Representative William Criner Whiting View All Years

HONORABLE WILL C. WHITING

MR. SPEAKER: Your committee, apponted to prepare suitable resolutions commemorating the life, character and public service of the Honorable Will C. Whiting, a former member of the Twenty-ninth, Thirtieth, and Thirty-first General Assembly of Iowa, beg leave to submit the following:

Will C. Whiting was born in Whiting Monona county, Iowa, August 13, 1857, and was the first white child born in West Fork, Township.

He was the son of former Judge Charles E. Whiting, a native of New York, who became a state senator, then Democratic candidate for governor in 1885. His mother was a native of Alabama.

Will C. Whiting was a member of a family whose name long has been linked in the history of Iowa. The town of Whiting was named after the Whiting family.

The first store ever to do business in Whiting was opened in 1880 by E. M. Cassaday and Will C. Whiting, and in 1882 they organized what was known for many years as the Cassady & Whiting Lumber Company. Mr. Cassady operated the store and Mr. Whiting devoted his time to operating the lumber yard. Although this partnership was strongly different in politics, Mr. Cassady being a rock-ribbed Republican while Mr. Whiting held up the light of faith for the other party just as strong, being a life long Democrat, politics were never allowed to enter business with these two splendid pioneers and their associations were always almost like two lovable brothers.

October 4, 1883, he married Miss Mary Elliott at Onawa, Iowa. Two children blessed this union. Chas. E. who resides on the Whiting farm east of Whiting and a daughter, Mrs. Woodson Peisen, who died of influenza February 12, 1920. On April 30, 1927, after more than forty-three years of married life he lost his wife in death.

From 1901 to 1907 he served as State Representative and was later honored by being elected State Senator, which office he held with great honor from 1907-1911, at that time being the 34th District including Crawford, Harrison and Monona counties. When he became a member of the State Senate an honor was bestowed upon him by that body by giving to him the chair occupied by his father many years before.

He was one of the Commissioners of the Louisiana Exposition and had charge of the agricultural department for the state of Iowa.

The name of Will C. Whiting will live forever in Whiting where one may point to many things that, due to his money and efforts, were made possible. He was not only one of the five donors of the Whiting library, but many other things.

For many years he was one of the most widely known stock raisers of that vicinity, and was regarded one of the superiors of the cattle raisers because of the fine grade that was developed on his farms, and sent to the markets. For twenty-five years the Whiting cup which is now in Ames college was awarded the farmer who would produce the best ten ears of corn. This cup was known as the Whiting cup and was eagerly sought after by corn raisers. As his father before him, he was a great lover of trees of which fact the many beautiful trees and tree lined avenues on the Whiting land bear mute evidence.

Many worthy and laudable things could be said about the kind and loving spirit of this splendid citizen and pioneer. He was a man true to his convictions and above all he was a real Christian.

The house where he was born still stands and is on the farm of Arthur C. Pike east of Whiting.

Tuesday, December 1, 1936 he suffered injuries when he fell in the barn at the country home resulting in three broken ribs, one of the ribs puncturing his lungs and causing infection which was the cause of his death Friday, December 4, 1936.

Funeral services were held on Monday, December 7, at two o’clock in the afternoon at the Whiting family home east of Whiting, with the Rev. Raymond Swisher, pastor of the First Congregational church at Whiting officiating. Interment was made in the Whiting cemetery.

His life span was seventy-nine years. The town of Whiting, Monona county and western Iowa has been made better because Will C. Whiting lived. His memory will go on down to the generations as a man who helped to build and build well this great country of ours. Surviving are his son, Elliott, with whom he made his home during his later years. Four sisters, Mrs. E. M. Cassady of Des Moines; Mrs. Ella M. Holmes, Mrs. Julia Pullen and Mrs. Woodson Cozine, all of Whiting, and many other relatives. A brother, Edwin M. Whiting, died last year.

Therefore, Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the Forty-seventh General Assembly of the State of Iowa in regular session, That in the death of Will C. Whiting the people of Monona county and the people of the entire state of Iowa have sustained a great loss. Everywhere he was known as a man honored and trusted, a man of sterling quality and irreproachable character.

Be It Further Resolved, That a copy of these resolution be spread upon the Journal of the House, and that the Chief Clerk be directed to forward an enrolled copy to the family of the deceased.

MATT B. RIDDLE,

DEAN W. PEISEN,

R. G. MOORE,

Committee.

Unanimously adopted, April 19, 1937.