The theocrat. [volume] (Zion City [i.e. Zion], Ill.) 1914-1949, 1949-08-17
CHARLIE WHITTEN-
Continued from Page

While still youth in Ireland he
learned of this wonderful country
through letters received from his aunt,
the late Mrs. G. L. Bicket, and since
coming here he has had no reason to
regret it. He gained employment in
the Johns Manville plant in Wauke-
gan shortly after arriving and has
never been out of work. At present
he is employed on the automatic
lathe, turning out moving parts for
the popular Nash automobile manu-
featured in nearby Kenosha.
First Class Repairman
Although Written puts in a full day
at the Nash plant, he still finds time
in the evenings and on the weekends
to provide an invaluable service to
the community housewife, helping to
keep in good repair such essential
home appliances as the washing mach
inc, the vacuum cleaner, the iron, etc.
Charlie has gained wide reputa-
ton for his ability to provide prompt
and expert service and backs up his
work with an honest guarantee. His
workshop is located in his home at
$500 Elizabeth Avenue and he can
Written also handles the agency
which he considers the best machine
on the market and promises to stand
fully behind it, not just for the year
guarantee, but beyond that period.
Charlie is so confident of this machine
that he promises to repair it free of
charge if the trouble can be traced
directly to a defect in the mechanism.
Miss LlOyd's First Baby
Charlie is magried to the former
Miss Vera Parker and they and their
four-year-old daughter, Kathy, and
Mrs. Whitten's mother, Mrs. Emile
Parker, make their home in the old
Parker residence. Mrs. Written is the
daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. Samuel
Parker who came direct from their
native England to Zion in 1902. Vera
enjoys the distinction of being the
first Zion baby born under the su-
pervision of Miss Ellen Lloyd.
Charlie and Vera first met in 1886,
when Written borrowed a tipping book.
This chance meeting failed to strike
the chord that started the wedding
bells ringing, but it eventually led to
another meeting that did.
This book, which Charlie failed to
return, resulted in a delayed, but
none-the-less urgent call from Miss
Parker asking for the immediate re-
turn of the article five years later
September 1941 to be exact-and this
time Dan Cupid was not to be de-
MED. They were united in marriage
Dec. 81, 1871, at the Grace Mission
airy church parsonage with the late
Rev. Loren E. Pecaut officiating.
Dow, r., K:rl,,cL IroI,,,J
Charlie was born on April a, 1901,
in Kinlugh,, thriving little commune
ty of $50 located in County Leitrin,
He was the oldest of nine children
born to Mr.. and Mrs. William Whit
ten.
At the time of Charles birth, his
father was postmaster in Kinlugh, as
had been his father, grandfather and
great-grandfather before him. This
distinguished post had been held by
the head of the Written family since
1850, when Charles great-great-
grandfather of the same name had
been appointed by the British gov
eminent.
Charlie attended the Kinlugh ma
tional school and was graduated from
Kinlugh Technical school in 1917. He
recalls with interest that his edu-
cation was administered to the tune
of the proverbial hickory stick, Cor
was it shillelagh? p which both men
and women instructors welded with
equal skill and effect.
Entertained the Wounded
Written chief accomplishment
while attending school was his abili-
ty to play the piano and during the
first World War he enjoyed the privi-
lege of entertaining some of the
wounded soldiers, who were GONZALES
cling in the Baggot hospital in Dub
lin.
This opportunitv to he of service