The History of the Anne Boarman and John Wellington Whistle Family

  Featured Family

The History of the Anne Boarman
and John Wellington Whistle Family

Compiled information from Don Brinn Interview, January 1998,
a family publication by Bonnie Brinn Phillips, and the files of Dru King

THE WHISTLE FAMILY
L to R  Front: Clem Whistle, Morris Whistle, Chester Whistle, Rom Whistle, Dock Whistle, Wilsey Whistle
L to R Back: Artie Rose Whistle, John W. Whistle, Nola Whistle

    John Wellington Whistle was born December 15, 1861. His family arrived from Germany with Lord Baltimore  before the Civil War. Two  brothers already lived here. They had settled in Owensville, Kentucky, on the Ohio River, buying numerous acres of land at $2.00 per acre.  John would never know his father. Shortly after the family arrived in the United States, the Civil War began. John's father died from yellow fever while in the service, never seeing his youngest son (John). Before his death, John's father had participated in Sherman's March to the Sea.
    On December 4, 1886, John married Anne Boarman from the same area. Over the years,  eight children would be born to them: Wilsey Alphonsus, Clement Hamilton, Nola Agnes, Arreatus Lawrence, Artie Rose, George Maurice, William Chester, and Joseph Rommie. They were fondly called the Big Eight.
    Hard times hit the Whistle-Boarman family. Around 1890 they decided to move on down the Ohio River to a little town close to Mayfield, Kentucky, where John would work in the logging industry.  Several of the Boarman family already lived in Fancyform, Kentucky, when John and Anne joined them there.
    John Whistle was over forty when his wife died of tuberculosis,  but he kept his family together. He had eight children to raise, ages ranging from the youngest at two years old to the oldest at eighteen years old. Bonnie Brinn Phillips remembers her grandfather:  "He was a family man, a loner, both a roamer and a stay-put-er. Non-religious, perpetual talking machine, and not really very lovable. He tried his hand as a school teacher, farmer, logger, homesteader, store-keeper, and carpenter. He didn't stay with anything long, but managed to raise all of his childrent to be respectable, successful land owners."
    After Anne died, John decided to move around. He wanted to go to West Tennessee, around Union City and Newburn, but couldn't find any land he liked. He'd heard about the government giving away land in New Mexico.
The three oldest boys and J. W. could each claim a quarter section of land there, but they decided to go ahead of time and rent some land first. They took cattle, horses and mules, leaving the younger Whistles behind. It didn't take them long to decided New Mexico was the wrong place to be.  In the winter of 1909, the Whistle men drove the teams back to Hornersville, Missouri, and spent the winter there. By 1910 they were logging at Deering and Steele, Missouri, while buying farm land north of Steele.
    At the turn of the 20th century, logging was also the major industry in Mississippi County, Arkansas. As the virgin timbered forests were cleared, farmers began to move in, buying the rich Delta lands for only a few dollars. In 1916, several families moved to Dell from Steele. The Wallace and Walls families were two. The Whistles also joined the migration. John bought land approximately one-half mile northwest of Dell, "right on the ditch, across from the colored church". He cleared it that same year and put in crops. The boys did most of the work. "I'm not sure Grandpa ever did anything." (Don Brinn) Two houses were also built in 1916 where their farm was located. Nola stayed at home and didn't marry for a very long time. She had become the mother figure at only age 14.
    In 1923, J. W. owned a store in Dell, located on Main Street. The streets were gravel.

    In 1927 a tornado hit Dell, killing four people. "Uncle Doc developed TB, which is what his mom died of, and never was very active physically. They went west for his health. They were back here when the storm hit, staying with the Winns. For some unknown reason, they went up to Dad and Mother's or they would've been killed, too. The storm stayed on the east side of the bayou for some reason." Both Mr. and Mrs. O.P. Winn were killed.

 Whistle Family Records

John Wellington Whistle, born December 15, 1861, and died January 19, 1941, married Anne Boarman, born September 15, 1966 and died November 28, 1904. To them were born eight children:
1. Wilsey Alphonsus Whistle, born December 4, 1886, and died January 12 1949, married Stella Crawford, born December 19, 1900.
2. Clement Hamilton Whistle, born August 16, 1888 and died January 9, 1952, married Irene Wall, born June 20, 1897 and died March 20, 1976.
3. Nola Agnes Whistle, born December 21, 1890 and died January 23, 1977, married John L. Lewis, born April 8, 1885 and died January 10, 1959.
4. Arreatus Lawrence Whistle, born August 7, 1893 and died July 28, 1955, married Tommie Winn Mc\onnel, born February 22, 1907 and died July 13, 1990.
5. Artie Rose Whistle, born September 29, 1895 and died September 28, 1992, married John Herbert Brinn, born February 13, 1889 and died February 25, 1970.
6. George Maurice Whistle, born July 7, 1898 and died December 23, 1972, married Rosalind Allen, born September 28, 1901 and died 1994.
7. William Chester Whistle, born February 19, 1900 and died May 26, 1953, married Gladice Geneva Vandiver, born January 7, 1902 and died November 17, 1990.
8. Joseph Rommie Whistle, born April 26, 1902 and died February 7, 1981, married Ruth Elah Gilmer, born April 30 1909 and died September 2, 1973.