceded him in death.

[brother Frank Melvin Whitney, born 15 June 1862, Magnolia, Wisconsin, resided in Eagle Grove, Wright County, Iowa]