Marion Worline, now deceased, was a Butler county pioneer in the truest sense of the word. He came to Kansas at a time when the westbound trail almost vanished when Butler county was reached. Marion Worline was born in Delaware county, Ohio, February 1, 1847, and was a son of Abraham and Susanna Magdalena (Worline) Worline. While the parents bore the same name they were not related. The parents were both natives of Pennsylvania, of German descent. Abraham Worline's father was rearer[sic] in Pennsylvania, and his father came from Germany. Abraham Worline was born December 25, 1815 and was married to Susanna Worline, August 6, 1844. He died February 16, 1885. They were the parents of twelve children, and Marion, the subject of this sketch, was the third in order of birth. He grew to manhood on the pioneer farm in Ohio, where his parents had settled at a very early date in the history of that State. When he was twenty-one years old, in 1868, the Worline family migrated to Cass county, Missouri, and here the parents spent the remainder of their lives. The father died February 16, 1885, and the mother passed away August 28, 1893.

Marion Worline remained with his parents until November 3, 1870, when he was married to Miss Harriet Eyestone in Fayette county, Illinois. Harriet Eyestone was a native of that county, born March 11, 1850, a daughter of Martin and Nancy (Lock) Eyestone. Her father was a native of Baden, Germany, and came to America when a young man, and Nancy Eyestone was a native of Ohio, where they were married. About a year after their marriage, they removed to Michigan and after remaining There about two years, went to Illinois, and settled in Fayette county. Like most pioneers they were poor and endured many handships on the plains of Illinois. They needed a cow and the father traded his only pair of boots for one, and the first wheat that they raised the mother fanned the chaff from the grain with a bed sheet. These are some

of the incidences in the early life of that family. However, prosperity soon came, and at the time of his death, the father owned 900 acres of Illinois land. He spent his life in Fayette county, Illinois. He died April, 1898, aged eighty-six years, and his wife died October 22, 1897, aged eighty-two years.

Two weeks after his marriage, Marion Worline and his wife went to Cass county, Missouri, and remained with Mr. Worline's parents until April, 1871, when they loaded their earthly possessions into a wagon, or prairie schooner, and started for southwestern Kansas. They joined a pary[sic] of other emigrants and the outfit consisted of five wagons, hauled by oxen. It was a long and tedious trip and frequently after their oxen had trudged all day through the mud, the party could look back and see where they had camped the night before. After reaching Butler county, Mr. Worline filed on eighty acres of land in Fairmount township and built a little shack which afforded meager shelter, during the first year, but in the fall he built a more substantial cabin, 12x16 feet, which served as the family home for a number of years. When they came here they were poor. About all they owned was their oxen, and when Mr. Worline started for Kansas he had $15 in money, but lost his pocketbook, which contained this money, and he landed in Butler county penniless. However, his money was found by a freighter along the trail, who afterward returned it to Mr. Worline. Mr. Worline, after having passed through the trials and various vicissitudes incident to the settlement of a new country, finally met with success and was one of Butler county's prosperous and most substantial citizens. At the time of his death, August 4, 1914, he owned 280 acres of land, and for years had been a prominent farmer and stockman of his community. He took an active interest in political affairs and during his lifetime supported the principals of the Democratic party, and took a deep interest in its policies. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge at Peabody. Marion Worline and wife were the parents of the following children: Edna C. and Addie G., died in infancy; Nora W., married J. B. Moore, of Butler county; Vely Perry, farmer and stockman, Plum Groe[sic] township; Frederick Morton, traveling salesman for the International Harvester Company, resides at Peabody, Kans.; Robert Hite, attorney-at-law, resides at Kansas City, Kans.; Corby Olin, farmer and stockman, Fairmount township; Bonnie G., married Ernest Weaver, Clifford township, and Charles Ross, living on the home farm with his mother. All of the Worline sons are successful and prosperous and representative citizens of worth and responsibility.

Previous | Main Page | Biography Index | Next

Pages 761-762,