William Fancher Whitman and Ann Eliza Gilmore

---

---

Husband William Fancher Whitman ¹

---

           Born: 21 Jan 1855 - Mercer Co, PA 1
     Christened: 
           Died: 1942
         Buried:  - Mill Creek Cemetery, Utica, Frenchcreek Twp, Venango Co, PA 2

---

         Father: Jacob Whitman (      -      ) 1
         Mother: Jane Fancher (      -      ) 1

---

       Marriage: 1879 3

---

---

Wife Ann Eliza Gilmore

---

            AKA: Anna Gilmore 3
           Born: 4 Nov 1853
     Christened: 
           Died: 1954
         Buried:  - Mill Creek Cemetery, Utica, Frenchcreek Twp, Venango Co, PA 2

---

         Father: William Gilmore (1803-1861) 4
         Mother: Jane Dickey (cal 1817-1897)

---

---

Children

---

1 M Harry Whitman ³

---

           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

---

2 F Alice Whitman ³

---

           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Ray Smith (      -      ) 3

---

3 F Nellie Whitman ³

---

           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

         Spouse: H. F. Brown (      -      ) 3

---

4 M Charles Whitman ³

---

           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

---

5 F Florence B. Whitman ³

---

           Born: 3 May 1896
     Christened: 
           Died: Dec 1982 - ? Titusville, Crawford Co, PA
         Buried:  - Chapmanville Cemetery, Chapmanville, Plum Twp, Venango Co, PA 5

         Spouse: Meryl C. Rice (1894-1968)
           Marr: 1919 - ? Venango Co, PA

---

---

General Notes: Husband - William Fancher Whitman

---

He was only a boy at the time of his father’s death, and he was thereafter reared by his maternal grandfather, Capt. William Fancher. He was allowed excellent educational advantages, being sent to the academy, and when eighteen years old he began to teach, following the profession for four years and meantime taking a course in a business college at York, PA. In 1879 he began the mercantile business, which was his chief interest thereafter, starting as clerk in the store of Crane & Company, at Utica, where he gained the preliminary experience necessary to success in an independent venture. In 1881, in company with George Winchester, he bought the business at Chapmanville, in Plum Township. They purchased it from Ira Crowther, who erected the building in 1879 to replace a former one destroyed by fire. Though the young men had to borrow a thousand dollars when they took the store over, they were so successful from the beginning that within five years Mr. Whitman was in position to buy his partner’s share, becoming sole owner in the year 1886, and within a few years after that he was also able to buy out the only rival concern in the town, operated by S. S. Gould. After 1902 Mr. Whitman had his son Harry as partner, under the firm name of W. F. Whitman & Son.
He was well known by reason of his public services, which extended over a number of years. After serving as clerk in the lower house of the State legislature during the sessions of 1903, 1905 and 1906 he was elected to represent his district in that body in 1906, serving in 1907. In 1908 he was defeated by the close margin of one vote, the contest being sharp on account of the Prohibition issue, then uppermost. Though he was the regular Republican nominee he was known to hold decided views on this subject, being opposed to the general sale of spirituous liquors and favorable to local option, and public opinion was with him to such an extent that in 1910 he was easily elected, as also two years later. In each session that he served he had the honor of a place upon the Appropriations committee.
The family was associated with the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Whitman was an Odd Fellow, affiliating with the lodge at Bradleytown, and he was one of the first officers of Plum Tent, No. 52, K. O. T. M., of Chapmanville. [CAB, 621]

1 Charles A. Babcock, Venango County, Pennsylvania, Her Pioneers and People (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1919), Pg 620.

2 Venango County Historical Society, Venango County Pennsylvania Cemetery Records and Early Church Histories, Vol. 6, Frenchcreek Township (Franklin, PA: Venango County Historical Society, 1998), Pg 50.

3 Charles A. Babcock, Venango County, Pennsylvania, Her Pioneers and People (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1919), Pg 621.

4 —, History of Venango County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Brown, Runk, & Co., Publishers, 1890), Pg 1014.

5 Venango County Historical Society, Venango County Pennsylvania Cemetery Records and Early Church Histories, Vol. 8, Plum Township (Franklin, PA: Venango County Historical Society, 2000), Pg 24.