Grace Worthing

WORTHING

Posted By: Nancy Fermazin (email)
Date: 10/22/2005 at 22:41:37

Grace Worthing Fermazin born February 9, 1917 in Truro, Iowa to Charles Worthing and Nancy Ames Worthing. Grace had a twin brother Charles Edward Worthing who was still born.
Source of Grace's birth are in the census records of Madison County Iowa 1920: Iowa Census, 1930 Enumeration district 34, Ohio Township, Madison County Iowa page 18.

Grace was named after her cousin Grace Maxwell.

This young lass grew up and saw the world.

The more I learned about my mother, Gracie and her world, the more I admire her. I grew up not knowing much about my mother's childhood as much as I should have. Now after her death, I have put together stories she told us as we were growing up and this has helped me to understand and appreciate her more. I came to have a high regard for her fortitude, strengths in adversity, self awareness and genuine respect and love for other people. I marvel at her will to survive and thrive in the face of extreme circumstances. This seems to be built into her genes. She follows a long line of Ames' and Worthing's who have this trait.

Nancy Ames, her mother grew up on a homestead in freezing winters of Lake Koshkonong,Wisconsin, later living in Milton Junction, Wisconsin near Janesville. Nancy was one of 10 children was orphaned in the winter of March 1893 at the age of 10 years old. No one should have to have endured this at age 10 ... starving, freezing cold, living on a lake in a one room cabin with no heat and very little clothing and very little food. Dad, Ira Daniel Ames fished for a living and really tried to keep his family warm and fed but they just couldn't seem to make it. They must have been so poor. The winter of 1893 was particularly really cold. On the morning of March 5, 1893 a blizzard hit them hard. Cornelia Palon Ames and her 2 month old infant actually froze to death and probable starvation. The house the family lived in was must cardboard material so the newspaper says. It sat on Lake Koshkonong. In the aftermath of the event the 9 surviving Ames children were sent to an orphanage near Albion, Wisconsin. Ira was heart broken over the death of his wife and child. He never really got over this. In 2 years he too was dead. He died mainly of a broken heart on September 21, 1895. As Nancy got older, she met Ludwig Hanson a Danish orphan. Ludwig's mother had died in New York City being hit by a streetcar. For some unknown reason he ended up in Janesville, Wisconsin. Nancy met and fell in love with Ludwig Hansen. They were married on March 16, 1904 in Aurora, Illinois and had a daughter Blanche.

They divorced and Nancy and Blanche lived alone. Nancy began work as a cook and maid. During this time she met Charles Charley Worthing from Truro, Iowa formerly of Cambridge Ohio, son of Richard Seth Worthing and Sarah Ingram Worthing. Mr Worthing too was divorced. He had worked in Ohio in the steel mills and was quite wealthy when living in Ohio. We are not quite sure of the circumstances of his divorce from his first wife, Laura Mitchell. He had three children, Forest, Walter, and Kenneth from that marriage. After his divorce from Laura, Charles settled in Truro, Iowa where part of his family was residing. He worked for his father Richard Seth at the Worthing Hotel in Winterset, worked for his cousin in the cigar factory and worked a little on the Worthing farm. Charles decided one day to take off for greener pastures and went to Illinois. He resided in Wheaton, Illinois where he was able to obtain a job as chauffeur. Here he met the beautiful, haunting Nancy Ames Hanson whom he immediately fell in love with. Together they saved their wages. During their courtship they dated on days off. Movies, roller skating, rides in the lush green countryside around Wheaton and Carol Stream. Charles was getting home sick for his family and Nancy was getting annoyed with Ludwig's constant visits to try and win her back. So after some thought and permission, Nancy was able to take Blanche and move to Truro, Iowa with Charley. There they settled into this small house on the main street. Here they raised Blanche and along came Gracie and her twin brother Charles Edward. Charles was still born and Gracie weighed in at 1.5 pounds. Since the doctor who delivered Gracie didn't expect her to live he did not file a birth certificate. Nancy placed Gracie in a shoe box and covered her with cotton and blankets and nursed her. She cuddled her and fed her and held her lovingly and praying the whole time to God to save her baby girl. God answered her prayers and Gracie started thriving and gaining weight. She made it! Gracie grew up very small and petite a happy life in Truro, Madison County Iowa with her sister Blanche. Blanche was nine when Grace was born but loved her baby sister dearly. As Grace was growing up in Truro she loved Blanche and admired her big sister. She wanted to go everywhere with her and just be by her side.

In the years 1928-1932 Gracie experienced two great losses, the loss at age 12 of her beloved mother from a brain tumor and at 16 the loss of her dad. Both crisis occurred to a young woman at the same time her half sister Blanche whom she'd grown up with was sent to Illinois to live with her father, Ludwig Hansen. I presume this makes one a stronger person. I cannot imagine losing a mother at age 12 nor then losing your father and then your sister. How tragic.

Grace's mom had died in 1928 And Blanche was now living in Illinois with Ludwig.

Our family made a trip back to Truro, Iowa about 1952 to visit mom's relatives before they got too old. It was fun. I remember visiting the Cregor's. We stayed with the Merle Cregor family. We visited lots of relatives of mom's, the cemetary, the church where mom went when she was young. Mom was so happy to be able to go back and visit. I'm not so sure about dad. But we all made the trip in our car that summer.

Mom had a school teacher in Truro, Iowa named Jones who Zola told her was a relation. This school teacher put a dunce cap on mom and they fired her. Elsie Lathram lives in Truro across from where mom used to live. Her daughter Hazel lives there now. The librarian Doris Frank Johnson lives in Truro Iowa and is the librarian at the school. She knew mom

Grace remembers her annual treks to Ohio to visit the Worthing kin. She remembers visiting the Ingrams in Ohio. She lived with Eppie Castor Mossholder in New Concord, Ohio after her dad died. She grew up with Annie Castor who later married the astraunaut John Glenn. I remember mom and all her relatives from New Concord, Birds Run, and Cambridge Ohio celebrating the John Glenn mission to the moon. Afterall this was one of their own.

We went back to Birds Run Ohio when I was 9 or 10 years old. I remember it was fun. We stayed with Eppe Mossholder and with Eppe Buker. We visited the Worthing homestead where Charles was born. I remember Mr. Buker trying to teach me how to milk the cows, bring in the cows and play with the horse in the front side yard. We fed the free range chickens in the back and the hogs in the pen off to the right of the yard. I even remember the "out house" and the parlor and the fire places. I remember visiting with my mom's niece Lucille Snoots and her husband. We made home made icre cream there. I remember visiting with her niece Hazel Hawkins. We als visited Frank Worthing farm and played in the haylofts. This farm was newer than the Buker's and painted white like the Amish farms in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. I remember the street of New Concord and sitting on Eppe Mossholder's front porch and her big kitchen. I remember visiting with Homer Castor the dentist and father of Annie Castor Glenn wife of John Glenn the astronaut. These are fond memories and I wish I could re live them.

We went back to Iowa when I was 10 years old to visit the family. We visited the old Worthing farm in Iowa, which was owned in the 1950's by Zola Patterson Spain's aunt Minnie Glas. Minnie was sister to Bert Patterson who is Zola's brother. Zola's mother was Beryl.
I have made two more trips back to Truro, one in 2001 and one in 2004 and am looking forward to going again in about a year. I fell in love with
Truro and Winterset, Iowa.

Grave site
FERMAZIN, GRACE LORRAINE WORTHING

DATE OF BIRTH: 02/09/1917

DATE OF DEATH: 04/26/2001

DATE OF INTERMENT: 05/25/2001

BURIED AT: SECTION 45 SITE 3085

RIVERSIDE NATIONAL CEMETERY

22495 VAN BUREN BOULEVARD RIVERSIDE , CA 92518

(909) 653-8417

WIFE OF FERMAZIN, ROBERT F

PVT US ARMY

Source of the biography: Nancy Fermazin
fermazin@yahoo.com; daughter of Grace Lorraine Worthing