Montgomery-Jefferson County IA Archives Biographies.....Worsley, Pamelia Sikes October 21, 1809 - May 1, 1907
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/ia/iafiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Alice Warner http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00015.html#0003503 February 9, 2008, 11:34 am

Author: Minnie A. Lewis Pool

Pamelia Sikes Worsley was the daughter of a Revolutionary patriot, Increase
Sikes, who was born in Ludlow, Mass., Sept. 5, 1760. He enlisted as a private in
Capt. Phineas Stebbins' company, Col. Nathan Sparhawk's regiment, Sept. 15,
1778; service to Dec. 12, 1778, three months and three days including travel (91
miles) from home. Company detached to reinforce Gen. Sullivan, but ordered to
Boston by resolve of Sept. 17, 1778. (See Mass. Soldiers and Sailors of the
Revolution, Vol. XIV, page 202.)
March 8, 1803, Increase Sikes married Lucy Wright in Ludlow, Mass., and lived on
the farm of which he was the owner, until his death, Jan. 17, 1837. Lucy Wright
Sikes was born Nov. 14, 1785, and died Sept. 6, 1851. To them were born nine
children. Pamelia, the subject of this sketch, was the third child, and was born
Oct. 21, 1809, in Ludlow, Mass. 
The children were educated in Ludlow, and at an early age sought employment in
the New England factories. Pamelia found employment in a cotton mill at Lowell,
Mass., where she remained until nearly the time of her marriage. She was married
Nov. 17, 1831, to Joseph Worsley at Springfield, Mass. Mr. Worsley was a native
of Thompsonville, Conn., a descendant of an old English family. 
They lived at Springfield and at Boston. In 1836, they with their two children
and other families, sought a home in the West. The trip was by water. They first
went to New York City, then up the Hudson river, across the Erie canal and
through the Great Lakes. While on Lake Huron they were in a severe storm and
nearly suffered shipwreck. They finally landed at Fort Dearborn and located on
what is now the south side of Chicago. 
After a fight of several months with fever and ague, they disposed of their
tract of land and moved westward toward the Fox river and settled near what is
now Aurora, Ill. They were charter members of the First Congregational Church of
Aurora, organized in 1838. Some time after they sold the land and relocated on
160 acres, purchased of the government, about two miles west of Geneva, Ill. 
While they had all the frontier hardships, their relations with the Indians were
very friendly. Often while at work, Mrs. Worsley would find an Indian in her
home. If it was near meal-time, she would ask him to stay. She tried to be very
helpful to the women and children, and the Indians returned it by bringing home
straying cattle and in other ways. During their residence at Aurora and Geneva
eight children were born.
The early settlers felt that it was necessary to have a timber tract for
building purposes and fuel. Mr. and Mrs. Worsley acquired a ten-acre tract in
"the Big Woods," now extinct, about five miles south of the farm. In 1848 they
built a house, and in 1854 a barn on their farm from timber hauled from the
tract. The logs were hewn and a regular frame erected, mortised and pinned. Both
buildings are intact at this time, September 1916, and used for the purposes for
which they were built. 
Here again they were pioneers in church  organization and were charter members
of the Congregational Church of Geneva, organized in 1845. On Aug.6, 1863, Mr.
Worsley died. Mrs. Worsley as administratrix, settled the estate to the
satisfaction of all the heirs, and at a cost that would surprise people of this
day. In 1867 she purchased a comfortable home in Geneva where she lived until
late November, 1869, when she moved to Red Oak, Iowa, with her youngest
daughter, who had just married a merchant. They arrived on the first passenger
train to cross the state on the C., B. & Q. Railroad. 
She made Red Oak her home for a number of years, living with her son, O. P.
Worsley, who had been a resident since March, 1869. During this time she devoted
herself to Christian work and helped to organize the First Congregational Church
of Red Oak, of which she was a charter member.
In 1880 she moved to Fairfield, and later to York, Neb. In both places she lived
with her daughter, Mrs. Mary A. Small. In 1893 she returned to Red Oak and made
her home with her son, where she died May 1, 1907, aged 97 years, 6 months and
10 days. She is buried in Red Oak.
Mrs. Worsley was a devoted Christian and a very active church worker. She
attended church regularly until after her ninetieth birthday. She was a great
Bible student and had memorized many chapters of the Bible as well as beautiful
hymns and poems, which she greatly cherished. She had a great many
correspondents among her friends and relatives. There were few days that she did
not write to some of these. On her ninetieth birthday she received a post card
shower, and she answered each card personally. During most of her life, she
enjoyed good health, and remarkably good health in the later years of her life.
Her mind was clear and active to the last. She had a cheerful disposition and
strong convictons of right and wrong. During the last seven years of her life
she was a shut-in. She then found her greatest pleasure in repeating to herself
the Bible verses, hymns, and poems which she had memorzed. 
She loved to tell stories of her early days, and often spoke of her father in
connection with the Revolutionary War. When almost 97 years of age she became
interested in the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution
through a friend of hers who was a Real Daughter. Her excellent memory easily
enabled them to find the data necessary for her application papers, and she
joined the Society as a Member-at-Large, May 29, 1906. She received the gold
souvenir spoon from the National Society and was very proud of it. Her
grand-daughter, Miss Hattie Worsley, of Red Oak, to whom we are indebted for the
material for this sketch, now treasures this spoon as a memento of her dearly
loved grandmother, whose memory we also cherish in the Archives of the Iowa D.
A. R., and whose name we have recorded on the beautiful bronze Memorial Tablet
to our loved Real Daughters of Iowa, a splendid tribute which "will soon hang on
memory's wall" in the Iowa Room of our beautiful Memorial Continental Hall.

Additional Comments:
From: 

Daughters of the American Revolution Magazine, February 1917.

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ia/montgomery/bios/worsley199gbs.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/iafiles/

File size: 6.8 Kb