Lewis County, West Virginia         Biography of MICHAEL E. WHELAN, M. D.

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The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc.,
Chicago and New York, Volume III,
pg. 536-537
Lewis

MICHAEL E. WHELAN, M. D. The duties and labors of a
physician and surgeon, practicing largely in a country
district, have been carried and faithfully discharged by
Dr. Michael E. Whelan for over forty years. His home dur-
ing most of his practice has been at Roanoke, and in that
community no citizen enjoys a higher degree of esteem.

Doctor Whelan was born on Long Island, September 19,
1857, son of James and Johanna (Welsh) Whelan. His
parents were natives of Ireland, where they were reared,
educated and married, and on coming to the United States
they lived for a time around New York and then in Penn-
sylvania, where James Whelan took up contracting of rail-
road construction. He built a section of the Baltimore &
Ohio Railroad to West Union, West Virginia. Later he
filled other contracts of a similar nature, and in the mean-
time bought a farm on Mud Lick Run, three miles south, of
Weston. For many years he lived on the farm and operated
it, and finally left the country and moved to a comfortable
home on Chestnut Street in Weston, where he and his wife
both died. They were devout Catholics, and he was a stanch
believer in the principles of the democratic party. They
had a family of sixteen children, all of whom grew to
mature years and five are now living: A. P. Whelan, of
Weston; Thomas, of Weston; Michael E.; Margaret, widow
of John Morrison; and Miss Julia.

Michael E. Whelan had the home farm as the environment
of his childhood and youth. He attended the public schools,
and at the age of seventeen began doing a man's part on
the farm in the summer and taught winter terms of school
in one district four successive terms. While operating a
hotel he studied medicine for two years under Dr. William
Bland, and then completed his course in the College of
Physicians and Surgeons at Baltimore, where he took the
three years course. On returning to West Virginia, Doctor
Whelan practiced at Burnsville in Braxton County one year,
and in 1880 established his home and office at Roanoke,
where for four successive decades he has rendered the serv-
ice of a skillful and sympathetic physician. He is a member
of the County, State and American Medical associations.

On October 28, 1903, Doctor Whelan married Ella Carney,
who was born May 31, 1873, in Braxton County. They have
one son, James Edward, born October 17, 1905. He is a
graduate of the Roanoke High School and is now a student
in Rockhill College at Ellicott City, Maryland. Doctor and
Mrs. Whelan are members of the Catholic Church, and he
does his voting as a democrat. He has prospered in his
professional work, and is the owner of 500 acres of land
in Lewis County and considerable other real estate. His
farms are operated by tenants.