Westville Cemetery
Adair County, Oklahoma

J. H. Whelchel

© Westville Record
November 23, 1945
Submitted by: Wanda Elliott

Mr. J. H. WELCHEL passed away at 4:25 Tuesday afternoon at his home after several weeks illness.

Funeral services were held at Roberts Funeral Home Friday afternoon at 2:30. Burial was in the Westville cemetery.

Mr. WHELCHEL is survived by his widow and eight children: Mrs. S. D. MCCALEB, Vinita, Mrs. J. A. VOGEL and Mrs. J. J. DRIESBACH of Muskogee, Mr. J. D. WHELCHEL of Tulsa, Bertha JORDAN now in Germany, Ruby WHELCHEL of Dallas, Texas, Earl WHELCHEL and Mrs. Farris CABE of Westville, ten grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

Mary E. Witt Whelchel

© Westville Reporter
February 16, 1962
Submitted by: Wanda Elliott

Funeral service for Mrs. Mary E. Witt Whelchel, 95, was held Sunday afternoon at 3:30 o'clock in Roberts Funeral Chapel, with the Rev. Luther Nelson, pastor of the First Baptist church officiating, assisted by the Rev. Eugene Biby, pastor of the First Baptist church at Watts. Mrs. Harold Ray Hart, Mrs. Paul Carrington and Mrs. Carl Ishmael, accompanied by Mrs. Grover Howard sang, "God Will Take Care of You" and "It Is Well with My Soul." Mrs. Hart sang a solo, "Going Home." Interment was in the Westville Cemetery under the direction of Roberts Funeral Home.

Active pallbearers were Grover Howard, Harold Moss, J. F. Dudley, Mitchell Dean Sheffield, Luther Simmons, Leslie Carrington. Honorary pallbearers were Luther Wadley, Jess Wright, Mr. Craig, Frank Moss, W. C. Bost, Joe Roork, Oscar Smith, John Tennant, John Waters, Charley Waters, Fred Wilt, M. R. Tittle, Jr., Frank Grooms, Clint Wilkie, Herman Whitely, W. W. Alberty, Doc Barnes, Floyd Dudley, Roy Tennant, Jule Zeke, Ed Adair, W. F. Langley, Leslie Alderson, Regan Ratliff and Isom Wright. Flower bearers were Evelyn Morris, Judy Morris, Gayle Morris, Winifred Dudley, Mary Jane Cabe, and Patricia Dreisback.

Mrs. Whelchel, the oldest of 14 children, was born March 26, 1866 in a covered wagon just north of Paris, Texas, on the south banks of the Red River. Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Felix Witt had moved from Evansville, Ark., during the War between the States, and it was on their return to the Indian Territory that Mrs. Whelchel was born.

On August 9, 1888 she and James H. Whelchel, a young man, who had come from Jasper, Georgia, to live with his brother and family near Evansville, Arkansas, were married in the home of her parents. The young couple moved into a log cabin that had been built for them to establish their home on a farm three miles southeast of Westville, later they built a new home and it was here that their children were born.

Mr. and Mrs. Whelchel, always interested in the education of their children, felt the need to living nearer better schools, rented their farm, bought property at the south edge of Westville, built a large two story house, with lumber from timber on the farm.

Mr. Whelchel preceded her in death November, 1945. Mrs. Whelchel maintained this home until a few years ago, when it was destroyed by fire.

Her daughter, Miss Ruby Whelchel, who now owns the property built a modern home, convenient for the needs of her mother, where she continued to live until her death. She was the oldest member of the First Baptist church in Westville.

Mrs. Whelchel was an ardent reader of the better literature, daily papers, keeping up and discussing happenings of the state, nation and world. Up until the past year, when her health did not permit her usual activity, she walked to town and visited with her friends, taking daily exercises. For more than 40 years she had been on a strict diet, having suffered a serious illness in 1916.

Of Cherokee Indian descent, she was proud of her heritage and with a great deal of pride related many interesting incidents in the lives of her fore bearers. Her maternal great grandfather, Michael Ghormley came from Georgia on the "Trail of Tears" serving as an interpreter to the Indians.

Her paternal great grandfather, Burgess Witt, served with George Washington at Valley Forge during the Revolutionary War. Her great grandmother was a nurse and stationed at Valley Forge. It was there she met and later married Mr. Witt whose home was in Georgia.

Mrs. Whelchel's father, Felix Witt, served first as a courier and later as a wagon master in the Confederate Army during the War between the States.

Survivors include two sons, Earl Whelchel of Westville and James Whelchel of Tulsa; five daughters, Mrs. Farris (Mary) Cabe of Westville, Mrs. Fannie Dreisback, Mrs. J.A. Vogel, Muskogee, Mrs. Bertha MCcCullough, New York City and Miss Ruby Whelchel, Dallas, Texas; ten grandchildren and 22 great grandchildren; a sister, Mrs. Allie McCoy, Modesto, Calif.; a brother, Dee Witt of Rocky Ford, Colo.