Veteran Business Man Dies at His Home Here
Ira Whitten Had Been In County Since 1898
Ira Whitten, veteran distributor for the Sinclair Refining Co.,at Phillipsburg and long time farmer in the Iowa Union district, passed away at his home here March 1. He and the late Lulu Kate Murphy, were married in 1898 and settled on a farm, living there until 919 when they moved to Phillipsburg.
The family, throughout the many years that followed, has won wide esteem in this community, and have made notable contributions to its development.

The complete obituary:
Ira Allen Whitten, son of Ann Dodd Whitten and Jacob Whitten, was born on a farm Oct. 11, 1876 near Otoe, Neb., and passed away Friday, March 1, 1957 at his home in Phillipsburg.
He grew to manhood on a farm in Nebraska. He later attended Grand Island Business college for a year, then move to Kansas in 1986.
He was united in marriage to Lulu Kate Murphy in 1898. They settled on a farm in the Iowa Union district where they lived until 1919 when they moved to Phillipsburg where he spent the remainder of his life.
Mr. Whitten was a member of the Methodist church, Masonic Lodge No. 184 and the Odd Fellows Lodge.
Before his retirement in 1947, he had worked for the Sinclair Oil Company for over 25 years.
He was preceded in death by one son, Harley in 1900, and his wife, Lulu, in April 1944,
Those left to mourn include; four daughters; Miss Vada Whitten and Mrs. Gene Britt of Phillipsburg, Mrs. Ira Goddard and Mrs. Harold Smedley of Salem, Ore.; three sons-in-law, four grandchildren, Norvada Smedle;y of LaJolla, Calif., Robert Goddard and wife Marlene of Salem, Ore., Fostine and Roderick Britt of Phillipsburg; two sisters, Mrs. Ida Carper of Phillipsburg, Mrs. Burdell Mitchell of Hartford, Conn.; one brother, Merritt Whitten of Phillipsburg; many nieces, nephews and a host of friends.
Funeral services were held on Tuesday, March 5, at 10 o'clock in the morning, in Miles Chapel. Rev. M.W. Williams officiating. Mrs Frank Hahn and daughter furnished the music.
Pallbearers were Rev. M.F. Bess, Art Francis, Dan Hopson, Henry Ehm, Reno Kingery and Lee Matteson. Burial was in Fairview Cemetery with a Masonic service. Lodge No. 184 conducted the last rites.
(from the Phillips County Review)