USA > Illinois > Winnebago County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Winnebago County, Volume II > Part 132
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children. They attend the Second Congrega- tional Church of Rockford. Mr. Woodruff is a member of the Elks and Woodmen. A man of conservative ideas, he is not likely to advocate any policy that would in any way endanger the interests of his depositors, and yet he is so ex- cellent a business man that he is able to give his stockholders an exceptionally fine return on their investment.
WORKS, Charles A., page 721.
WORMWOOD, Frank F., president of the Peo- ples Bank & Trust Company, and one of the sound, conservative financiers of Winnebago County. He was born at Rockford, January 24, 1862, a son of W. O. and Janette (Forbes) Wormwood, most excellent and substantial people.
The educational training of Frank F. Worm- wood was secured in the grade and high schools of Rockford, and the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. After completing his collegiate courses, he traveled throughout the West being identified with engineering parties, but in 1888 he entered upon his banking career, adopting this as his life work. Having practically de- voted all of his mature years to finance, he is one of the best qualified men in the country to handle the affairs of others, and his policies as the executive head of the bank with which he is associated, are of a nature to command respect and inspire unlimited confidence.
Mr. Wormwood was married at Morgan Park, Ill., to Alice Ferguson, a daughter of William G. and Leah (Hill) Ferguson. Mr. and Mrs. Wormwood are the parents of two children, namely : Frank F. and Janet. Mr. Wormwood belongs to the order of Elks. He affiliates with the Episcopal Church. A man of unusual ability, he is recognized as an excellent type of the bankers of the country, and his influence on big business is a factor to be considered.
WORTHINGTON, William, page 660.
WRAY, C. L. Winnebago Township has some of the most prosperous farmers of the county, and one of them who deserves more than pass- ing mention is C. L. Wray, residing on section 34. He was born on the farm where he now lives, in Winnebago Township, Winnebago County, Ill., and is a son of Samuel T. and Martha (Scott) Wray, the former of whom was born in Perry County, Pa., but came to Winne- bago County, Ill., in 1855. In 1871 he married Martha Scott, who was born in Pennsylvania in 1852, and her father was an old settler of Winne- bago County. S. T. Wray and wife have had nine children to reach maturity, and one who died in infancy. Those living are as follows : Clara, who is the wife of Lee Pollard, of Har- land Township; D. C., who resides at Depew, Ill. ; C. M., a physician, who lives at Iowa Falls, Iowa; C. L., who resides on the homestead in Winnebago Township; Martha, who also resides on the homestead; Harriet, who is a teacher in
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the Bothwell High school, state of Washington ; and Helen, Margaret and Charles, who are re- siding with their parents at Rockford, where the father is in an insurance business. S. T. Wray and wife belong to the Presbyterian Church as does their son, C. L.
C. L. Wray owns 100 acres of land in Winne- bago County and on it he is engaged in breed- ing and raising Polled Durham cattle and Duroc Jersey hogs. In politics he is a Republican, but he has held no offices. Mr. Wray is unmarried, his sister Martha keeping house for him. A man of energy and foresight, he is rapidly forg- ing ahead and well deserves his prosperity.
WRAY, S. T. The general public now fully recognizes the necessity for insurance, and the business of writing risks has increased very materially within the past few years so that it gives employment to the energies and abilities of some of the best men of the country. Rock- ford is the home of some of these representative business men and among them one who is mak- ing a success of his line is S. T. Wray. He was born in Perry Connty, Pa., July 23, 1848, a son of Thomas T. and Ann D. (Linn) Wray, natives of Danphin and Perry counties, Pa. The father was a farmer who died in 1849, following which the mother came to Rockford in 1855. Later she located on a farm in Ogle County near the Winnebago County line.
S. T. Wray attended the public schools of the several districts in which he lived and assisted his mother with her farm in Ogle County until 1869. In that year he took her with him to a farm at Westfield Corners, Winnebago Township, in this eounty, where he bought land, now own- ing 190 acres. This he operated until the fall of 1908 when he moved to Rockford and with David Hunter entered into an insurance busi- ness, he being secretary of the Rockford Farmers District Mutual Tornado Insurance Company, with assessable risks of $15,000,000. They do a general insurance business, and are making a success of their work, this company being rec- ognized as a sound, reliable institution.
On December 7, 1871. Mr. Wray was married to Martha Scott, born in Lycoming County, Pa., a daughter of Dr. Amos and Harriet (Mc- Carty) Scott, natives of Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Wray became the parents of the following children : Clara B., who is Mrs. Lee Pollitt, of Burlington, Col .; David C., who resides at De- pue, Ill., a civil engineer, married Bertha Loskill : Clarence M., who resides at Iowa Falls, Towa, a physician and surgeon, married Nellie Burch, and they have one daughter, Miriam ; Carlton L., who lives on his father's farm; Harriette. a teacher in the high school of Bothell, Washington : Martha E., who also lives on the father's farm; Helen R., who is a registered nurse ; Margaret, who is in training in the Rock- ford Hospital; and Charles W., at the State University. Out of nine children there have been three who have gone through the State University, two sons and one daughter.
For eighteen years Mr. Wray served Winne-
bago Township as assessor. In politics he is a Republican. The Modern Woodmen of America, Elida Camp, holds his membership, while his religious home is in the Presbyterian Church.
WRIGHT, George A., a substantial retired farmer who is now living at Pecatonica, Ill., was at one time a leading agriculturist of Winne- bago County. He was born near the county line, in Ogle County, Ill., February 8, 1855, a son of John and Matilda (Hutehens) Wright, natives of England, and farming people who came to Ogle County at an early day. Some years later they moved to Winnebago County.
Educated in the public schools of Illinois, George A. Wright became a farmer in young manhood, and lived on his property situated three and one-half miles south of Peeatoniea until 1912, when he sold his eighty acres, and settled down in Pecatonica. In addition to his comfortable residence, Mr. Wright owns other property in the village. He is a man of retiring disposition, one who finds his happiness in his home circle. Liberal in his contributions to church work, he enjoys the respect of those who know him. The Republican party has his loyal support.
In 1853 Mr. Wright was married to Sophronia Hitchcock, born in New York. They became the parents of five children as follows: Mrs. Flor- ence Stephens, who is living on a farm in Peca- tonica Township; John G., who lives on the old state road in Seward Township; Mrs. Ray V. Sarver, who lives on a farm in Durand Town- ship; Doris K., who lives at Hope, N. D .; and Mabel, who is a publie school teacher at Peca- tonica. Mr. and Mrs. Wright have seven grand- children.
WYMAN, Ephraim, page 643.
YOUNG, Edward G., who owns and conducts one of the best plumbing establishments on the West Side, if not in the entire eity of Rock- ford, is conveniently located at No. 711 W. State street. He was born at Elgin, Ill., April 16, 1890, a son of George and Mary (Foltz) Yonng. The parents were born in Germany, and the father left his native land in yonng manhood, and upon his arrival in the United States lo- cated at Elgin, Ill. Later he went to Bartlett, Ill., and engaged in farming on property which he bought, conducting the farm until 1907 when he sold and returned to Elgin. where he now re- sides, living retired at No. 40 Jefferson avenue. The mother is also living.
Edward G. Young was reared at Elgin where he was educated. When only fifteen years old he engaged with Zeigler Bros., plumbers, leaving in a year to go with Henry Platt with whom he remained for eighteen months. For the next two and one-half years he was with Emmett O'Connell. His next employer was Thomas Powers of Chicago with whom he remained a year, and then for five years he was with T. G. Erwing of Oak Park, Ill. On May 8, 1912, he came to Rockford and established his present
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business at No. 711 W. State street where he carried on a large and profitable trade, being one of the best plumbers in the business. He is a member of the Moose and Yeomen lodges. In politics he is a Republican.
In March, 1910, Mr. Young was married to Miss Blanche Chellberg of South Oak Park, Ill., where her father was engaged in a stone busi- ness. Later Mr. Chellberg moved to Texas where he is engaged in farming. Mr. and Mrs. Young have one child, Viola.
YOUNG, Hiram W., now retired sheriff of Winnebago County and one of the most able and courageous men who ever occupied this responsible office in this county, has proven his worth and established himself high in the esteem of his fellow citizens whose property and lives he safeguarded. He was born in Hastings County, Ontario, Canada, January 6, 1845, a son of Ezekial and Maria (Bonisteel) Young.
H. W. Young was reared in his native county and brought up amid rural surroundings his parents being farming people. His schooling was obtained in the district schools, and he remained at home until he was twenty-three years old. At that time he went to Poughkeep- sie, N. Y., and took a further course in its pub- lic schools. Following that he came to Rockton, and for a time worked on farins in the neigh- borhood, but in 1875 was engaged as a time- keeper on the railroad at Genoa and Elgin, Ill., later being employed in the Keeney Paper Mills at Rockton, where he remained for more than eighteen years.
When Willis E. Sawyer was elected sheriff of Winnebago County, he selected Mr. Young as his "first deputy" and the latter went to Rock- ford to assume his duties. So efficient did he prove himself that he was reappointed under Sheriff Alec Collier. In 1904 he was appointed poormaster, and served until 1910 when he was elected sheriff of the county, and his actions have justified his selection. He is the only one of his family to come to the county, coming here in 186S, but has himself proven so reliable and responsible a citizen that regret is felt that more of his name have not located here.
On March 13, 1876, Sheriff Young was mar- ried to Alta M. Comstock, who was born Sep- tember 8, 1851, a daughter of Richard H. and Hannah (Horton) Comstock. Sheriff and Mrs. Young have one son, Fay H., born October 28, 1885, who served as "first deputy" under his father, and lived at home, now being in the laun- dry business in Rockford. The sheriff attends the Methodist Church. While residing at Rock- ton, he joined the Modern Woodmen of America, and has held many of the local offices in this order. He also was school director and on the village board and was clerk for many years. He has now returned to Rockton where he lives
retired in his old home. A man of unblemished character, his trenchant personality and force- ful actions have placed him among the men who accomplish much. Unassuming, Sheriff Young takes but little credit for the excellent service he has rendered his county, but his record stands and his associates and those who come atter him will judge him by it and render him the appreciation that is certainly his due.
YOUNG, Moritz C., a skilled pattern maker of Rockford and formerly an agriculturist of Win- nebago County, is one of the esteemed veterans of the Civil war. He was born in Saxony, Germany, June 16, 1846, a son of Frederick and Bertha (Aschenbach) Young, the latter of whom died in Germany, and in 1857, the former with his four sons and one daughter, came to the United States, and located at Milwaukee, Wis., where he engaged in farming, although he was a baker in Germany.
Moritz C. Young attended school in Germany and at Almond, Wis. On February 13, 1864, he enlisted for service in the Civil war, in Company G, that afterwards became Company B, Fifth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. The regiment was assigned to the Army of the Potomac, and Mr. Young saw service in the campaign of the Wilderness, and the engagements at Spottsyl- vania, Cold Harbor, Petersburg, Winchester, Smithfield, Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, Peters- burg, and Sailor's Creek, and was present at General Lee's surrender, and later participated in the grand review at Washington. He was slightly wounded in the right leg by a bullet at Winchester, and was stationed on guard duty for a time. On July 11, 1865, he received his honorable discharge at Jeffersonville, Ind., and returned to Portage County, Wis., where he lived for four years, being engaged in farming, and then went to Iowa, and from 1869 to 1871 was in the machine shops and lumber yards at Waverly, Iowa, but in the latter year moved to Racine, Wis., where he worked in a machine shop. In 1874 he moved to Milledgeville, Ill., and engaged in farming until 1880, at which time le came to Rockford and has been doing car- penter work and pattern making ever since.
On March 23, 1866, Mr. Young was married to Ann Mary Walter, born in Baden, Germany, a daughter of Andrew and Mary (Walter) Walter. Their children are as follows: Elizabeth, who is Mrs. William Weaver of Albany, Ore .; Emma, who is Mrs. Burt Ellis of Rockford, Ill .; Hattie, who is Mrs. James Williamson of Rockford; Alice, who is Mrs. George Horton of the Schu- mann Piano Company of Rockford ; Edward, who lives at Chicago; Mattie, who is Mrs. G. W. Coleman ; and Jessie, who is Mrs. Fred Schrom of Waynesboro, Pa. Mr. Young belongs to the Lutheran Church. In politics he is a Republican. Fraternally he belongs to Winnebago Lodge No. 31, I. O. O. F., and Nevius Post No. 1, G. A. R., and is highly thought of in both organizations.
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