A fortunate exchange with a distant cousin and AncestryDNA connection has me looking back over the Kentucky branches on my Mom's side of the tree. I am revisiting the Whitley/Wheatley and Matthews side of my 2nd-great-grandparents Thomas Whitley and Elizabeth Hayden Matthews. They had at least 12 children, and several made their way to Indianapolis. In reviewing my records, I see that I did not follow-up on this group of relations very well, as there are many news articles and entries that I missed. I am also correcting some errors. If any descendants of the Whitley family stumble onto this post, I would be very interested in seeing any photos of Thomas and Elizabeth if these exist.
As a reminder and now corrected below, Thomas and Elizabeth's children were:
- Martha Belle "Mattie" Whitley, born 3 December 1886, died 10 December 1944
- Minnie Catherine Whitley, born 6 September 1888, died 9 August 1983
- Samuel Robert Whitley (who I previously misidentified as Thomas), born 2 February 1890, died 14 May 1953
- William Clarence Whitley, born 24 July 1891, died 5 April 1966
- Grover Cleveland Whitley, born 9 February 1893, died 20 March 1983
- Omer Dural Whitley, born 24 July 1895, died 18 March 1951
- Thomas Bryant Whitley, born 15 October 1898, died 1 June 1918
- Elizabeth Lois Whitley (my great-grandmother), born 15 March 1901, died 24 November 1988
- George C. Whitley, born 15 April 1903, died 14 March 1970
- Margaret Madge Whitley, born 6 February 1907, died 3 October 2004
- Earl Benjamin Whitley, born 12 January 1909, died 5 March 1979
- Nellie Ruth Whitley, born 20 May 1912, died 8 April 1931
Martha Belle "Mattie" Whitley
The oldest of the Whitley children was Mattie Whitley. She appears in the 1900 Census in Elk Springs, Warren County, Kentucky. In 1907 she married miller Selby Clark in neighboring Metcalfe County, and they appear in the 1910 Census in Metcalfe County. Mattie and Selby had a daughter, May Aline (also spelled Olean or Olene) Clark, in September 1911. Selby Clark died on 4 April 1913, and Mattie then married another miller, Hallis Clifton Goff, in Louisville on 25 November 1914.
In the 1930 US Census, my grandfather Leo Reid was living with Clifton and Mattie in Glasgow, Barren County, Kentucky. It appears Clifton had become quite successful. The census record incorrectly lists Leo as born in Kentucky
Clifton died on 23 May 1935 in Glasgow, Barren County. Mattie passed away on 10 December 1944. Her obituary in the Louisville Courier-Journal provides a bit more information on her, and also helped clear up some errors in my tree on her siblings.
Minnie Catherine Whitley
The next in the line is Minnie Catherine Whitley. She also appears in the household of Thomas and Elizabeth Whitley in the 1900 US Census in Elk Springs, Warren County, Kentucky, attending school. She married John W. Neville, an engineer in a flour mill, in Barren County on 19 December 1906, after turning 18. Her father Thomas provided a handwritten consent to the marriage dated September 1906.
Minnie and John had at least three children: Anna, born in October 1907, William Albert, born in September 1910, and Carlos Lee Neville, born in January 1913. I don't know what happened to John Neville, but by July 1919 Minnie had moved to Indianapolis and married Oran Sheeks. Minnie and Oran had a home in Wayne Township, Indianapolis. In the 1920 US Census, my great-grandparents Alvin Read and Lois Whitley Read were living with Minnie and Oran, along with the children from their prior marriages.
Oran and Minnie had a daughter, Winifred, born in May 1921, and then a son, Kenneth Eugene Sheeks, in September 1923.
Oran Sheeks died in 1962. Minnie passed away in Dayton, Ohio on 9 August 1983.
Samuel Robert Whitley
Samuel appears in the 1900 US Census in Elk Springs, Warren County, Kentucky. His World War I draft card shows that Samuel moved west, as he was living in Wright County, Iowa, with a wife and two children at the time. Digging further shows that Samuel married Gertrude Eleanor Ries of Nebraska around 1912. They had a daughter Geraldine in Illinois in 1914 and another daughter Ruth Irene in Iowa in 1915. Samuel and Gertrude had a third daughter, Jean, in Wyoming in 1924.
Samuel was a farmer, who grew potatoes in Colorado in the 1930s and lived in Nebraska. He and Gertrude eventually moved to California. Samuel died in a hospital in Phoenix, Arizona on 14 May 1953.
William Clarence Whitley
The fourth of the children was William Clarence Whitley, who appears in the 1900 US Census in Elk Springs, Warren County, Kentucky as "Willie." He had moved out of his parents' household by the 1910 Census. Willam appears again in Nelson County, Kentucky in 1913, when he married Mattie Cheshire on 28 January 1913. The marriage record shows he was a section foreman for a railroad company, so this probably explains his absence from the 1910 Census in the Whitley household.
William and Mattie moved to Louisville. They had at least four children: Mabel (1914), William C. Jr (1916), Elizabeth (1918) and Jesse (1920).
According to his obituary, William worked at the Louisville and Nashville Railroad as a brakeman and conductor for 50 years. When he retired, he became a horse owner and trainer. It would be cool to know if one of William's horses ran in the Kentucky Derby.
Grover Cleveland Whitley
Fifth of the children was Grover Cleveland Whitley, named after the President who was serving his second term when Grover was born. He appears in the Whitley household in the 1900 and 1910 Censuses. In January 1917, he married Nellie Madge Lawrence. They had two children, James Clifton Whitley in 1918 and Nellie Marie Whitley in 1920. Grover and family relocated to Indianapolis after 1920, and they lived there for the rest of their lives.
Grover and Madge were featured in the Indianapolis News in 1982 in celebration of their 65th wedding anniversary.
Grover died at the age of 90 in Indianapolis, on 20 March 1983. Madge died in Indianapolis on 18 August 1988.
I will have a separate post on the rest of the Whitley siblings.
As a reminder and now corrected below, Thomas and Elizabeth's children were:
- Martha Belle "Mattie" Whitley, born 3 December 1886, died 10 December 1944
- Minnie Catherine Whitley, born 6 September 1888, died 9 August 1983
- Samuel Robert Whitley (who I previously misidentified as Thomas), born 2 February 1890, died 14 May 1953
- William Clarence Whitley, born 24 July 1891, died 5 April 1966
- Grover Cleveland Whitley, born 9 February 1893, died 20 March 1983
- Omer Dural Whitley, born 24 July 1895, died 18 March 1951
- Thomas Bryant Whitley, born 15 October 1898, died 1 June 1918
- Elizabeth Lois Whitley (my great-grandmother), born 15 March 1901, died 24 November 1988
- George C. Whitley, born 15 April 1903, died 14 March 1970
- Margaret Madge Whitley, born 6 February 1907, died 3 October 2004
- Earl Benjamin Whitley, born 12 January 1909, died 5 March 1979
- Nellie Ruth Whitley, born 20 May 1912, died 8 April 1931
Martha Belle "Mattie" Whitley
The oldest of the Whitley children was Mattie Whitley. She appears in the 1900 Census in Elk Springs, Warren County, Kentucky. In 1907 she married miller Selby Clark in neighboring Metcalfe County, and they appear in the 1910 Census in Metcalfe County. Mattie and Selby had a daughter, May Aline (also spelled Olean or Olene) Clark, in September 1911. Selby Clark died on 4 April 1913, and Mattie then married another miller, Hallis Clifton Goff, in Louisville on 25 November 1914.
In the 1930 US Census, my grandfather Leo Reid was living with Clifton and Mattie in Glasgow, Barren County, Kentucky. It appears Clifton had become quite successful. The census record incorrectly lists Leo as born in Kentucky
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| 1930 US Census, Glasgow, Barren County, Kentucky. |
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| Louisville Courier-Journal 11 Dec 1944 |
Minnie Catherine Whitley
The next in the line is Minnie Catherine Whitley. She also appears in the household of Thomas and Elizabeth Whitley in the 1900 US Census in Elk Springs, Warren County, Kentucky, attending school. She married John W. Neville, an engineer in a flour mill, in Barren County on 19 December 1906, after turning 18. Her father Thomas provided a handwritten consent to the marriage dated September 1906.
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| Source: Ancestry. Consent to marry signed by Thomas Whitley. |
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| Source: Ancestry. 1920 US Census. Indianapolis, Indiana. |
Oran Sheeks died in 1962. Minnie passed away in Dayton, Ohio on 9 August 1983.
Samuel Robert Whitley
Samuel appears in the 1900 US Census in Elk Springs, Warren County, Kentucky. His World War I draft card shows that Samuel moved west, as he was living in Wright County, Iowa, with a wife and two children at the time. Digging further shows that Samuel married Gertrude Eleanor Ries of Nebraska around 1912. They had a daughter Geraldine in Illinois in 1914 and another daughter Ruth Irene in Iowa in 1915. Samuel and Gertrude had a third daughter, Jean, in Wyoming in 1924.
Samuel was a farmer, who grew potatoes in Colorado in the 1930s and lived in Nebraska. He and Gertrude eventually moved to California. Samuel died in a hospital in Phoenix, Arizona on 14 May 1953.
William Clarence Whitley
The fourth of the children was William Clarence Whitley, who appears in the 1900 US Census in Elk Springs, Warren County, Kentucky as "Willie." He had moved out of his parents' household by the 1910 Census. Willam appears again in Nelson County, Kentucky in 1913, when he married Mattie Cheshire on 28 January 1913. The marriage record shows he was a section foreman for a railroad company, so this probably explains his absence from the 1910 Census in the Whitley household.
William and Mattie moved to Louisville. They had at least four children: Mabel (1914), William C. Jr (1916), Elizabeth (1918) and Jesse (1920).
According to his obituary, William worked at the Louisville and Nashville Railroad as a brakeman and conductor for 50 years. When he retired, he became a horse owner and trainer. It would be cool to know if one of William's horses ran in the Kentucky Derby.
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| Louisville Courier-Journal, 6 Apr 1966. |
Fifth of the children was Grover Cleveland Whitley, named after the President who was serving his second term when Grover was born. He appears in the Whitley household in the 1900 and 1910 Censuses. In January 1917, he married Nellie Madge Lawrence. They had two children, James Clifton Whitley in 1918 and Nellie Marie Whitley in 1920. Grover and family relocated to Indianapolis after 1920, and they lived there for the rest of their lives.
Grover and Madge were featured in the Indianapolis News in 1982 in celebration of their 65th wedding anniversary.
 |
| Indianapolis News, 11 Jan 1982 |
Grover died at the age of 90 in Indianapolis, on 20 March 1983. Madge died in Indianapolis on 18 August 1988.
I will have a separate post on the rest of the Whitley siblings.
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