1925 Biography - Henry Whittenberg
This family came from Whittenberg, Germany, to America in Colonial times settling in Pennsylvania, soon after the Revolutionary War. Henry Whittenberg direct ancestor of the Whittenbergs of this county removed from Pennsylvania to Tennessee when a young man and settled in Blount County where many of his descendants still reside. Three of the sons, Mathew, Joseph and Daniel, came to Illinois settling in Washington County 1853. William, the youngest son, married Nancy, the daughter of John M. and Nancy (Dyson) Smith; a Methodist minister. Nancy was born in Virginia in 1800 and was said to be a relative of President Harrison. William and Nancy removed to Henry County, Tennessee. Some years later while still a young man he came to Illinois to look a location and visit his relatives. He started back to his home on horse back and was never heard of again. In 1840 his widow with eight children came to Johnson County locating in Grantsburg Township. The children were Polly A. (2), John S. (2), Sally D. (2), Henry H. (2), William P. (2), Harrison (2), Daniel W. (2), Malinda (2). The mother of these children was a woman of education, strong character and profoundly religious. The advantages of schools in a frontier country were not very good and the mother taught her children at home. J. S. was the eldest boy and early learned to love books; the Bible and a few biographs being the only books they owned. After the day's work was done the children had their time for study. John S. was a great student of the Bible and was licensed to preach at an early age. He entered land and made a home for his family in Tunnel Hill Town ship where his sister Malinda who married Elihu Vaughn also lived. Mr. Whittenberg was County Superintendent of schools serving two terms, teaching thirty-five years. He was also a local minister for many years. He married Isabella Gregg of Massac County. The children were Ellen (3) who married James Herrell. Roy (4) their only child living is a resident of this county. Adeline (3) married G. W. Hood. Their children were Frank (4), Charles (4) of Chicago. Illinois, Ruby (4) wife of Herbert Reynolds of Herrin, Illinois, and Ruth (4) who married Reverend A. C. Cummins (see Cummins). Sarah J. (3) married David Cover and resides on her father's old home farm. Neecy (3) married W. H. Cover of Tunnel Hill. Their children are David (4), Belle (4), Olive (4); Alonzo L. (3) was a teacher from boyhood, beginning at the age of seventeen. He farmed part of the time but his real profession was teaching. He resigned the Superintendency of the Vienna High School to enter the office of the State Superintendent of Schools where he is a valued member of the Department of Education. He married Eva Rice of Johnson County. Their children are Clarice (4), Inez (4), Bess (4), Marjorie (4), Tennie (4), Isabella (4), Eva (4), Catherine (4). The family removed to Springfield 1912.
Wm. P. Whittenberg (2) was one of the family of Nancy (Smith) Whittenberg and was twelve years old when she came to Illinois. He first resided on a farm in Elvira Township and when the call for troops came to enter the Civil War he rented his farm and enlisted in Company K, First Illinois Light Artillery where he served three years. He was wounded at Wolf River Bridge, Moscow, Tennessee. He later returned to his regiment and served until 1864. He first married Zana Evans 1854 who died soon afterward. He married second Mary Jane Burkalow. The children were Mahala (3) who married Cass Simmons. Their children were Maggie and Eva. Maggie married Calvin (see Mathis). Eva married DeEsco Walker. This family removed to Oklahoma. Mary (3) married Nelson Oliver. Mr. Whittenberg after the war married Martha Ann (Cranshaw) Benson whose husband had died from a gunshot wound and imprisonment in Andersonville, during the Civil. War. Their children were W. H. (3), D. W. (3), I. N. (3), Viola (3), Frank (3), Lula May (3). W. H. (3) is a farmer and teacher. He removed a few years ago to Union County. He married Lucretia (see Chapman). D. W. (3) entered the business world quite young beginning as a teacher but was soon elected cashier of the First National Bank of Vienna, Illinois, where he remained for twenty-five years. He was also interested in farming and stock raising and aided materially in getting farmers of this county to raise a better grade of horses and cattle. He was untiring in his efforts to move forward along moral, religious and whatever lines would benefit the community. He was superintendent of the Methodist Sunday School in Vienna for more than twenty years, always faithful to his duty. Vienna lost one of her most progressive citizens when he removed to Centralia, Illinois 1919 and became the cashier of the Centralia National Bank. He married Ida C. (see Chapman). Daniel Wayne (4) served in France in the World War. He married Ruth Vaughn and resides in Centralia. Elizabeth (4) is a student in the Centralia High School. Mr. Whittenberg was a Republican, a Mason and served as Grand Patron of the Order of the Eastern Star of Illinois. He died in 1923. I. N. (4) was a dentist of Mount Carmel, Illinois, and married Nell Nazor. They had Howard (4) and Frank (4). Viola (3) married J. B. Morray. Their children were Ralph (4) who is a teacher of Agriculture in the Oblong, Illinois, schools. He married Haloween (see Parker). Eulala (4) resides in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Frank (3) married Zilla Webb. He died young leaving one daughter, Mabel (4). Lula (3) was a teacher of this county several years and married Judge T. J. Layman of Benton, Illinois, where they reside. Their children are Martha (4) and Thomas J. Jr., (4).
Extracted 08 Feb 2017 by Norma Hass from 1925 A History of Johnson County, Illinois, by Mrs. P. T. Chapman, pages 480-482.
