William Whitworth

COOK, GREEN, HOBLET, WHITWORTH

Posted By: Judy Wight Branson (email)
Date: 10/20/2004 at 19:54:45

William Whitworth, a retired farmer of Macksburg, is a native of England but has completely identified his interests with those of his adopted country. He was born in Cambridgeshire on the 18th of December, 1841, a son of Robert and Elizabeth (Green) Whitworth, also natives of England, who in June, 1853, emigrated to the United States. They landed in New York and then proceeded by way of the Erie canal and the Great Lakes to Cleveland, Ohio, passing Buffalo, New York, on the 4th of July. They settled upon a farm twenty miles from Cleveland and the father cultivated rented land there for about five years. At the end of that time he removed with his family to Bureau county, Illinois, and in 1870 he and his wife came to Iowa, making their home with our subject for the greater part of the time until called to the great beyond. The mother passed away at the home of our subject in 1873, when sixty-two years old, and the father died at the home of his son, Morley, in 1887, when he had reached the advanced age of eighty-four. When they came to the United States there were eleven children in the family, but only five survive: George, William and Morley, all of this county; and Mrs. Hoblet and Mrs. Cook, both residing in Sioux City.

William Whitworth was a child of eleven years when he accompanied his parents to the United States and he continued his education in this country. In September, 1861, when not quite twenty years of age, he enlisted in Company F, Fifty-seventh Illinois Volunteer Infantry, under Captain F. A. Beatty and Colonel F. J. Hobart, and on the 18th of December, 1861,— the anniversary of his birth, was enrolled in the United States service. He took part in the battles of Fort Donelson, Fort Henry and Shiloh and at the last named engagement was wounded in the knee by the cross-fire of the enemy. He was sent home and remained away from the command for thirty days, after which he rejoined his regiment and saw considerable skirmishing but participated in no important battles thereafter. He was mustered out at Louisville, Kentucky, in 1865 and returned to Bureau county, Illinois. In 1870 he came to this county and purchased eighty acres of wild land on section 15, Grand River township, which he improved and which remained his home until about four years ago. He then sold his land and removed to Macksburg, where he is now living in honorable retirement. He was industrious and managed his affairs well, so that during the years of his activity he accumulated a competence that insures comfort during the remainder of his life.

Mr. Whitworth married Miss Elizabeth Green, who was born in Pennsylvania on the 20th of August, 1841, a daughter of Johnson A. and Abigail Green, native respectively of Scotland and Germany. Both passed away in this county and on the i8th of April, 1901, their daughter departed this life. To Mr. and Mrs. Whitworth were born two children: a son who died in infancy; and Ida, whois unmarried and is keeping house for her father.

Mr. Whitworth is a republican and has been a loyal and consistent member of the Baptist church since before the war, but his wife belonged to the Christian church. He held membership in J. D. Craven Post, No. 322, G. A. R., at Macksburg until it was disbanded and takes justifiable pride in his military record. He owns a comfortable home in Macksburg and has many friends in that town and its vicinity.

Taken from the book, “The History of Madison County, Iowa, 1915”