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Note: Whitney Road, Rush Township, Susquehanna County, PA - Internet The tiny Fowler Hill/Whitney Cemetery is located on the former lands of the William Whitney property. The surrounding property was previously owned by LaMar Whitney, to Bryce Whitney, to Max and Carl Whitney, and presently by the Richard and Karen Schultz family. After Max died in 1989, the farm was divided to settle the estate, no more to be owned by the Whitney family who purchased it from Chandler Bixby who bought the land warrants about 1838.
The information here has been gathered with dates recorded from some very deteriorating headstones, diaries, and family members, plus data from the Bennett Genealogy compiled by Dorothy Anne Bennett in 1967. The outside edge of the cemetery, on the backside was supposed to be the burial plots of the Hoyt families. I surmise they were in the way of making hay and removed and used as fill in the Whitney driveway (diary data). The cemetery is encompassed, so to speak, with in the boundaries of large trees. There are a few burial plots beyond the trees marked by headstones, but very few! The Shultz family has adopted the cemetery and keeps it in very nice condition. It comes complete with a picnic table now. Karen Schultz tells me she would like to be buried there with her son who passed away some time ago. The following is data regarding William H. Whitney who died August 5, 1912, and comes from various sources: He is buried here at Fowler Hill/Whitney Cemetery. His name was never etched on the large headstone alongside his beloved Mahala. William was born about 1824 in PA. Legend has it he was born near Forkston Wyoming Co. PA. to Walter and Louisiana Edwards Whitney. William Whitney is in Windham Township 1850 census with his parents. On May 9, 1853, Reverend Davis Dimmock Gray married William and Mahala Bennett. Mahala was the daughter of Ferris and Nancy Black Bennett of Pike Township, Bradford County, PA. The family says William is buried at Fowler Hill. His granddaughter, Miss Muriel Whitney (1911-2003 buried at Beaver Meadows) recorded in a letter to me in 1995 that he is buried on the "farm". The journals of Leo Bolles state, "Ma and Pop" went to his funeral on August 8, 1912, but he did not record where! There was also a Grange service recorded for West Auburn, Shiloh Grange members. William Whitney�s second wife Hulda Jane Lewis MaGee Smith Whitney is buried at Beaver Meadows. William Whitney married Hulda MaGee on February 3, 1874. She was the daughter of James J. and Betsey Ross Lewis.
William and Mahala Whitney were the parents of many children. I cannot be exactly sure how many, however the family records only two lived to maturity. A son Walter, born about 1858 died from a heart attack in January 1915. He was married to Ollie Manes. They adopted two children according to the Saint Matthews of Pike Episcopal Church records, William Clark Whitney and Isabella Hoag Whitney. The Shiloh Grange of West Auburn recorded he died January 1915, no burial place of internment was listed. Leo Bolles recorded these records too. Walter could be buried here at Fowler Hill, no one knows for sure.
William and Mahala have only one daughter Elva (1860 - 1924) reaching maturity. She m.before 1880 to Charles Cobb (1851 � 1921). They have several children Iva M.James "Blaine", Jennie, and Elkhannah Winchester Cobb which left many descendents.
Among the children of William and Mahala that died before adulthood are McKenzie (1868), Jennie (1866), Lillie (This data is from the Bennett Genealogy only), Jinnie (1869 Bennett Book data and census) and an infant (1859 Bennett Book data). All are probably buried here with fieldstone markers. The second daughter on 1870 census named Jenna born about 1861 must be buried here also. Census records, the Bennett genealogy and Reverend D.D. Gray�s burial documents are the only proof they existed. The 1870 Auburn 4 Corners, Rush Township census recorded a daughter named Jenna aged 9 along with Elva and Walter. Jenna evidentially passed after 1870 census but before 1880. That census records William was born in Ohio, but no other census recorded that obvious error. Where the other two girls Jennie and Jinnie were in 1860 is not known. They should have been there with the family.
1880, Rush, Susquehanna, Pennsylvania 1880 William H. WHITNEY Self M Male W 56 PA Farmer CT NY Huldah WHITNEY Wife M Female W 38 PA Keeping House PA PA Walter WHITNEY Son S Male W 23 PA At Home PA PA Jennie A. WHITNEY Dau S Female W 14 PA At Home PA PA Jinnie WHITNEY Dau S Female W 11 PA At Home PA PA La Mar WHITNEY Son S Male W 5 PA PA PA Clarence DEXTER Other S Male W 21 PA Farm Labor PA PA Mahlon CULVER Other S Male W 19 PA Farm Labor PA PA Olive MEANS Other S Female W 21 PA Servant PA PA
Page Number 365B
The 1860 census just recorded what would be expected, the parents William and Mahala, Walter and the unnamed female who later was named Elva.
William and Hulda Whitney were the parents of William, LaMar, and a daughter that died in infancy. She is probably buried at Fowler Hill. No one knows for sure. From the Bennett Genealogy, we find Mrs. Hulda Smith married William Whitney. The Montrose Historical Society records she was married to William Whitney on February 04, 1873 by Reverend A D Alexander. Hulda had married on November 06, 1865 to her first husband Theodore MaGee. They divorced, but to this union a daughter Jennie Magee was born. She became the wife of Ernest Smith. Hulda is buried beside her in the Ernest Smith lot at the Beaver Meadows Cemetery. Jennie Smith�s stone reads, daughter of Theodore and Hulda Magee, August 13, 1868 - December 8, 1943. Hulda�s headstone has a wrong birth date on it according to the death certificate which records she was born in 1842. Her stone records February 03, 1847 - August 8, 1929. I do not know which is correct.
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