Claude was the son of Abraham Friend Whiteman and his second wife Adaline Crawford, who married on 16 Sep 1860 in Clinton Co., Indiana. In Abraham Whiteman's 1889 obituary, it was noted that "He leaves a large family of children to mourn his departure." Indeed, according to a text attributed to son Claude Whiteman, there were thirteen children by Abraham's first marriage to Mary Rinker in 1930, and four children by Abraham's marriage to Claude's mother Adaline. Records suggest there were actually fourteen by that first marriage. The thirteen names that Claude knew for Abraham's children with Mary Rinker were (dates and name extensions added by me): Mary (c.1833), Sarah (5 Feb 1835), John (13 Jan 1837), Jacob (Rinker) (13 Aug 1838), William (Henry Harrison) (16 Jan 1842) Margaret (9 Apr 1840), Andrew (Jackson) (4 Aug 1843), (Frances) Catherin(e) (13 Jan 1845), Jane (was actually James Montgomery) (Feb 1848), Marthy (Martha Geraldine) (15 Jul 1850), Rosanna (Lodiska) (14 Jan 1852), Joseph (Wellington) (1855) and Charlie (Charles I.) (1858). Claude didn't seem to know about Abraham and Mary's first-born child, daughter Elizabeth, born on New Year's Eve 31 Dec 1931, noted as the first birth (of a white child) in Middlefork, Clinton Co., Indiana. The four names Claude had for Abraham's children with Adaline were: Ella (Grace) (1861), (Effie) Maude (c.1868), Claude (8 May 1872) and Manson (8 Nov 1875). There may have been a fifth child that Claude didn't know about, a daughter named Florence, (b.23 Jan 1864-d.3 Aug 1864), buried in the same cemetery (Gray's Cemetery in Middlefork, Clinton, IN) as Abraham and Adaline. Of note is that in that narrative written by Claude, he gave Elizabeth Cleaver as his mother's name. The marriage record and her Find-A-Grave memorial both give Crawford as her maiden name, and the 1870 Census and her Find-A-Grave memorial give Adaline as her first name. Ahhh, the mysteries.

Here is more of Claude Whiteman's narrative in which he gives a brief history of how his family ended up in Middlefork, Indiana. "Abraham Whiteman was born in Washington Co., VA on February 13 (23), 1806. He came with his father, John (Whiteman), to Indiana when he was over two years old in the year of 1809. He resided with his father on the 'Twelve Mile Strip' in what is now known as Union County for about 19 years. He then moved west with his parents in 1828 to Michigantown, IN., where he married Mary Rinker in 1830. She was born in Washington Co., VA on August 12, 1810. They then moved north to what is now known as Middlefork, IN where they entered government land, which at that time cost them $1.00 per acre."

According from 'New Historical Atlas of Clinton Co, Indiana', "1878 - Abraham Whiteman [son of John Whiteman] came with the party of 25, from Union County, IN to Warren Township in the fall of 1829, and December winter is at hand. Everyone in the party built a barrack-like log house. The cabin was made of round poles and clapboard roof with puncheon floor (made from logs that are finished flat on just one side and are very thick and strong), and heavy clapboard windows for protection from the Indians, who at that time were greatly feared, and who afterword became true friends. When spring arrived, the members of the party helped each other build separate homesteads that they chose from the wilderness."

The 1850 Census (the first census to list the names of all of the members of the family) placed them in Warren Township, Clinton Co., Indiana. Abraham Whiteman, aged 44 (34 on the record), was noted as a farmer. Mary, aged 40 (30 on the record), would have had her hands full tending to the needs of their ten children—Elizabeth, aged 18, Mary, aged 17, Sarah, aged 15, John, aged 14, Jacob, aged 13, William, aged 12, Margaret, aged 10, Catharine, aged 8, James, aged 4, and Martha, aged 1 month.

The unthinkable happened in 1859, when the family lost wife and mother Mary Rinker Whiteman. Abraham, widowed, aged 53, appeared without his helpmate and companion on the 1860 Census, still living in Warren Township in Clinton County. With him were nine of the children—John, aged 23, Jacob, aged 21, Margaret, aged 20, Frances (aka Catharine), aged 18, James, aged 13, Martha, aged 11, Rosanna, aged 8, Joseph, aged 6, and Charles, aged 1.

With the welfare of so many children at stake and a farm to run, Abraham did not have the luxury of being a single man for long. He married Adaline later that census year on September 16th.

Their family of eight appeared together on the 1870 Census. They were still in Warren Township. Abraham, aged 63, was still actively farming. Adaline, aged 30, was busy at home tending to their combined six children—James, aged 23, Rosanna, aged 19, Joseph, aged 17, Charles, aged 12, Ella, aged 9, and Effie, aged 2. Claude would join their merry group two years later, followed by brother Manson in 1875.

Two years after Manson's birth, the family lost wife and mother Adaline in 1877. She was only 31 years old. Abraham and the children appeared without her on the 1880 Census, still in Clinton County, Indiana. Abraham Whiteman, aged 75, was still working the family's farm. With their father at home were Joseph, aged 23, Charles, aged 21 and noted as having epilepsy, Ella, aged 18, Effie Maude, aged 14, Claude, aged 8, and Manson, aged 4.

Just before the next decade's census, Claude's father Abraham Whiteman passed into the light on 13 Apr 1889, aged 83. He was a true pioneer, and fathered eighteen (possibly nineteen) children while on this earth. He shares a headstone with second-wife Adaline in Gray's Cemetery in Middlefork, Indiana where he spent sixty years of his life farming the land.

Claude would have been 16 years old when his father died. He did well in school and went on to four years of college, earning a teaching certificate. He appeared on the 1900 Census, aged 28, still living in Warren Township in Clinton County. He was boarding with Eugene and Anna Floyd and their two children, and noted as a school teacher.

Later that same year, Claude married fellow teacher Katherine Harrison on 12 Sep 1900. Katherine was the daughter of James and Elizabeth Harrison. Claude and Katherine welcomed daughter Florence circa 1902. They had a second child circa 1905 that died in infancy, then two sons, Claude Harrison, born on 25 Sep 1907 in Vigo Co., Illinois, and James A., born on 24 Oct 1913 in Chicago, Illinois.

The 1910 Census placed Clyde's family in Fairbury Ward 2, Livingston Co., Illinois. Claude, aged 37, was noted as a professor in a public school. Katherine, aged 36, reported that she had had three children, but that only two had survived to that census. There with their parents were Florence, aged 8, and Claude Jr., aged 2. Katherine likely took time off from teaching to be home with the children.

By the 1920 Census, the family had relocated to Gary, Lake Co., Indiana and were living on Maryland Street. Claude Whiteman (Winterman on the transcribed record), aged 47, was busy teaching school. Katherine, aged 44, was keeping house. There with her were Florence, aged 18, Claude Jr., aged 12, and James, aged 6.

By the 1930 Census, the family owned a home located at 734 Arthur St. in Gary. Claude, aged 57, was still teaching chemistry in public school. Katherine, aged 56, still had two children living at home—Florence, aged 27, Claude, aged 22, and James, aged 16. (Florence and Claude Jr. were add-ons, appearing in the enumeration, but not on the lines with the rest of their family.)

The 1940 Census placed the family at their Arthur St. address in Gary, Indiana. Claude Whiteman (Whitemer on the transcribed record), aged 68, was likely in the last year of his teaching career. Katherine, aged 66, may have been back teaching.

Claude retired after that census, and by 1942, Claude, Katherine and the two boys had relocated to Plymouth, Marshall Co., Indiana, and Claude had created a garden oasis in the country. Son Claude Jr. joined the Army and served between 6 Apr 1943 and 17 Jul 1945.

Claude and Katherine would have celebrated their golden wedding anniversary on 12 Sep 1950. Claude would face that date as a widower, having lost Katherine just seven months earlier on 5 Feb 1950. Six days after celebrating his 50th anniversary alone, he followed Katherine into the light on 18 Sep 1950.

Claude and Katherine's son Claude Jr. lived to age 85, dying on 7 Apr 1983 in Hillsborough, Florida. Son James married Ruby B. Howland. He became the proprietor of Whiteman's Greenhouse on North Michgan Rd. heading east out of Plymouth. He lived to aged 94, not departing this earth until 28 Feb 2008. As of the fall of 2016, Whiteman's Greenhouse (now Whiteman-Cook Greenhouse) / Garden Center was still open for business, selling both annual flowers, herbs and vegetable plants as well as perennial plants, shrubs and trees.