The Browne School Teachers - 1930/1931: Marion Lee Whittaker

Marion Lee Whittaker taught at the Browne school for one year, 1930 - 1931 following Marcella (Walter) Mace who taught the previous two terms.    Marion was the second male teacher at the Browne school for the 20th century.      The only other male teacher at this point was Bert Male.    I do not have information on the teachers that taught between the school opening in the 1860's through spring of 1906. 

Marion Lee Whittaker was born in Pueblo, Pueblo county, Colorado on February 2, 1909 to Maude Elma (Swain) and Milo Lee Whittaker.    The 1910 US Census lists Marion living (lines 95 - 99) with his parents Milo and Maude and siblings Ralph and Hollis.   The family was living in Pueblo, Colorado.

Marion's father was a principal at a public school.

The 1920 US Census lists Milo living (Sheet 2 A lines 47 - 50 and Sheet 2B lines 51 - 52) living with his parents, Milo and Maude and siblings Ralph, Hollis and Bettie.   The family had moved to Del Norte, Rio Grande county, Colorado.

Marion's father was a principal at a public school.

Page 5 of the August 29, 1928 edition of The DeKalb Daily Chronicle reported Marion would be taking a course in forestry at Western Ag College in Pueblo, Colorado.

On page 7 of the October 23, 1929 edition of The DeKalb Daily Chronicle an advertisement appeared for Yellow Cab now owned by Marion Whittaker.   The same page detailed the purchase of the business.  Probably a very difficult time to acquire a business considering the stock market would suffer huge losses the next two days, known as the start of The Great Depression.

The 1930 US Census lists Marion living (lines 55 - 59) with his parents, Milo and Maude and his sister, Bettie.   Also living with the Whittaker family was Maude's father,  Rufus Swain.   The family was living in DeKalb township, DeKalb county, Illinois.

Milo was working as a teacher at the Northern Illinois State Normal School in DeKalb, Illinois now known as Northern Illinois University.    Marion was a rural school teacher though I do not know which one.    In August or September a few months after the census was taken, Marion would be teaching at the Browne school in Milan township.

On June 8, 1930, Marion Lee Whittaker married Erma Louise Walker in Cook county, Illinois.    I do not know the city but it probably was Chicago.

In 1935 Marion was attending Northern Illinois State Normal School and his photo appeared in the yearbook, The Northern.

The yearbook mentions Marion's extracurricular activities which were 'band' and 'orchestra'.

The 1940 US Census shows Marion living (lines 49 - 54) with his wife (Erma) Louise and their children Richard, Robert and Elizabeth as well as Marion's grandfather, Rufus Swain.   The family was living in Eugene, Lane county, Oregon. 

Marion was working as a school teacher at a junior high school.

On October 15, 1940, Marion registered for the draft registration due to World War II.    At the time, Marion was living in Oswego, Oregon and working at the Oswego school district.

Marion Lee Whittaker passed away in Bandon, Coos county, Oregon on November 3, 1976.   His memorial can be viewed here.