David W. Kenworthy

page 66

One of the retired farmers of Monroe county who has been an inhabitant of this state for over sixty-five years, thus being able to take a front seat in the old settlers’ meetings, is David W. Kenworthy. He is the son of Jehu and Amaretta (Stockton) Kenworthy. Jehu Kenworthy was born in North Carolina in 1801 and there grew up to manhood. Long before Iowa was admitted to statehood he came to Cedar county and in 1854 removed to Monroe county and bought land near the present site of the village of Tyrone; and on this farm of two hundred and forty acres he lived until his death. In politics he was a member of that famous organization known as the Know Nothing party and was also a Whig and a Republican; he and his wife were members of the Christian church. His wife was a native of Ohio and bore him eleven children: Rebecca, deceased; Alzina, deceased; Clark, deceased; Mary is living; Ira, deceased; William, deceased; David W. is living; Jesse, deceased; Charles Otis is living; George, deceased, and Winfield Scott is living.

David W. Kenworthy is a native son of Iowa, having been born in Cedar county, October 20, 1838; the first few years of his life were spent here and in 1847 he went to Montgomery county, Indiana, where he remained for nine years. He then returned to Monroe county, but soon after emigrated to Oregon, which was at that time one of the growing and newly developed sections of the country. While there the Civil war burst upon the country and he was one of the first to enlist, enrolling himself on December 10, 1861, at Phoenix, in Company D, First Oregon Cavalry; they spent the following winter at Camp Baker and in the spring crossed the state to Oregon City, where they were engaged in numerous skirmishes with the Indians; after three years’ service he was mustered out at Vancouver, Dec. 10, 1864. The year following his army service he drove a team for the government and in May, 1865, he returned to Monroe county and engaged in farming, which occupation he has continued up to the present time.

On February 2, 1866, Mr. Kenworthy was married to Miss Elizabeth McCreary, a native of Ohio, who came to Iowa at an early day. Mr. and Mrs. Kenworthy became the parents of six children, four sons and two daughters: Arthur, Amaretta, Nona, William, Harry and Mark; all were born in this county and are living at the present time. Mr. Kenworthy has always found that the Republican party expressed his political belief, and in the various affairs of public concern has shown himself a true and representative citizen of the county.