John Whitaker joined the Christian Church in 1853 and remained an active member for the rest of his life. From 1861 to 1865 he served in the Union Army, and in 1863 he was ordained a Christian minister. In 1866 he married Emeline Earnest, organized Weaubleau Christian Church, and was elected to the Missouri Legislature. In 1871 he founded Weaubleau Christian Institute and served twenty-nine years as its president. In 1873 he graduated from Union Christian College and was honored with the degrees of BS, MSA, MDO, and LLD. From 1904 to 1908 he was again a member of the Missouri Legislature. In 1905 he organized the State Bank of Brownington, Missouri, and remained its president until his death. In 1908 he was the Republican nominee for Congress, and in 1909 President Taft appointed him Supervisor of the Census. He died on January 6, 1910, at his home in Weaubleau, Missouri.