William Richard Whittaker (1859 - 1953)

Born 22 Sep 1859 in Green County, Wisconsin, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Susan (Coote) Whittaker — married 1 Feb 1883 in Kadina, South Australia, Australia

Descendants

Died 6 Sep 1953 at age 93 in Crystal Brook, South Australia, Australia

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Biography

William Richard Whittaker was born in Green County, Wisconsin on 22 September 1859. The family then moved to Kansas Territory before migrating to South Australia to attempt to claim an inheritance.

William married Susan Coote (daughter of Harry and Elizabeth) on 1 February 1883 at the Primitive Methodist Manse in Kadina.^[1]. The couple had 15 children:^[2]

1. William Henry Whittaker, 1 April 1884 Port Broughton - 20 March 1959, married Catherine Cheyne Smith and Florence Williams
2. Susan Elizabeth Whittaker, 21 August 1885 Port Broughton - 21 June 1965 Semaphore, married Hugo Albert Gebert
3. Mary Gertrude Whittaker, 24 November 1886 Port Broughton - September 1977, married Edward Charles Wall
4. Violet Agatha Whittaker, 6 January 1888 Port Broughton - 8 June 1949, married Alexander Forbes
5. Edith May Whittaker, 11 May 1889 Port Broughton - 10 April 1976 Kadina, married Ernest Vivian Evans
6. Mabel Annie Whittaker, 25 August 1890 Port Broughton - 19 March 1952 Prospect, married William John (Jack) Darby
7. Richard Dowling Whittaker, 30 September 1891 Port Broughton - 20 October 1896 Port Broughton
8. Myrtle Rose Whittaker, 19 December 1892 Port Broughton - 22 February 1972 Prospect, married Arthur Duffy then Hubert Henry Stephenson
9. Hubert Pike Whittaker, 6 June 1894 Port Broughton - 28 September 1917 Killed in action in France
10. Olive Hilda Whittaker, 13 February 1896 Wokurna - 6 January 1973, married Roy Howard Burgess
11. Robert Dowling Whittaker 16 November 1897 Port Broughton - 2 August 1969 Port Lincoln, married Vera Edith Pratt
12. Walter Cuthbert Whittaker, 7 March 1900 Wokurna - 26 November 1959 Port Pirie, married Dorothy May Preiss

William Richard Whittaker lived at Port Broughton and died at Crystal Brook on 6 September 1953.^[3]

He was buried at Port Broughton Cemetery.^[4]

Reminiscence

Old Times At Wokurna—Mr. Whittaker's Happy Memories
[Written Expressly For "The Recorder" by S. W. OSBORNE]
WRITING from Barrett's road, Mitcham, Mr. W. R. Whittaker, formerly of Wokurna, near Port Broughton, wrote to me to say that he received from a granddaughter a copy of "The Recorder" containing references to my visit to the lastnamed place, nearly 40 years ago, to report the maiden speech of the late Mr. T. G. Simpson then an aspiring candidate for parliamentary honors. It was at a social after the meeting that I first met Mr. and Mrs. Whittaker and the members of their large family. My old friend in his letter mentions that I made a mistake in giving the number as 16—It should have been 15. Of these, 13 survive. One son was killed in the last war and another met his death through an accident on the farm. His eldest son is now 60, and he often jocularly introduces him as his brother until somebody corrects him. Two sons joined the forces for this war, also 15 direct grandsons, of whom, he is pleased to say, he has lost only one, while four grandsons by marriage are serving overseas. Bill adds that my notes brought back to him memories of old Wokurna days, the happiest period of his life. He has never forgotten the kindness extended to him by Pirie people, and asks to be remembered to his many friends here. Veterans of Pirie Rifle Club will remember that he was formerly a regular attendant at the annual matches. Another representative of Port Broughton Club was Mr R. Storr.

--The Recorder, 5 February 1945^[5]

Sources

1. ↑ Genealogy SA marriage index Groom Given Name(s): William Richard Groom Last Name: WHITTAKER Bride Given Name(s): Susan Bride Last Name: COOTE Marriage Date: 1883, February 01 Marriage Place: PM Manse Kadina Groom Age: 23 Groom Approx. Birth Year: 1860 Groom Marital Status: S Groom Father: William WHITTAKER Bride Age: 17 Bride Approx. Birth Year: 1866 Bride Marital Status: S Bride Father Name: Harry COOTE District: Daly Book/Page: 134/538
2. ↑ Whittaker Saga Committee, Australian Generations of Whittaker Families 2015
3. ↑ Genealogy SA death index Given Name(s): William Richard Last Name: WHITTAKER Death Date: 06 Sep 1953 Gender: M Age: 93y Approx. Birth Year: 1860 Marital Status: W Residence: Port Broughton Death Place: Crystal Brook District: Pirie Symbol: H Book/Page: 801/4820
4. ↑ "Find a Grave," database, (Find A Grave: Memorial #197678525 : accessed 29 December 2023), Memorial page for William Richard Whittaker (22 Sep 1859-6 Sep 1953), citing Port Broughton Cemetery, Port Broughton, District Council of Barunga West, South Australia, Australia; Maintained by Shaz in Adelaide (contributor 49579799).
5. ↑ PERSONAL REMINISCENCES (1945, February 5). Recorder (Port Pirie, SA : 1919 - 1954), p. 3. Retrieved December 29, 2023, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article96193283

• The Whittaker Saga, Mary Beard, 1981, ISBN 0 9593675