Solomon Whitaker^[1]

1822 - 1895  (73 years)

• Name	Solomon Whitaker
  Born	27 Apr 1822	Fairview, Buncombe County, North Carolina
  Gender	Male
  Died	30 Nov 1895	Henderson County, North Carolina
  Buried	Whitaker Farm Cemetery, Henderson County, North Carolina
  Person ID	I254004	Smoky Mountain Ancestral Quest
  Last Modified	1 Jun 2009

  
  

  Father	Joshua Whitaker,   b. 1797,   d. 1881  (Age 84 years)
  Mother	Margaret "Peggy" Ashworth,   b. 1803,   d. 1892  (Age 89 years)
  Family ID	F98167	Group Sheet

  
  

  Family 1	Dicey Ownbey,   b. 7 Nov 1823, Buncombe County, North Carolina ,   d. 26 Jul 1874, Henderson County, North Carolina  (Age 50 years)
  Married	Abt 1841
  Children	1. Rufus Whitaker,   b. 3 Jan 1843, Rutherford County, North Carolina ,   d. 17 Jan 1864  (Age 21 years)   2. Thomas Whitaker,   b. 6 Apr 1845, Rutherford County, North Carolina ,   d. 7 Jan 1867, Henderson County, North Carolina  (Age 21 years)   3. Sarah Ruth Whitaker,   b. 3 Feb 1847, Rutherford County, North Carolina ,   d. 16 Nov 1928, Henderson County, North Carolina  (Age 81 years)   4. Catherine L. Whitaker,   b. 16 Oct 1847, Henderson County, North Carolina ,   d. 10 Nov 1883, Henderson County, North Carolina  (Age 36 years) + 5. Julius Lafayette Whitaker,   b. 15 May 1851, Henderson County, North Carolina ,   d. 9 Sep 1945, Henderson County, North Carolina  (Age 94 years) + 6. Margaret Whitaker,   b. 13 Sep 1853, Henderson County, North Carolina ,   d. 18 Jan 1935, Henderson County, North Carolina  (Age 81 years)   7. Mary Whitaker,   b. 3 Jun 1856, Henderson County, North Carolina ,   d. 4 Jun 1857, Henderson County, North Carolina  (Age 1 years)   8. Martha Whitaker,   b. 28 Aug 1859, Henderson County, North Carolina ,   d. 17 Aug 1874, Henderson County, North Carolina  (Age 14 years) + 9. Sidney Johnson Whitaker,   b. 21 Aug 1862, Henderson County, North Carolina ,   d. 29 Sep 1943, Henderson County, North Carolina  (Age 81 years)   10. Lucille Whitaker,   b. 11 Apr 1867, Henderson County, North Carolina
  Family ID	F98007	Group Sheet

  
  

  Family 2	Catherine Anders,   b. 10 Oct 1847, South Carolina ,   d. 10 Nov 1883, Mills River, Henderson County, North Carolina  (Age 36 years)
  Family ID	F98168	Group Sheet

  
  

  Family 3	Elmina Gray,   b. 1854,   d. 1899  (Age 45 years)
  Married	24 Apr 1884
  Family ID	F98169	Group Sheet

  
  

• Event Map		Died - 30 Nov 1895 - Henderson County, North Carolina  = Link to Google Maps   = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Sources

  [S84] E-Mail, Carroll Biddix [cmbiddix1@msn.com], 1 Jun 2009. Published in The Fairview Town Crier Solomon and Dicy Ownbey Whitaker by Bruce Whitaker Solomon Whitaker was born in Fairview, Buncombe County, North Carolina on April 27, 1822. He was the second child of Joshua Whitaker (1797-1881) and Margaret “Peggy” Ashworth (1803-1892). This Solomon Whitaker was 27 years older than his first cousin Solomon Whitaker (1849-1928) whom I wrote about several months ago. Solomon’s father, Joshua Whitaker owned around 2,000 acres of land in Fairview during his life. Joshua Whitaker’s home was located on Garren Creek near the intersection of Whitaker and Garren Creek Roads. The old Ivey Reed home was built near the site of his home. Solomon Whitaker’s parents, though they became Mormons late in life, were very active in the Baptist church when he was growing up. One of Joshua Whitaker’s best Baptist friends was Madison Ownbey. Ownbey was very active in the Baptist church and held many positions in the church during his life time. Through this church connection Solomon Whitaker met his first wife Dicy. Dicy Ownbey was born in the Broad River section of Rutherford County, (now Buncombe) on November 7, 1823. She was the third of fourteen children born to Madison Ownbey (1800-1868) and his first wife Nancy Morgan. Ownbey had ten children with his second wife, Elizabeth Clements. Solomon Whitaker and Dicy Ownbey were married around 1841. William Riley Whitaker (1823-1900), Solomon’s brother, married Ruth Ownbey (1830-1917) a sister of Dicy. Solomon and Dicy Whitaker moved to the Montford Cove section of Rutherford County sometime in the 1840s. They are listed on the 1850 Rutherford County Census. Solomon’s unmarried brother Riley Whitaker was living with him in 1850. Solomon and Dicy Whitaker moved to Mills River in Henderson County sometime in the 1850s. Solomon’s brother Riley Whitaker and his wife Ruth Ownbey, and his wife’s father, Madison Ownbey, moved to Mills River around the same time. Solomon Whitaker served in the Civil War as a Corporal in Company I 3rd North Carolina Infantry Mounted. Solomon Whitaker prospered in Mills River. He had a large farm and became active in the community and the church. He and Dicy Whitaker joined Mills River Baptist Church soon after moving to Henderson County. Dicy Whitaker’s health began to decline in the early 1870s. She died at her Mills River home on July 26, 1874. The following death notice was recorded in the Mills River Baptist Church Minutes: “Of Sister Dicy Whitaker, who joined the Baptist Church at Mills River, and lived a consistent member of the same until her death, her affliction was great during her stay here. She died July 26, 1874. Her last words were, “I am going home to meet my friends that have gone before.” And in the death of Sister Dicy Whitaker the church has sustained an irreparable loss. We believe the loss to the church here is to her eternal gain in that home where she shall rest from her labors and where her worth will follow her.” After his wife’s death Solomon Whitaker married Catherine Anders. She was born in South Carolina, October 10, 1847 and was the daughter of D.A. Anders. Catherine Anders Whitaker died at her home in Mills River, November 10, 1883. Solomon Whitaker married a third time on April 24, 1884 to Elmina Gray. She was born in 1854 and was the daughter of Andrew Gray. Solomon Whitaker succeeded John Rickman as postmaster of the Pink Beds (upper Mills River) on November 23, 1882. He served as the postmaster of the Pink Beds until July 12, 1888, when age forced his retirement. George Marcus Brittian succeeded him as postmaster. Solomon Whitaker died November 30, 1895. Elimina Gray Whitaker died in 1899. Solomon Whitaker and all three of his wives are buried at the Whitaker Cemetery in Mills River in Henderson.