Edson Burleigh Whitaker, of Chelsea, Michigan, age 89, passed away peacefully on Sunday, August 3, 2025, surrounded by his family. He was born in Chelsea, MI, the son of Dorr and Ruth (Wooster) Whitaker.
A lifelong resident of Chelsea, Edson graduated with the Chelsea High School Class of 1955. He was the eighth generation born on the Whitaker family’s centennial farm and a successful full-time farmer. Edson started his career driving truck for many years with his own commercial milk route, picking up raw milk from other farmers and delivering it in large milk cans to Sealtest in Grass Lake and later in Detroit.
In the 1960s, he farmed alongside his father, installing a modern bulk milking parlor. In the 1970s, he purchased the farm from his father and would continue to farm alongside his father and two sons. He expanded the dairy herd to over 250 cows and grew the farm to include a substantial corn operation. He and his wife travelled with other Michigan-based farmers to Europe, visiting other farming operations as a good-will exchange program; this trip included farmers in Russia, Ukraine, Yugoslavia, Italy and Finland.
After selling the dairy herd in the 1980s, he transitioned the farm into a dairy-heifer breeding and feeding operation, selling hundreds of young dairy cattle to milking operations around the world. Upon retirement, he concluded the farming operation and rented the land to another successful farmer.
Edson was active in the community. He was named Farmer of the Year, served as a board member of the Chelsea Community Fair, and was a member of the Washtenaw County Farm Bureau. He loved animals and especially horses. He traveled extensively with his wife and enjoyed Florida in the winters.
He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Veretta (Greenwood) Whitaker; sons John (Jonna Siano) Whitaker of Battle Creek and Howard Whitaker of Chelsea; grandchildren Chelsea (James) Chaib of the Netherlands, Jessica (Bob) Poling of Jackson, Jordan Whitaker of Grand Rapids, and Jonathan (Laura) Bowen of Grand Ledge; and great-grandchildren Jaydon French of Jackson, Mason Bemis of Jackson, Isaac Bowen of Grand Ledge, and Alasdair Chaib of the Netherlands.
The family will be receiving friends Friday, August 15, 2025, at Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home, 901 North Main Street, Chelsea, from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m., with a formal tribute at 4:00 p.m.
A dinner is planned afterwards at the Chelsea Depot.
Donations to Edson’s honor may be made to the Chelsea Community Fair or the Chelsea Depot Association.
