Harriet Ritter Whitaker

Harriet Ritter Whitaker was born in the little community of Whitesburg, Kentucky on August 4, 1871.  Whitesburg is located in Letcher County.  Harriet was the daughter of Squire Junior Whitaker and Clarinda Combs.  The surnames of Whitaker and Combs are associated with a large number of individuals in the Letcher and Knott County areas of Kentucky.

The Whitaker surname shows up in Letcher county around 1810.  At that time Harriet's ggrandfather Isaac Whitaker is noted as helping organize the Indian Bottom Old Regular Baptist Church.  In fact the church first met at his home which was near a place where indians had once camped.  It was appropriately named Indian Bottom and was near the mouth of Rockhouse Creek.  I remember my grandfather speaking about his mom being from a place called Rockhouse.  For more information about Isaac Whitaker and the establishment of the Indian Bottom Old Regular Baptist Church check the following link from rootwseb:  http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~kyletch/articles/ib_church.htm

I believe the photo above may have been taken in the early 1940's.  The photo shows an aged Harriet.  If it was taken in the 1940's most likely it was taken around Rebecca Amburgey Newsome's place.  I often wonder what the thoughts behind the picture are, what is going on in the persons mind, or who took the photograph.  It is very likely that Harriet may be concerned about her two sons, Benton, and Granville, who were off serving the country during WWII.  Harriet also had a grandson Roy Amburgey who was contributing to the war efforts.  Maybe at some point I will take some time to examine, and share the service that these men made during WWII.

Squire's (or Esquire) and Clarinda's union result in a sizable family of 13 siblings.  Harriet was the oldest of these siblings which included 6 brothers, and 6 sisters.  Names and birth/death information for those sibling are:

William 1853-1873

Margaret "Peggy" 1875-1875

Angeline 1877-1969

Lucinda 1879-1959

Mattie 1880-1900

Evaline 1880-1960

Leslie 1882-1961

Benton 1884-1964

James 1888-1961

Tina 1890-1920

Alamander 1893-1973

John 1895-1975

Obviously, Harriet was a somewhat sentimental person to her siblings, and her mother, as she named 5 of her own childern after them (Margaret, Clarinda, Benton, Alamander, and Leslie).  I wonder how many of my great aunts, and uncles, knew they were named after someone else in their mother's family?

Harriet passed away on March 17, 1948 in Minford, Ohio.  She was returned to the family burial plot in Knott County, Kentucky.  The cemetery sits on a hillside opposite the cabin that Wiley J. Amburgey lived in.

Benton, Clarinda, Granville, and Doc Short (Husband of Clarinda)

The following photo is one that I took of the cemetery in 1997 on a visit to Knott County.