In 2019, my genealogy journey into the Whitney family history began with a simple request from Cheryl Boggs for family history. I was a little skeptical until she explained that she was the granddaughter of my dad’s brother, Lyman, who I only met once. This journey with Cheryl became a most rewarding experience.
Long before “Google” hundreds of years of family history were achieved waiting to be discovered. Sources such as marriage, birth and death certificates, cemetery plots, census and military records, ship manifests, pictures and newspaper articles were all filed away. All it took was a person like Cheryl (a self-proclaimed “Gum Shoe” and “Family Story Teller”) to patiently navigate through and gather the information.
Our family tree in the United States starts with Henri Whitney, born in England around 1619 and immigrating to what is now Long Island, NY in 1645. Henri is my 9th great grandfather and his direct line has continued, unbroken, to the present time.
I am a history buff. Cheryl found many fascinating stories about our Whitney family. One is about Captain Samuel Whitney, who fought in the Revolutionary War. His 19-year-old son, Levi, also fought in the Revolutionary War and was stationed at Fort Washington. The fort was positioned on a large bluff on Manhattan Island overlooking the Hudson River. There, along with 3000 other colonial soldiers, they raised havoc on the British naval fleet in New York. With no ready reinforcements, they faced a three-pronged attack of 8000 British and Hessian forces that were able to capture the fort. There were considerable losses on both sides. This was the final chapter in George Washington’s disastrous New York campaign on November 16, 1776. Afterwards, 2800 POWS, including Levi, were shipped to warehouses (Sugar Houses) in New York City where 1,750 soldiers died of starvation. Levi was released in early January of 1777, dying the following day but “not before his first meal,” according to reports.
Whitney family members have served in the Armed forces in most every major conflict since the Revolutionary War. Not all the heroes were men. Cheryl has uncovered many “heroines” (wives, mothers and daughters) who all played keyed roles in the history of our family. One notable “heroine” was Elsie Janus (The Sweetheart of the AEF), a 24-year-old vaudeville star who went to France, only accompanied by her mother and with no military escort, to entertain the American Expeditionary Forces in France during WWI in 1918 to lift morale of the soldiers. Elsie Janus was a pioneer, and the precursor to what became the USO with Bob Hope during WWII.
Utilizing video over the internet, Cheryl gave presentations to the various Whitney families residing in different states with pictures and documents that she found in her research weaving a family story of our ancestors.
In closing, I believe Cheryl’s best talent is drawing our family closer together. She has helped us establish a secure family social network for chatting and sharing family stories and pictures. Since starting this adventure four years ago, the Whitneys have added three more generations of children, grandchildren and great grandchildren to continue the Whitney legacy.
John W.
Illinois, USA
