FRANK L. WHITMAN is a prosperous farmer of Newton Township, Miami County, Ohio, and is the owner of a good farm of eighty acres in Section 22, range 5. He was born in Washington Township, Montgomery County, Ohio, October 31, 1859, and is a son of Edward and Mary (Waltz) Whitman.

Edward Whitman, father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and was a small boy when he accompanied his parents to Washington Township, Montgomery County, Ohio. There he attended the district schools and was reared to maturity, living on the home farm with his father for a period of twenty-eight years. Farming has always been his principal occupation and he still lives in Washington Township at an advanced age. His wife died in 1887 and was buried near Miamisburg, Ohio. Her maiden name was Mary Waltz and she was a daughter of Jacob and Mary J. Waltz. The following children were born to them: G. A., Missouri, Frank L., Florence, Anna (deceased), Idella, George, Jacob, Lulu, Edna, Warren (deceased), Alvin, and Irwin. Religiously, Edward Whitman is a member of the Lutheran Church. He is a Democrat in politics.

Frank L. Whitman attended the district schools in his native township, but his schooling was very limited, he sometimes being able to attend but two weeks in a year. He was brought up to hard work and has always been industrious and enterprising. He lived in Washington Township until about a year after his marriage, then moved to Miami County, Ohio, where for a period of four years he engaged in farming and tobacco raising for Samuel Smith. He then began farming his present place of eighty acres in Newton Township, which he purchased in July, 1899. He cleared eight acres of this tract, there being some timber still standing, has laid considerable tile for drainage and has made other important improvements, including the erection of a fine tobacco shed. He has successfully engaged in general farming and tobacco raising, devoting about seven acres to the growing of that product each year.

December 20, 1883 Mr. Whitman was United in marriage with Miss Cora L. Smith, a daughter of Samuel and Katherine (Sherritt) Smith, and they became parents of the following children: Della, who married Jesse Shuman; Nora, who died at the age of two years; Homer and Minnie, twins, both now deceased; Raymond; John; and Carl. Religiously, they are members of the Lutheran Church. He is a Democrat in politics, but has no political aspirations.