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Charles Columbus Whitaker Jr., 77, of Ferguson, Ky., departed this life on Wednesday, March 17, 2010, at the Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital.
He was born on Oct. 11, 1932, in the Shopville community of Pulaski County, Ky., the son of Lum and Alma Herrin Whitaker. He was a U.S. Air Force veteran of the Korean War and a graduate of Shopville High School Class of 1952. Mr. Whitaker was a retired distributor for Southern Belle Dairy and a member of St. Mildred’s Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus. He enjoyed golfing, fishing, sports, UK basketball, and the Cincinnati Reds.
Mr. Whitaker is survived by his wife, Wilda Higginbotham Whitaker. She married him on June 24, 1956, in New Iberia, La. Other survivors are a son, Church (and Tammy) Whitaker of Summerville, SC; four daughters, Patty (and Eddie) Casada of Science Hill, Ky., Charlotte (and Mike) Day of Somerset, Ky., Pam Schnetter of Ferguson, and Jenny (and Jeff) Bullock of Nancy, Ky.; two brothers, Clell (and Gladys) Whitaker of Somerset and Gene (and Sue) Whitaker of Somerset; 10 grandchildren; and 16 great-grandchildren.
Preceding him in death were his parents; a brother, Edwin Whitaker; and two sons-in-law, Barry Crow, and Jerry Pennington.
Visitation will be Monday, March 22, at six p.m. at St. Mildred’s Catholic Church in Somerset and then on Tuesday, March 23, at ten a.m. at the church until time of service.
Funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, March 23, at St. Mildred’s Catholic Church with Father Michael Ramler officiating.
Graveside service will be Wednesday, March 24, at 11 a.m. at Mill Springs National Cemetery in Nancy.
The American Legion Post #38 Honor Guard will conduct military honors.
Arrangements for Charles Columbus Whitaker Jr. are entrusted to Lake Cumberland Funeral Home.
The family requests expressions of sympathy be made to the St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, P.O. Box 50, Memphis, Tenn., 38101, and/or AIM Pregnancy Center, P.O. Box 1523, Somerset, Ky., 42502.
Commonwealth Journal, Somerset, Pulaski County, Kentucky
March 22, 2010

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