Royal C. Whitney

Royal C. Whitney, 78, of Mason City, died Thursday, March 31, 2011, at the Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit. Memorial services will be held at 1:00 PM on Wednesday, April 6, 2011, at Major Erickson Funeral Home, 111 N. Pennsylvania Avenue, with Janet Dorenkamp Chaplain, Mercy Medical Center North Iowa officiating. Inurnment will take place at a later date in Memorial Park Cemetery Columbarium. Memorials may be given to the Royal Whitney Memorial Fund in care of the family. Royal Cooper Whitney was born September 30, 1932, the son of Earl M. and Edith V. (Cooper) Whitney. He graduated from Mason City High School. Royal was united in marriage to Barbara Hartley on January 13, 1952, in Albert Lea MN. They were members of the First Christian Church in Mason City. Royal served in the U.S. Army from November 1952 November 1954, during the Korean War. He worked for the Lehigh Portland Cement Company in Mason City as a Heavy Equipment Operator for 41 years before retiring in 1992. Royal enjoyed collecting stamps and coins, using his metal detector, and playing with Dog Sport his constant companion. Those left to cherish his memory are his children: Mary B. Stearns and husband Rob of Owatonna, MN, and David C. Whitney and wife Jean of Mason City; daughter-in-law: Wendy Whitney of Rockland, WI, grandchildren: Jessica Wiebrand and husband John McMahon of Cedar Rapids, IA, Lora Jo Stearns and husband John Gump of Minneapolis, MN, and Milissa Salmon of Sacramento, CA; great grandchildren: Eathan, Holland, Mila, and Afton McMahon, and Leland and Lucas Salmon; his siblings: Cathern Lundquist of Phoenix, AZ, Wanda Luther of Riverside, CA, Fayne Whitney and wife Betty of Galt, CA, Raymond Whitney of Phoenix, AZ, Karolyn Jones of Iowa Falls, IA, Nancy Panthen and husband Gene of Eldora, IA; brother-in-law: George Emmert of Mason City; sister-in-law: Erica Whitney of Mason City. He was preceded in death by his wife: Barbara Jo Whitney in 2004, his parents; his son: John M. Whitney; three sisters: Marjorie Saylor, Martha Young, and Imogene Emmert; two brothers: Melvin and Jerry Whitney; brothers-in-law: Keith Lundquist and Jim Jones.

Memorials:
Memorials may be given to the Royal Whitney Memorial Fund in care of the family

Cemetery:
Inurnment will take place at a later date in Memorial Park Cemetery Columbarium

Visitation:
A gathering of family and friends will be from 11:00 AM 1:00 PM on Wednesday at the funeral home

Service:
Memorial services will be held at 1:00 PM on Wednesday, April 6, 2011, at Major Erickson Funeral Home