 1872 - 1942 (70 years) Submit Photo / Document
Has no ancestors but 6 descendants in this family tree.
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| Name |
Charles Robert Whitchurch |
| Birth |
29 Jun 1872 |
Dwight Township, Huron, Michigan, United States  |
| Gender |
Male |
| Death |
26 Oct 1942 |
Long Beach, Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Burial |
29 Oct 1942 |
Sunnyside Cemetery, Long Beach, Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Initiatory (LDS) |
2 Mar 2006 |
BOISE |
| FamilySearch ID |
LH8M-Y42 |
| Person ID |
I122846 |
mytree |
| Last Modified |
25 Feb 2024 |
| Family |
Cora Estelle Maxfield, b. 25 Feb 1873, Plover, Portage, Wisconsin, United States d. 12 Aug 1956, Long Beach, Los Angeles, California, United States (Age 83 years) |
| Marriage |
11 Oct 1899 |
Plover, Portage, Wisconsin, United States |
| Children |
| | 1. Earl Whitchurch, b. 10 Jul 1900, Gladstone, Delta, Michigan, United States d. 13 Aug 1900 (Age 0 years) |
| | 2. Gale Maxfield Whitchurch, b. 21 Feb 1903, Gladstone, Delta, Michigan, United States d. 20 Jan 1972, Alameda, California, United States (Age 68 years) |
| | 3. Charles Vernon Whitchurch, b. 11 Dec 1907, Minneapolis, Hennepin, Minnesota, United States d. 20 Feb 1953 (Age 45 years) |
| | 4. Harold Whitchurch, b. 17 May 1914, Minneapolis, Hennepin, Minnesota, United States d. 26 May 1914 (Age 0 years) |
| + | 5. Walter Almon Whitchurch, b. 17 Mar 1916, Minneapolis, Hennepin, Minnesota, United States d. 13 Oct 2003, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States (Age 87 years) |
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| Family ID |
F34955 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Last Modified |
16 Jan 2025 |
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| Event Map |
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 | Birth - 29 Jun 1872 - Dwight Township, Huron, Michigan, United States |
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 | Marriage - 11 Oct 1899 - Plover, Portage, Wisconsin, United States |
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 | Death - 26 Oct 1942 - Long Beach, Los Angeles, California, United States |
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 | Burial - 29 Oct 1942 - Sunnyside Cemetery, Long Beach, Los Angeles, California, United States |
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 | Initiatory (LDS) - 2 Mar 2006 - BOISE |
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| Notes |
- "I was born on a farm in a log house in Dwight Township, Huron County, M i chigan on June 29, 1872. I worked on my father's farm until the sprin g o f 1896 when I left home to do for myself. I went to Gladstone, Michig an a nd worked in a store and saw mill until October of the same year . I the n went to work for the Soo Line Railway at Gladstone, Michigan . I worke d in the Round House for 20 months as an engine wiper, fire bui lder, stor ehouse keeper until I was promoted to locomotive fireman fro m about Jun e 1898 until March 1903 when I was promoted to locomotive eng ineer and ha ve been running an engine of the largest type ever since. Oc tober 11, 189 9 I married the sweetest little girl in Wisconsin and if yo u don't thin k so just ask our 3 boys. Her name was Cora Estelle Maxfiel d of Plover, W isconsin, Portage County."
Charles was a very large and strong person. When in his prime he weigh e d 195 pounds. He was 5'11" tall and was very large boned. He had a rea c h from finger tip to finger tip of 84" (7 feet). He could chin himsel f 2 0 times with one arm. As a young man he helped with the chores on hi s fat her's farm. He often told how he would crawl under a colt every da y and l ift the colt on his back. He continued to do this until the col t becam e a full grown horse weighing approximately 1000 lbs. until one d ay he mi ssed. After that day he was no longer able to lift the horse.
He was a very kind person and was good to everyone. He was very thoughtf u l of his Cora and often brought her gifts for no special reason. He enj oy ed being engineer on the special picnic train that went to Buffalo, Mi nne sota. Walter remembers well riding in the engine on that train and al so o n the train that went to Rhinelander, Wisconsin. On that train the y woul d go from Minneapolis to Rhinelander, stay overnight and over Sund ay, the n return on Monday to Minneapolis. When Charles was growing up th ere wa s no radio and no television. For fun he participated in seeing wh o coul d go hand over hand on a rope from the ground to the top of th e 2 1/2 sto ry barn and back down in the shortest length of time. Every S unday he wou ld wrestle with his brother Dave out behind the barn. Dave w as 5 1/2 year s older. Dave was always able to pin his brother. Finally o ne Sunday Char les pinned Dave and after that Dave would not wrestle hi s brother.
When he was sixteen, Charles worked in the lumber camps during the winte r . One time to get to the camp he had to walk 30 miles in a snow storm w it h a fifty pound pack on his back. His normal walking speed was abou t 4 mi les per hour.
In his later years, Charles was never more than 15 lbs. above his prim e w eight of 195 lbs.
Charles Robert Whitchurch died in his sleep October 26, 1942 and was int e rred in the wall of the Sunnyside Cemetery in Long Beach, California. W he n placed in the casket he had to be placed partly on his side becaus e hi s shoulders were so broad that he couldn't be laid flat.
One of the remarks he used to make was: "Always push yourself away fro m t he table when you are still a little hungry." We should all be follow in g this good advise.
From the papers of Walter and Phyllis Whitchurch.
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Has no ancestors but 6 descendants in this family tree.
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