Worthley, Herbert

WORTHLEY

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 7/3/2021 at 11:56:20

History of Warren County, Iowa from Its Earliest Settlement to 1908, by Rev. W. C. Martin, Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, Illinois, 1908, p.801

HERBERT WORTHLEY
Closely identified with the agricultural interests of Otter Township is Herbert Worthley, who owns and operates a finely improved farm of four hundred acres on sections 28, 32, and 33. He was born in Henry County, Illinois, March 15, 1860, the son of Llewellyn and Martha J. (Lambert) Worthley, both of whom were born near Skowhegan, Maine. Llewellyn Worthley was born on April 1, 1827. His father was a farmer and owned one hundred and sixty acres of land in Henry County, Illinois. After his marriage Llewellyn removed to that farm, where he resided for many years. On leaving there he went to Tama County, Iowa, where he secured nearly a section of land, which he subsequently sold and then removed to Warren County. Here he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land which is now a part of the present holdings of Herbert Worthley, of this review. The father left Iowa some twelve years before his death and traveled in Arkansas and Kansas. He contracted malarial fever and died at Jacksonport, Arkansas, in 1898. He served for nearly three years in the Civil War, being a member of Company I, One Hundred and Twelfth Illinois Volunteer Infantry. Out of twenty-four soldiers that were captured at one time and incarcerated in Andersonville prison, he was one of the four survivors at the end of fifteen months of captivity. Mrs. Worthley was born on the 1st of August 1830. Her family had long been identified with the farming interests of Maine. She survived her husband for about nine years and died at Clarinda, Iowa November 9, 1907. They were the parents of five children, four of whom died in infancy, the eldest being but three years of age at the time of his death.
Herbert Worthley was but eight years of age when his parents removed to Warren County. Here he was reared and received his education n the country schools. At eighteen years of age he started out in life for himself, operating the home place of one hundred and sixty acres and in addition to this five forty-acre tracts, much of the land being devoted to pasturage. He has ever taken an active interest in stock-raising, in which he has been most successful, his specialties being Poland China hogs and Durham cattle. His farming and stock-raising yielded him most gratifying returns, so that he was eventually able to purchase the home place and has added to it from time to time until now, as previously stated, he owns four hundred acres of finely improved land.
In 1888 was celebrated the marriage of Herbert Worthley and Miss Mary N. Amos, daughter of James M. Amos, deceased, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this volume. Mrs. Worthley was born in the county on the 10th of January 1864, and here she has resided all her life. Unto Mrs. And Mrs. Worthley have been born six children, namely: Clarence M., Laura Alma, Warren Leslie, Ralph Loren and Amy Bernice, all of whom reside at home with their parents; and Aaron Leo, who died at the age of nine months.
In politics Mr. Worthley is a Republican. He is a man of exemplary habits and sterling worth, and no man in the community is held in higher regard.