Family:Whitney, Buel Langdon (1845-1888)

Rev. Buel Langdon⁸ Whitney (Sealand⁷, Israel⁶, Jonas⁵, Jonas⁴, Moses³, Richard², John¹), son of Sealand⁷ and Sybil (Landon) Whitney; born 10 Dec 1845, North Hero, VT, and died 9 Apr 1888, Battle Creek, MI.

He married, 28 Dec 1869, Hampton, NY, Esther E. Harris. She was born 8 Oct 1847.

Buel Langdon Whitney was born on North Hero, an island in the northern part of Lake Champlain, 10 Dec 1845. Later the family removed to Alburgh, on the peninsula of the same name, so that the first twelve years of his life were spent near the beautiful lake. About this time the family moved to Malone, in northern New York, where they resided till the death of the parents and the scattering of the sons to other homes broke up the home ties. The family of growing boys had here the double advantage of the wholesome farm life and the excellent school privileges which the town afforded. After leaving school, Mr. Whitney taught for several years in the public schools, both in northern New York and in the vicinity of his early home on Lake Champlain, whose natural beauties held a strong charm for him through all his life. In 1869 he married Miss E. E. Harris, of East Poultney, Vermont, and after two years' residence at the homestead in Malone, moved to central New York near Syracuse. Not long after he was appointed president of the New York and Pennsylvania conferences of Seventh-day Adventists, with which body he had long been connected This office he held for ten years, until in 1883 he received an appointment to the mission of this denomination in Basle, Switzerland. The death of the director of this mission soon left the local responsibility of the work upon Mr. Whitney. During his connection with the mission a large publishing house was built and equipped, the work of publication which had previously been conducted only in the French language was extended to the German, Italian and Roumanian languages, and the work of the mission otherwise enlarged and organized. All this involved not only the care of the work at home, but almost constant travel through the various countries of Europe in the interests of the work, from the Scandinavian countries to southern Italy and from England to the borders of Russia, and across the Atlantic to the homeland. His health failed after a little more than four years abroad and he returned with his family to America, and died at Battle Creek, April 9, 1888. Mr. Whitney was an indefatigable worker, an earnest Christian, a genial and constant friend, and a devoted husband and father. He was a man of large, generous nature, quick sympathy and ready tact, which with an unswerving integrity of character, won and held for him many friends, both in social and business relations. His death in the prime of manhood seemed untimely to the many who mourned him; but the triumph with which he met the "last enemy" and the peace in which he fell asleep were a fitting close to a life of earnest Christian activity. He resided Battle Creek, Michigan.

The widow Esther, aged 72, born in Vermont, parents born in Vermont, is found in the 1920 Census at Guanica, Puerto Rico, living in the household of her widowed son-in-law Dr. John F. Morse, who had married her daughter Jeanne C. Whitney.

Children of Buel Langdon⁸ and Esther E. (Harris) Whitney:

i.	Jeanne C.9 Whitney, born 26 Feb 1872; resided Battle Creek, MI; d. before 1920; m. 19 Dec 1906, Battle Creek, MI, Dr. John F. Morse, son of Ferdinand W. and Margaret H. (Merry) Morse.
ii.	Laura E. Whitney, born 1 Aug 1873; resided Battle Creek, MI.

Census

• 1870, Malone, Franklin Co., NY:

498 502 Whitney, Sealand 70 M W Farmer $7000 $2100 Vermont Male citizen over 21 -----, Sybil 64 F W Keeps house Vermont -----, Buel L. 24 M W Farmer Vermont Male citizen over 21 -----, Esther 22 F W Keeps house Vermont -----, Edward 19 M W Farm Laborer Vermont -----, Mary 8 F W Vermont Attended school

• 1880, Rome, Oneida Co., NY:

Bud L. WHITNEY 34 Self M M W VT Clergy VT VT Esther H. WHITNEY 32 Wife F M W VT Keeping House VT VT C. Jean WHITNEY 8 Dau F S W NY VT VT Lenna E. WHITNEY 6 Dau F S W NY VT VT Adam S. BOWEN 29 Othe M S W NY Secretary Of Missionary Society NY NY

• 1920, Guanica, Guanica County, Puerto Rico: Widow Esther H. Whitney

References

• All data imported from Frederick Clifton Pierce, The Descendants of John Whitney, Who Came from London, England, to Watertown, Massachusetts, in 1635, (Chicago: 1895), pp. 500-501.

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Copyright © 2006, 2010, Robert L. Ward and the Whitney Research Group