W. HENRY WOODWORTH

The gentleman whose name heads this sketch lives on section 33, Owosso township. He was born at Silver Creek, New York, April 19, 1853. His father, William Woodworth, was born in the Empire state, October 10, 1808, and died in his ninety-sixth year, May 25, 1905. His wife was Sylvia A. (Andrus) Woodworth, who also was born at Silver Creek, New York, died March 8, 1889, aged about sixty years. They were married in New York state. The parents of William Woodworth died when he was quite young, leaving five children. As was the custom in those days, these children, the boys at least, were “bound out” by the proper authorities until they should respectively reach a certain age. Their future history presents a chapter that Is strange, but true; for truth is always strange,Stranger than fiction. In November, 1884, the following article appeared in one of the Owosso papers, under this heading: “Stranger than fiction. After more than sixty years separation a family of five children are brought together.” From the Clinton (St. Johns) Independent: “Life is -made up of stirring incidents, ‘though very few reach the public print. Families are separated for years, a careless feeling growing, imperceptible at first, until all affection for each other is seemingly lost. The case recited below would come under that head. Three members of the family were in communication with each other. Two, for some reason, did not seek out the rest until sixty years after the separation. But one of the brothers ‘came to himself’ and determined to find out what had become of his brothers and sisters. We have prevailed upon John Woodworth, of Ovid, to give our readers a sketch, which we publish below in his own language:

OVID, MICH., November 24, 1884. “EDITOR INDEPENDENT:

It is to keep my promise to you and not to merit any personal notoriety to myself or family, that I attempt to give you a brief outline of our history. More than sixty years ago there lived near Albany, New York, Robert and Elizabeth Woodworth, with five small children named and aged as follows: Catherine, about thirteen; William, now of Ovid, about eleven; Margaret, who died lately in California, about nine; John, now of Ovid, about seven, and Absalom, aged about four. About this time th- parents died, leaving the children in the hands of strangers. The boys were bound out by the authorities. The two girls were cared for by friends, and at proper ages were apprenticed to dressmaking. Margaret soon got to the head of an establishment on Broadway, New York, where she carried on the business successfully for many years. In 1845 she married James William. son, a young Scotchman, who was dealing in Scotch pig-iron and other metals. Both were successful. Mr. Williamson established the firm of James Williamson & Company, at No. 63 Wall street, New York, where it still remains, although he has been dead since 1872. Previous to his death they had traveled extensively, having visited Europe twice. At the time of his death Mrs. Williamson came into possession of his fortune, which, added to her own, made her wealthy. During all of these years nothing was known of the boys, William and Absalom, having left their places or moved away. They were, of course, supposed to be dead. In the meantime the two girls and John, who had moved to near Richmond, Virginia, kept up a correspondence and visited each other, often making efforts to find the missing ones, but finally settling down to the conviction that they were really dead, when in August, 1881, a stranger appeared in Richmond inquiring for John Woodworth. After some time he was found and accosted by the stranger like this: ‘Your name is John Woodworth?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Well, I am going home with you.’ ‘You are?’ ‘Yes, I know you, but you don’t know me; I am your brother William.’ After a few minutes’ talk both parties were satisfied. He stayed with me two or three days and then left for home. He knew nothing of the other missing brother. Soon after, a reporter of the Richmond Dispatch said to me: ‘The Dispatch folks are looking for you. They want that item about your brother’s visit.’ I gave him a short account of our history and he remarked: ‘If the ether brother is alive this thing will find him.’ The article was copied in the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, as well as other papers all over the land. I soon received a letter from a man in St. Louis, saying his name was Absalom Woodworth; was born in or near Albany, New York, that he was about sixty years old, and he believed he was the other lost brother. He was so very young at the separation he could remember no circumstances by which I could recognize him, but one, which afterward convinced me he was indeed the man. “As soon as sister Margaret, then living in California, could bring things about she arranged for the three brothers to meet in Ovid, which meeting took place August 19, 1881. During the year, I sold my farm in Virginia and removed to Ovid. The same year the oldest sister, Catherine, came to Michigan to spend the remainder of her days with her brother. Absalom also came to Michigan the same year and bought a farm. In the latter part of June, 1882, sister Margaret came on from California and we all met on the 4th of July at a reunion dinner, so that after a separation of over sixty years, we were all permitted to see each other in the flesh. “Our combined ages amounted to three hundred and fifty years. On the 4th of February following sister Catherine died. Sister Margaret left Michigan, August 1, to visit friends in the east before returning to California. On arriving at Troy, New York, she discovered a weakness in one of her feet, which increased in spite of doctors and medicine and soon proved to be a kind of paralysis, from which she never recovered. She hastened back to California, arriving there December 1, 1882. She lingered until the 25th day of September, 1883, when she died, in all the triumphs of a Christian faith. Thus in less than two years two sisters had died. The remains of sister Margaret were forwarded to New York and rest by the side of her dear husband, in Greenwood cemetery. She left a will by which she gave each of her brothers seven thousand dollars- and each of their children two thousand dollars, besides giving large sums to various charities and religious institutions, with liberal gifts to all of Mr. Williamson’s friends in Scotland, and finally the residue of about twenty thousand dollars to the Williamson Hospital in Shanghai, China, an institution she founded without the knowledge of her relatives. The executors of her will were Messrs. Samuel A. S. Wilkes and Robert Robertson, remaining partners of the old firm 6f James Williamson & Company. Mr. Wilkes came to Ovid on the 20th of the present month and paid off the adults, the minors not to receive theirs until twenty-one years of age.” William Woodworth, father of Henry Woodworth, the subject of this sketch, came to Owosso township in 1855 and bought eighty acres of wooded land on section 29, coming ahead of his family. He then returned for them. There was just land enough cleared to accommodate a log house and barn. Bears came along one night and killed his only hog, which was in the pen. Deer were also very numerous, but as wild as the region round about. He improved most of the eighty acres and later his mother’s father bought forty acres adjoining. This he gave to Mr. Woodworth’s mother. Mr. Woodworth improved the property. The latter sold his first purchase and bought fifty-three acres for one thousand dollars, on section 23. He lived on this for one and one-half years and sold it for one thousand eight hundred dollars. He cleared about one-half of this purchase; after disposing of this place he bought eighty acres in Bennington township, one-half of which was improved. He cleared the balance, built a barn and about thirty-five years ago sold and removed to DuPlain township,Clinton county, and bought eighty acres, mostly improved. He lived there for about ten years and then he went to Ovid, Michigan, where he remained until his wife died. Since then he has lived with his children. Mr. Woodworth is the third of eight children, as follows: 1. Emma J., who was born November 1, 1849, lives in Clinton county. She married J. C. Flisher and they have three children,-Clara, Dora and Irene. 2. Clara, born May 29, 1851, lives in Middleburg township; she married David Thorpe and had four children,-Eva, Frank, Lena (dead), Edna (dead). 4. Lewis T., born June 20, 1856, lives in Owosso township; he married Arabella Abbey and they have three children,-Myrtle B., Harry and Earl. 5. Melissa, born May 11, 1857, lives in DuPlain township,Clinton county; she married George Bigford and had three children,Wilbur, Frank and Margaret (dead). 6. John D., born June 14, 1859, lives in Ovid township, Clinton county; he married Linnie Tyler and they have one child, Leont. 7. Olin H., born March 26, 1861, lives in Ovid, Michigan; he married Viola Morgan and they have one son, Robert. 8. Cornelia, born September 16, 1863, lives in Fairfield township; she mar nried Frank Wait and they have two children,Edith and Lloyd. Mr. Henry Woodworth commenced working out on a farm at the age of sixteen years, and later worked land on shares. In 1885 he bought eighty acres, half improved, on section 33. He cleared up the remainder and afterward he added forty acres, adjoining the first, making one hundred and twenty acres which he now owns. He has built most of the house he occupies and planted the orchard. March 17, 1879, Mr. Woodworth married Lavina Parks, who was born in Peru, Indiana, February 8, 1856. She is a daughter of Joseph Parks, who was born in New York state and who died at Peru. Her mother was Martha Ann (Kismon) Parks, who was a native of Pennsylvania and she died at Peru, Indiana. Mrs. Woodworth’s grandfather was Mr. Jacob Kismon, who was the first white settler in Peru, Indiana, and her grandmother Kismon made the journey from Pennsylvania to Indiana on horseback and carried Mrs. Woodworth’s mother with her. The grandfather of Mrs. Woodworth, Jacob Kismon, gave the mother of that lady eighty-eight acres of wild land and Joseph Parks, her husband, cleared it. They occupied the place until their death. Mrs. Woodworth is the first of three children: 2. Celesta Jane, born in 1858, lives in Indiana; she married Noah Sullivan and had three children. 3. Robert, born in 1860, lives in Chicago; he has been twice married, his first wife being dead. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Woodworth: Lulu, born April 30, 1887, died January 22, 1904; Lewis Grant was born May 5, 1889; Elmer J. was born October 28,. 1900, and Clifford Parks was born April 18, 1902. The father of the subject of this sketch was a Republican, a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and an Odd Fellow; while W. Henry Woodworth is also a Republican and is a Maccabee, besides being a school officer.