Additions to Judge John Whitaker 1795

Judge John Whiteaker

March 21, 1795

John Whiteaker was born in Washington County, Virginia. When five or six years old, his parents moved to Tennessee, where he remained, working at farm labor until the War of 1812, when he enlisted in the army of the United States, at Tazewell, Tenn.. He was under Gen. Jackson, at the battle of Horse-Shoe Bend, on the Tallapoosa River. Samuel Houston, subsequently Governor of Tennessee, hero of San Jacinto, President of Texas, and after the admission of Texas into the Union, Senator in Congress from Texas, was Lieutenant of the company Whiteaker served in at the battle of Horse-Shoe. Having served out his term of enlistment, he was discharged near Pensacola, Fla., and returned to Tennessee. He married there soon after the war, and and was engaged in farming until he had a family of five children, when he moved to Indiana about 1827, where he remained one year, and then went to Illinois, remaining there four or five years.

Source: Sent to us by Weldon Whiteaker and Denny Brubaker. However, the notes indicate they were sent to both of these men by a Mary Gibson, who also refers to a WGF161@aol.com as the person who sent them to her. Other researchers who sent these to us indicate the same sources. It has been brought to our attention by Weldon Whiteaker that he owns the WGF161@aol.com address.

Fort Madison, Iowa Weekly Democrat, August 20, 1884, page 8, column 6.
Obituary of Judge John Whiteaker
WHITEAKER - Sunday, Aug 17, at 1:40 a.m., at his residence in this city
JUDGE JNO WHITEAKER, aged 89 years, 4 months and 27 days
Judge Whiteaker was a native of Virginia. While a boy he went with his parents to Tennessee where he grew in manhood and married Mrs. Dorcas Jones. In 1833 he came to this State but was not allowed to settle here, owing to complications with the Indians at that time. He returned again the next year and located in Augusta, in Des Moines County. Here he was made Probate Judge, holding court in Burlington, and pursuing the occupation of a merchant between sessions. From Augusta he moved to a farm near Glasgow, Jefferson County, also carrying on the mercantile business in Glasgow. In 1851 he moved to Fort Madison. Just before the war he went to Missouri, but being held a prisoner for eight days by the rebels he obtained a parole and came to Fort Madison, where he has since lived. Judge Whiteaker was the father of eleven children, seven girls and four boys. Two of his daughters are dead. Mrs. Whiteaker died in 1847. There are probably few citizens in Lee County that are better known than Judge Whiteaker. His just and upright life made him respected by all.
For a number of years, the Judge was quite feeble, and owing to a fractured thigh bone that never properly healed was considerably crippled. Recently his illness has been so serious a nture that his death was expected many times before it actually occurred.

Source: Sent to us by Weldon Whiteaker, Denny Brubaker and others.

Lee County, Iowa History - 1879
. . . and, after he (John Whiteaker) became the father of five children, removed to Park County, Indiana. He subsequently removed to Big Grove, Champaign County, Illinois, where he remained for four years. ---History of Lee County, Iowa."

Source: Sent to us by Weldon Whiteaker and Denny Brubaker. However, the notes indicate they were sent to both of these men by a Mary Gibson, who also refers to a WGF161@aol.com as the person who sent them to her. Other researchers who sent these to us indicate the same sources. It has been brought to our attention by Weldon Whiteaker that he owns the WGF161@aol.com address.

"In the fall of 1834, while Iowa was still under the jurisdiction of Michigan Territory, and election was ordered for the election of judicial officers in Des Moines County, which then included the county of Lee. There were but two voting places.
- - - Elected - John Whiteaker - Judge of Probate."
---History of Lee County, Iowa 1879

Source: Sent to us by Weldon Whiteaker and Denny Brubaker. However, the notes indicate they were sent to both of these men by a Mary Gibson, who also refers to a WGF161@aol.com as the person who sent them to her. Other researchers who sent these to us indicate the same sources. It has been brought to our attention by Weldon Whiteaker that he owns the WGF161@aol.com address.