THE WHITUS FAMILY
By Ruby Whitus Thrasher>

Robert Lafayette Whitus (11 Dec 1842-19 Nov 1924), son of James L Whitus and Mary Jane McCoy, was known as Bob Whitus. He fought in the War between the States as a Confederate soldier, having enlisted 30 May 1861, enrolled for duty and mustered on 24 AUG 1861 WITH Company A, 24th Tennessee Infantry. He served under Col R D Allison and Captain John C Jackson and was promoted to corporal, 1 July 1863. Bob Whitus took part in the battles of Shiloh, Perryville, Murfreesboro, Cicamauga, Missionary Ridge and all the battles from Dalton, GA to Atlanta. He was never wounded but was taken prisoner 7 Aug 1864 by Union forces under Major General W T Sherman and placed in military prison at Louisville, KY, later transferred to Camp Chase, Ohio, 16 Aug 1864, where he remained until 12 May 1865. There he took the oath of allegiance to the United States and returned 18 May 1865 on foot to his farm home on the now Whitus Road. Bob Whitus and Tom Garrett spent many hours during their later years in the nineteen hundreds discussing Confederate Army service under the big oak tree in front of the Versailles store, and always had a listening audience of children born after 1900.

Bob Whitus married Julia Ann Carlton, b 17 Jan 1844, one of nine brothers and sisters, of which Minos B Carlton, b 5 May 1855, was the youngest and was the spouse of Tabatha Nance. Bob and Mary Jane had three children:

1 Mattie Whitus who married Wash Comer
2 Mary Jane Whitus who married Rollie Holden
3 Thomas Robert Whitus (28 Jan 1874-22 Jan 1963) married 31 July 1902, Nannie Lee Christopher. They continued to reside on his father's farm until Nannie Lee's death in 1955. He was so torn apart by her death that he never spent another night there, but went to live first with his son in El Paso, TX and later his daughter in Sacramento CA, where he expired. He is buried with his wife in the Christopher Plot in Evergreen Cemetery in Murfreesboro. Tom was a member and Past Master of Rockvale Lodge F & AM; a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church at Rockvale and served as Elder and Sunday School teacher for many years beginning in 1910; was District manager of the Red Cross during World War I; served as county road commissioner for several years. He was also a magistrate in the Rutherford County Court for a number of years representing the Tenth District. From 1922-24 he served as Judge in the Rutherford County Court. Tom's interest and efforts appeared more toward civic affairs than farming although he raised his family on the farm. Thomas Robert Whitus and Nannie Lee Christopher had two children:

a Ruby Whitus, b 28 March 1904, first married 7 Nov 1925, Vernon Robert Chumbley. Prior to their divorce, 9 Feb 1932, their only child, Grace Lee Chumbley, was born 27 April 1930. Ruby Whitus later married 3 March 1932, Albert N Thrasher, moved to Sacramento CA area and continued to live there after his death. Ruby and Albert Thrasher had two children: Thomas Albert Thrasher, , b 19 Jan 1934; Robert Carey Thrasher, b 20 June 1936.
b Robert Henry Whitus (3 Aug 1911-21 March 1960) married 27 march 1932, Mary Eunice North. Robert had the ambition of his grandfather, Bob Whitus. He joined the National Guard in the early 1930's, was taken into the army with his unit at the start of World War II, served in Germany, Japan, and Korea followed with service in Alabama, Panama and Long Island. He attained a Colonel's rank and died on Monday morning on way to his office in El Paso TX. Robert Theadric Whitus, b 14 June 1937; Nancy Diane Whitus, b 24 Nov 1946. Both have families and both live near their mother at present in El Paso TX.