Joseph Worthy Biography


	This biography is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated
 	compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography,
	including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and 
	representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. Ogle & 
	Co., Chicago, 1899. Pages 433-434

	Scan, OCR and editing by Maurice Krueger,mkrueger@iw.net, 1998. 

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JOSEPH WORTHY. While it is true that many men are seeking to accumulate 
vast fortunes by selfish and unscrupulous means, there is nothing more 
worthy of praise than the quiet and steady pursuit of some honest 
calling and the determined exercise of industry, economy and sagacity 
which enables a man to acquire a home and competence. The subject of 
this biography, now a prosperous citizen of Eureka, South Dakota is a 
man whose brave struggle with early adversity has brought him a 
competence without the sacrifice of principle. 

Mr. Worthy was born in the city of York, England, in 1847, a son of 
Peter and Mary (Ward) Worthy. In early life the father entered the 
British army, but on account of disability was discharged before he was 
twenty-five years of age, and then engaged in farming in his native 
land until the emigration of the family to America in 1851. They landed 
in New York and proceeded at once to Dodge county, Wisconsin, where 
they located on a farm in the midst of the wilderness, there being no 
railroads through that section at that time, and most of the land being 
still in its primitive condition. About 1870 the father removed to 
Adams county, the same state, where he now resides. 

Our subject, who is the oldest of a family of nine children, was reared 
to agricultural pursuits and educated in the country schools. On 
attaining his majority he left home and, after drifting about for a 
time, finally settled in Minneapolis in 1870, and there learned the 
meat business. Removing to Kasson, Minnesota, in 1871, he established a 
meat market of his own, and engaged in business there for ten years. In 
1880 he was united in marriage with Martha G. Bonner, a successful 
school teacher, who was born in Pennsylvania and completed her 
education in the State Normal School, of Winona, Minnesota. Her father, 
D. L. Bonner, is now a farmer and real estate dealer of Stewartville, 
Minnesota. He is of Scotch descent, but the family have resided in this 
country for many years. Our subject and his wife have five children: 
Mary, who was born in 1881, and has graduated from the Eureka high 
school; Edith and Ray, who are attending school; and Roy and Irma, who 
are still at home. 

In February, 1882, Mr. Worthy came to South Dakota and first located at 
Ordway, Brown county, where he engaged in the livery business and in 
farming for one year. He then took up government land in McPherson 
county and erected thereon a claim shanty, 10 x 16 feet, a sod shanty, 
12 x 28 feet, and a sod barn and small granary. Here he engaged in 
agricultural pursuits for four years, during which time he had a good 
crop destroyed by hail, and his buildings were burned at the time of 
the big fire in Leola. In 1887 he removed to Eureka, where he was 
engaged in the livery business, until 1892 and enjoyed the largest 
trade of any one in that line in the place. He then opened a meat 
market in a building, 24 x 32 feet, but as his trade has grown rapidly 
he has had to move to more commodious quarters, and now occupies a 
building 24 x 76 feet. He handles all kinds of meat, fruits and 
vegetables, and does the principal business of the kind in the town. He 
is also interested more or less in the cattle business, and in all his 
undertakings is meeting with marked success. Besides his town property, 
he still owns three hundred acres of valuable farming land in McPherson 
and Campbell counties. 

Politically Mr. Worthy is a Republican and he has held some city 
offices. Socially he is a member of the Masonic fraternity and the 
Knights of Pythias, and both he and his wife are connected with the 
Eastern Star, in which she has held some of the principal offices. She 
is also a consistent and active member of the Presbyterian church of 
Eureka. Mr. Worthy is an upright and reliable business man, an honored 
pioneer of this state, and a citizen of whom any community might be 
justly proud. He was one of the first settlers of Brown county and 
moved into McPherson county at the time it was organized.