Family:Whitney, Martin Van Buren (1832-1903)

Martin Van Buren⁸ Whitney (Zerah⁷, James⁶, Samuel⁵, Samuel⁴, Nathaniel³, John², John¹), son of Zerah⁷ and Jane (Demond) Whitney, was born 24 Nov 1832, Lancaster, NY, and died 30 Mar 1903, Caledonia, MI, aged 70 years 4 months 6 days, of anemia and debility.^[1] He was buried in Lakeside Cemtery, Caledonia, MI.^[2]

He married, 20 Feb 1853, Bowne Twp., MI, Harriet White, daughter of Robert and Alice (Hurst) White. She was born 15 Mar 1835, Clipstone, Nottinghamshire, England, and died 7 Jul 1911, Caledonia, MI. She was buried in Lakeside Cemtery, Caledonia, MI.^[3]

He was a farmer and had been supervisor of his town; resided Caledonia Station, MI.

Phoenix says the following:

"Martin Van Buren Whitney, b. at Lancaster, N. Y., 24 Nov. 1832; a farmer; married at Bowne, Mich., 20 Feb. 1853, by Rev. C. G. Barnes, Methodist Protestant, to Harriet White, whose father then lived in Bowne. She was born in Nottinghamshire, Eng., 15 March 1835, dau. of Robert and Alice (Hurst) White. They dwelt at Whitehall, Mich., for three months in 1853; at Grand Rapids, Mich., six months in 1854; and then settled at Alaska, in Caledonia, Mich., where they were living in 1874. He was then supervisor of the town."

Children of Martin Van Buren⁸ and Harriet (White) Whitney:

i.	Eva Jane9 Whitney, b. 4 Oct 1856; m. 4 Apr 1875, Horatio Plumley Bateman; resided Grand Rapids, MI.
ii.	Ida Luella Whitney, b. 15 Oct 1858; m. 12 Nov 1876, D. E. Pierson; resided White Lake, SD. He was b. 10 Apr 1848; farmer. Ch.: Myrta May, b. 24 May 1877; Ruby A., b. 12 Jan 1883; Fred M., b. 22 Nov 1886; Minnie M., b. 8 Aug 1888; Fay E., b. Mar. 12, 1890.
iii.	Nellie Louisa Whitney, b. 11 Nov 1861; m. 24 Dec 1877, George H. Jones. He was b. 20 Nov 1853. Ch.: Grace Belle, b. 20 Sep 1883; Louisa Eveline, b. 7 Jan 1888, d. 29 Nov 1889; Clara Edna, b. 21 Sep 1891.
iv.	Alice May Whitney, b. 24 Jun 1867; m. 28 Oct 1887, Allan B. Betzner. He was b. 3 Oct 1860, Breslau, Waterloo Co., ON. He was primarily a businessman, serving as an Agent for the Aetna Insurance Co., as well as providing other services in real estate, and trading in stocks and bonds. He was also a fine musician, played the Cornet and the violin in the Betzner-Clemens family orchestra, wife Alice played the piano, other Betzner and Clemens relatives played other instruments. One younger member whose name I cannot remember eventually played clarinet in a major Symphony Orchestra in NYC. Allan Betzner d. 3 Sep 1926, in Caledonia, MI, so even though I am his namesake (Allan E. Green), I never knew my maternal grandfather. I do have his violin, which I have played since age 7, and I still play at age 75. Alice May Whitney lived with my family since before I was born in 1933, as the stock market crash in 1929 wiped out all that her husband had laid aside for her. "Nana" d. 19 Nov 1963, Grand Rapids, MI, where we lived at the time. One most unusual memory connection to her funeral exists. During the cortege from the Funeral Home in Grand Rapids to the outlying town of Caledonia, President Kennedy was shot in Dallas, and when we arrived at the graveside the Dallas tragedy far overshadowed the interment.
v.	Orrin Chester Whitney, b. 5 Apr 1873.

Census

• 1860, Caledonia, Kent Co., MI:

1190 1055 Martin Whitney 36 M - Farmer $600 $100 New York Harriet " 29 F - England Eva J. " 4 F - Michigan Ida " 2 F - "

• 1870, Caledonia, Kent Co., MI:

26 27 Whitney, Martin 36 M W Farmer $3000 $1657 New York Male citizen over 21 -----, Harriet 35 F W Keeping House England Parents foreign born -----, Eva 14 F W Michigan Mother foreign born, Attended school -----, Ida 11 F W " Mother foreign born, Attended school -----, Nellie 9 F W " Mother foreign born, Attended school -----, Alice 3 F W " Mother foreign born Clark, Cathrine 75 F W No occupation New York

• 1880, Caledonia, Kent Co., MI:

Martin WHITNEY 47 Self M M W NY Farms CT HOLL Harriet A. WHITNEY 45 Wife F M W ENG Keep House ENG ENG Alice M. WHITNEY 12 Dau F S W MI School NY ENG Orrin C. WHITNEY 7 Son M S W MI School NY ENG Alice WHITE 76 MotL F W W ENG ENG ENG

References

• All data imported from Frederick Clifton Pierce, The Descendants of John Whitney, Who Came from London, England, to Watertown, Massachusetts, in 1635, (Chicago: 1895), p. 465.

• Stephen Whitney Phoenix, The Whitney family of Connecticut, and its affiliations; being an attempt to trace the descendants, as well in the female as the male lines, of Henry Whitney, from 1649 to 1878; to which is prefixed some account of the Whitneys of England. (New York : Priv. Print. [Bradford Press] 1878), p. 737; and p. 1557.

1.^  [cdm16317.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p129401coll7/id/506786 Death Records, 1897-1920], from Seeking Michigan: Kent.

2.^  FindAGrave Memorial #14457172, Martin (Father) Whitney.

3.^  FindAGrave Memorial #14457171, Harriet (Mother) Whitney.

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