Family:Whitney, John Drury (1843-1936)

John Drury⁷ Whitney (Ebenezer⁶, (Micah⁵, Abel⁴, Nathaniel³, Benjamin², John¹), son of Ebenezer⁶ and Dorcas (Drury)(Parlin) Whitney, was born 21 Oct 1843, West Phillips, ME, and died 18 Mar 1936, Franklin, MA.

He married 26 Jan 1870, Strong, ME, Eldusty Peary, daughter of Samuel Augustus and Abigail (Heath) Peary. She was born 7 Jun 1851, Getchell Plantation, ME, and died 29 Nov 1935, Franklin, MA.

John Drury Whitney was known throughout his life by his middle name. He, his wife Eldusty, and his mother Dorcas are all buried in the Union Street Cemetery in Franklin, MA. Memorialized on the grave marker there are Drury's father Ebenezer and his brother Jonas, but they are not buried there, but in the Strong Village Cemetery in Strong, ME. Obituary from unknown newspaper in Franklin, Mass. Yesterday afternoon at 5:45 o'clock John D. Whitney passed away at his home, 182 Union Street after being an invalid for about 9 years as the result of a critical operation. He was in his 93rd year and was one of the two local Veterans of the Civil War, Commander Albert J. Newell of Post 60, G.A.R., now being the sole survivor in this town. John Drury Whitney was born in West Phillips, Maine, Oct 21, 1843, the son of Ebenezer and Dorcus (Drury) Whitney. He responded to President Lincoln's call of 1862 and served as a volunteer in the 19th Army Corps, Department of the Gulf, under General Banks and took part in the seige of Fort Hudson. He served out his period of enlistment and was honorably discharged. He was united in marriage to Eldusty Peary at Strong, Maine, Jan. 26,1870, and they resided in Freeman Center, Maine, until October 1887, when the family moved to Franklin. Mr. Whitney is survived by four children, a daughter and three sons. They are Rev. Minerva B. Marshall of this town, Frank D. of Greenwood, Mass., Charles L. of Dedham and Ralph T. of this town. A son, Jonas Albert, died in infancy. There are also nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren surviving. Mr. Whitney's wife passed away Nov. 29, 1935. For many years the deceased was a member of the local Methodist Church and the funeral service will be held there next Sunday afternoon at 2 o"clock. Military organizations will be represented. Mr. Whitney was formerly a member of Franklin Post 60, G.A.R.. but of late years he belonged to no organization, feeling he should devote his entire time to his home and church. Local military organizations will form an escort from the Methodist Church to the Union Street Cemetery, where a military salute will be fired by a squad of Veterans from the Spanish War and American Legion Posts. "Taps" will be sounded by Official Bugler Herbert C. Stewart. Because of Mr. Whitney's love for band music, having been in his younger days a bandmaster in Maine, the local High School Band has been invited to play hymns enroute from the church to the cemetery. Children of John Drury⁷ and Eldusty (Peary) Whitney:

i.	Frank Drury8 Whitney, b. 9 Jan 1871, Freeman, ME; d. 23 Aug 1955, Reading, MA.
ii.	Minerva Belle Whitney, b. 11 Feb 1872, Freeman, ME; d. 28 Apr 1948, Bangor, ME.
iii.	Charles Louis Whitney, b. 9 Feb 1874, Freeman, ME; d. 8 Oct 1949, Dedham, MA.
iv.	Jonas Albert Whitney, b. 7 Nov 1877, Freeman, ME; d. 24 Dec 1877, Freeman, ME.
v.	Ralph Taylor Whitney, b. 2 May 1890, Franklin, MA; d. 29 Jul 1954, Camarillo, CA.

References

• Civil War Pension File of John Drury Whitney

• Bible Record of Ebenezer and Dorcas (Drury)(Parlin) Whitney

• Sedgeley, Geo. B., Micah Whitney, Revolutionary Soldier and His Twelve Children Settled Early in Philips, Maine; Jacob and Joseph Whitney Came to Phillips 1792; Salmon Whitney Appeared in Letter E Plantation 1810 (Farmington, Maine: The Knowlton & McLeary Co., Printers, 1943).

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Copyright © 2009, Kenneth L. Whitney and the Whitney Research Group.