My Genealogy Hound

JOHN C. WORTH is a prosperous farmer and one of the first settlers of Franklin county. He was born in Luzerne county, Pa., June 25, 1838. His father, whose christian name he bears, was a native of Germany, born in 1805, came to America when only eleven years old, and was variously engaged throughout life, following farming in his later years. He died in 1888. The mother of our subject, Mary (Walla) Worth, was a native of Pennsylvania and was born in 1800. These were the parents of nine children, three boys and six girls.

The subject of this notice was reared mainly in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, whither his parents moved when he was young. His early boyhood was spent on his father’s farm, attending to the ordinary duties of the farm during the summer and going to school during the winter. September 15, 1861, he entered the Union army, enlisting in Company D, Fourth Iowa cavalry. He served out the term of his enlistment, being engaged mostly on detailed duty as teamster. He re-enlisted in February 1863, continuing in the same command, and saw considerable service towards the close of the war. In April, 1865, he was with his regiment in Alabama chasing the wily cavalry commander, Forrest, and had much experience in that service. Later he was detailed on parole duty and stationed at Washington, Ga. Returning to his regiment at Atlanta, Ga., he was mustered out there August 15, 1865, and went at once to Davenport, Iowa, where he was discharged. After a short visit to his old home he went to Worth county, Mo., whither his parents had moved during the war, and there settled and began farming. He lived in Worth county till February, 1869, at which time he went to Omaha, Nebr., and engaged in teaming for three years. Falling in with the tide of emigration then spreading over the western prairies, he moved to Franklin county, this state, in the fall of 1872 and took a claim, filing on a quarter in section 11, township 1, range 15 west, where he settled and has since resided. He was among the first settlers in the county and endured the usual number of hardships and privations incident to the early settlement of the country. When Mr. Worth came to Franklin county he had four head of horses, two cows, and ten dollars in money. With this start he began the difficult undertaking of making for himself a home in the rude and inhospitable West. The grasshoppers, droughts and hail played havoc with his first five or six crops, and it was only with the greatest difficulty that he managed to live. He found employment at freighting from Hastings and Lowell to interior points, and in this way earned enough to keep the wolf from the door. In the meantime he made what progress he could towards improving his farm, and with the appearance of good seasons began to raise good crops. He is now one of the well-to-do farmers of his community and is enjoying some of the fruits of his early toil and privations.

In the labor of building up a home on the frontier, Mr. Worth has been ably seconded and materially aided by an excellent wife. He married April 25, 1866, taking as a life-companion Miss Margaret E. Reams, a native of Kentucky, who was born February 5, 1848. This union has been blessed with four children, as follows — William L. (now deceased), Mary A., Cora E. and one that died in infancy.

Mr. Worth is a democrat in politics and a stanch supporter of his party. He has filled the office of supervisor of his township for the past three years and has made an efficient officer. He is an active member of Ben. Franklin Post, No. 136, G. A. R, and has filled every office in the post except quartermaster and adjutant. He and his wife are both members of the Christian church at Franklin, and Mr. Worth has filled the office of elder in the church for the past seven years.