We were contacted recently by a Whitaker family descendant from Indiana who wished to see the Booten Whitaker cabin in our Pioneer Village. Karl Rothrock asked about bringing family members on a trip to Magoffin and surrounding counties in search of their ancestry. Some of the family members were from Indiana, Ohio, Missouri and other places.

Booten Whitaker was a half-brother to Karl’s grandfather Cleveland "C. W." Whitaker.

The log cabin where Booten Whitaker once lived and now reconstructed in the Pioneer Village came from Birch Branch of Burning Fork here in Magoffin County. It was obtained through William Grady Conley from an oil company that wanted the house removed. Steve Henry and a friend helped us with recording the original placement of the cabin and its history.

Karl Rothrock came to visit us with a large group of family members and we were able to show them some research that has already been done on their lines in our Whitaker, Howard and Conley books that had been printed for past Magoffin County Founders Days.

Karl’s mother Claudia, who died at age 91 on 29 Jul 2009 in DePauw, IN, was a daughter of Cleve Whittaker and Dora Conley. Cleveland, also known as "C. W." or "Cleve" was born in 1886 Knott Co. KY and died there in 1937. He was married to Dora Conley b. 1892 Knott Co. KY and died in DePauw, IN, a daughter of Epperson Conley and Clarinda Neeley.

Clarinda had married first in 1869 Floyd Co. KY to James K. Polk Coburn b. 1848, son of John C. and Phoebe Coburn. He enlisted in the Confederate Army 1 Oct 1862 in Floyd County, Co. F KY 13^th Cav Regt. He and Clarinda had five children, (1) Phoebe Jane Coburn b. 1870, (2) John C. Coburn b. 1872, (3) James Henderson Coburn, (4) Emma Coburn and (5) Eliza Coburn.

Epperson Conley’s birth is recorded in the Breathitt Co. KY Vital Statistics as 5 Feb 1855. He was a son of John Conley and Leester Lawhorn. John Conley was born in 1822 and died in 1903. His wife Leester was born in 1825 and died in 1916.

In 1920 Epperson Conley, at age 65 and his wife Clerinda, age 64 were listed in the home of their daughter and son-in-law Cleveland and Dora Whittaker. By 1930 Cleveland and Dora were listed in the Knott County census records. Her father Epperson Conley was in the household, now age 76 and widowed.

Epperson and Clarinda were the parents of four children. Sadly their three sons met tragic deaths between the years 1922 and 1931. The children were (1) Fred Conley, a teacher and a lawyer, married May Warrix, dau of Kennis Warrix. Fred was killed about 1928. (2) Jack Conley b. 1888 m. Sallie Stamper. A teamster and logger, he was killed in 1931. (3) Lawrence Conley, a teacher, married Grace Tripplett. Lawrence was killed in 1922. The 4^th child was Karl Rothrock’s grandmother Dora.

Cleveland and Dora were the parents of 14 children: (1) Curtis died of diphtheria in 1918, (2) Clark Whittaker m. Nora Ellen Coburn. He died in 1944 in France during WWII, (3) Clara Whittaker b. 1916 m. Thomas Patton and William Stanley Gibson, (4) Claudia (our visitor’s mother), (5) Norman Whittaker b. 1921, (6) Hattie Mae Whittaker, (7) Clyde Whittaker, (8) Ethel Whittaker, (9) Milton Whittaker died as a young child, (10) Mitchell Whittaker, (11) Nannie Fae Whittaker died as an infant, (12) Edith Whittaker, (13) Dayton Whittaker died of measles as an infant and (14) Edward Dean Whittaker died of whooping cough as an infant.

Cleveland Whittaker was a son of Lewis Whitaker who married in 1883 Magoffin County to Margaret Howard. Cleveland was born in 1886. Margaret was born in 1868 to John E. Howard and Susannah Shepherd.

It is not known if Lewis died before 1891 or left the area but Margaret remarried in March of 1891 in Magoffin County to A. J. "Jackson" Shepherd, son of William Shepherd and Polly Hale. Margaret and Jackson were the parents of (1) Luvernie "Mousie" Shepherd m. Harris Handshoe, (2) Tilden Shepherd m. Effie Coburn, (3) Ida Shepherd m. Morton Howard, (4) Benjamin Shepherd m. Burlie Coburn, (5) Alexander "Alec" Shepherd did not marry, (6) Dollie Shepherd m. Joseph Kendall Bradley, (7) Mollie Shepherd m. Russell Shepherd, (8) Willie Shepherd m. Susan Conley and (9) Ollie Shepherd died as infant.

Cleveland’s father Lewis was a son of Elijah Whitaker and Sarah "Sallie" Patrick. Elijah was born in 1835 according to census dates but his tombstone at Ivyton, KY gives the date of birth as 8 Mar 1837. Elijah and Sarah were married in 1856 Floyd County, KY. Elijah was a son of Johnson Whitaker and Susan Arnett.

Our visiting group were traveling on to Floyd County to visit the Shepherd Cemetery on Salt Lick at Hueysville where Cleveland Whittaker and other family members are buried.