Today I was thinking of Mom. Mom, Grace Worthing, had a great life but also had some sadness. She was orphaned at age 16 when most young girls are thinking of their first proms, dates, and boys. Her mother, Nancy Ames Hansen Worthing, passed when she was only 12 years old and her dad, Charles Worthing passed when she was 16. Mom was lucky to have two step brothers in Ohio. After her dad passed she was sent to live with her half brother, Walter Worthing and his two daughters, Lucille and Hazel on a farm in Birds Run, Ohio.
Mom didn't stay there long. She ended up living in New Concord, Ohio at her cousin Eppie Mossholder's.
I know as a child at about age 8 and 10 we went to Ohio to visit mom's family. The first time was on a train. I remember sleeping curled up in a seat with my sister facing mom and dad who where sitting in the seat across from us. The other time we went to Ohio was when dad drove. I remember, dad didn't like heights and we went across the dam and winding road on the way to Ohio. I don't remember the name of the dam but think it was part of the Tennessee Valley Authority. Anyway it was high and winding road.
We had fun on both trips to Guernsey County Ohio and New Concord. We stayed at the Frank Buker farm which was the original Richard Worthing farm, my mom's grandfather. We used an outhouse for a bathroom. I also remember feeding the free range chickens, the hogs, and milking the cows. We ate homemade fried chicken and drank raw milk. We played at the Frank Worthing farm down the road with our new found cousins. Then we drove up and around the bend to Hazel Worthing's farm where we ate home made ice cream. Behind the old Buker farm was a Worthing Cemetery in Ohio where Seth and Harriet Worthing and their children are buried. Seth was one of my Greatgrandfather, Richard Worthing's sons.
In New Concord I remember Eppie and Guy Mossholder. They had a big two story house on main street. We stayed upstairs. I remember the big huge kitchen. Mom learned to cook there from Eppie as a 16 year old. I remember the big front porch where we sat at night and visited. When in New Concord we visited mom's childhood cousin Dr. Castor father of Annie Castor Glenn (wife of John Glenn). Mom used to spend summers with Annie Castor in Akron Ohio.
I think we only made one trip to Truro, Iowa where mom was born and raised. Truro is a small town of 300 nestled in Madison County near all the famous bridges. A lovely small town. Only a library and tavern on main street and a school. We visited the Worthing Cemetery and put flowers on my grandma and grandpa's graves and visited the Baptist Church near the cemetery where the Worthing's attended. The cemetery is still there today. I have visited it in 2001 and 2004 and 2008. We ate chicken dinners at a cousin's of mom's in Truro. We went to Merle Cregor's house to visit with the family who were mom's cousins. Mom was trying to get a post birth certificate. She needed to get affadavits from witnesses of her birth so she would have evidence in the futher for her social security. It turned out mom didn't need these as Social Security could prove her birth by the census records and school records.
Besides our trips to Ohio and Iowa, mom's half brother, Uncle Kenny Worthing used to come to Aurora every winter to stay with us. I think he was a great comfort to mom.
I only wish we could have made more trips to Iowa and Ohio for mom's sake. She would have loved that and the ability to visit her family.
I wish I could remember more. Mom had a half sister Blanche Hansen Stevens who died in 1945 in Aurora, Illinois from Cancer of the uterus. Sad for mom. Mom's best friend in Aurora was Marie Flynn Vaghey. They were the "giggle" girls and inseparable. Good for mom. Mom had us and her in-laws who she loved very much and they loved her like a daughter. We were so lucky to grow up in a loving, caring, family oriented home with a sweet, dear mom.
Mom didn't stay there long. She ended up living in New Concord, Ohio at her cousin Eppie Mossholder's.
I know as a child at about age 8 and 10 we went to Ohio to visit mom's family. The first time was on a train. I remember sleeping curled up in a seat with my sister facing mom and dad who where sitting in the seat across from us. The other time we went to Ohio was when dad drove. I remember, dad didn't like heights and we went across the dam and winding road on the way to Ohio. I don't remember the name of the dam but think it was part of the Tennessee Valley Authority. Anyway it was high and winding road.
We had fun on both trips to Guernsey County Ohio and New Concord. We stayed at the Frank Buker farm which was the original Richard Worthing farm, my mom's grandfather. We used an outhouse for a bathroom. I also remember feeding the free range chickens, the hogs, and milking the cows. We ate homemade fried chicken and drank raw milk. We played at the Frank Worthing farm down the road with our new found cousins. Then we drove up and around the bend to Hazel Worthing's farm where we ate home made ice cream. Behind the old Buker farm was a Worthing Cemetery in Ohio where Seth and Harriet Worthing and their children are buried. Seth was one of my Greatgrandfather, Richard Worthing's sons.
In New Concord I remember Eppie and Guy Mossholder. They had a big two story house on main street. We stayed upstairs. I remember the big huge kitchen. Mom learned to cook there from Eppie as a 16 year old. I remember the big front porch where we sat at night and visited. When in New Concord we visited mom's childhood cousin Dr. Castor father of Annie Castor Glenn (wife of John Glenn). Mom used to spend summers with Annie Castor in Akron Ohio.
I think we only made one trip to Truro, Iowa where mom was born and raised. Truro is a small town of 300 nestled in Madison County near all the famous bridges. A lovely small town. Only a library and tavern on main street and a school. We visited the Worthing Cemetery and put flowers on my grandma and grandpa's graves and visited the Baptist Church near the cemetery where the Worthing's attended. The cemetery is still there today. I have visited it in 2001 and 2004 and 2008. We ate chicken dinners at a cousin's of mom's in Truro. We went to Merle Cregor's house to visit with the family who were mom's cousins. Mom was trying to get a post birth certificate. She needed to get affadavits from witnesses of her birth so she would have evidence in the futher for her social security. It turned out mom didn't need these as Social Security could prove her birth by the census records and school records.
Besides our trips to Ohio and Iowa, mom's half brother, Uncle Kenny Worthing used to come to Aurora every winter to stay with us. I think he was a great comfort to mom.
I only wish we could have made more trips to Iowa and Ohio for mom's sake. She would have loved that and the ability to visit her family.
I wish I could remember more. Mom had a half sister Blanche Hansen Stevens who died in 1945 in Aurora, Illinois from Cancer of the uterus. Sad for mom. Mom's best friend in Aurora was Marie Flynn Vaghey. They were the "giggle" girls and inseparable. Good for mom. Mom had us and her in-laws who she loved very much and they loved her like a daughter. We were so lucky to grow up in a loving, caring, family oriented home with a sweet, dear mom.
