Willis Kenworthy (1826-1890)
We have little information about the life of Willis Kenworthy. What we have was published in the newspaper after his death, and that article is pictured at left. Its title is “A Good Man Gone.”
It’s a good writeup. The third paragraph helps us to know him a little better. “In whatever department of life-work he was engaged, he was ever noted for his energy. In business no one surpassed him in push. In public affairs his energetic efforts always carried him to the front, while in religious duties and church work he was zealous, fearless and persistent.”
Willis was a member of the Friends (Quaker) church, and a pastor. He was probably also a farmer; pastors were paid so little in those days that most of them had to be farmers as well, to support their families. And the Kenworthy family was a big one, with eight children.
One of those children, Anna Kenworthy, married Lewis Stout when she grew up, and her daughter (Mildred Stout) became my grandmother.
Naomi Kenworthy (1827-1911)
In this short video clip, my grandmother (Mildred Stout Votaw) tells us about her grandmother Naomi’s Quaker bonnet, and how she wore it.
Most of what we know about Naomi comes from her obituary, which is pictured below. Here are two excerpts:
“She was always a devoted Christian and a member of the Friends’ Church. For a number of years the church honored her by continuous appointment to the station of elder.”
“She was truly a mother in Israel and her face in the church assemblage will long be remembered, and the influence of her Christian character, which shown so brightly in her life, will long be a blessing to all who knew her well.”
Mildred tells the only story she can remember about her grandmother (Naomi Kenworthy).
This clock was originally called a “kitchen clock.” It was first owned by Naomi Kenworthy.
My grandmother, Mildred Votaw, inherited the clock from her grandmother Naomi, and it was on the wall in her living room for as long as I can remember. When I was a little boy, Grandma would hold me up high so that I could see the clock, and she showed me how she would wind it with the key that’s inside the glass door. She told me that someday that clock would be mine.
I asked her when that would be, and she said “when I’m done with it.”
Here are two more newspaper notices of Willis’ death. The interesting phrase “acceptable minister” appears in both. It’s probably not the faint praise it seems to be; my guess is that it means that Willis could be accepted to preach in any Friends meeting.
Above: post card from Gertrude Stout (Mildred’s older sister) sent to her grandmother Naomi Kenworthy to wish her a happy birthday in 1901. Gertrude was 15 at this writing, and lived only one more year.
Left: another photo of Willis and Naomi Kenworthy. It is undated, but they look a little bit younger here than in the photo at the top of this page.
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