Mr. and Mrs. W. C. Woodworth came to Nebraska from Wisconsin in 1872
and homesteaded on a farm 3 miles north and half mile west of
Exeter.
When settling on their land they were anxious to
have everything in as good order as possible, so they spent their
ready money on improvements, but that year's farming did not turn
out to their expectations and soon they needed the money for food
which had been expended on a house, barn, and well. It therefore
became necessary to go to Lincoln for credit, when the Farmers
Grocery Stores readily allowed them $5 worth of provisions until a
wheat crop was forthcoming to pay for them.
There were 11
antelopes that ran on their claim for about six months after they
located, and hunters would ride over the land in every direction.
About that time Mrs. Woodworth was very sick, and failing to get
hired help had the work to do herself as best she could. One day a
huntsman, worth said, "Lady you look sick, can I get you some
water?" The man worth said, "lady you look sick, can I get you some
water?" The man was kind enough not only to get a pail of water, but
went out and shot a prairie chicken which he gave her, expressing
the hope that the lady would soon get better, thus the stranger
passed again out of her life after showing this unexpected kindness.
Some neighbors named Crooker living on the Indian Creek had
a seige of measles, there were six of the household stricken down at
one time, so someone sought help of Mrs. Woodworth seeing there were
two women in her house, herself and her mother, and probably one
might be spared. Mrs. Woodworth very willingly went down to the
Crooker home, hardly expecting to find conditions as bad as they
were, and for three nights and three days she never rested in her
efforts to help them through, but one girl died in spite of all the
care put forth to save her.
Sometime after this Mrs.
Woodworth was very sick with Typhoid fever, a trained nurse was an
impossibility in those days, Miss Crooker, a school teacher, called
one day and on seeing; the condition Mrs. Woodworth was in, went
home and sent her mother and father up to look after her, they
remaining' and took care of the invalid until she was better.
The Horton school house was the place of worship for their
neighborhood, and they were members of the "Church of God" who
worshiped at that place. In those early days men would attend the
services barefooted and dressed in overalls; while the women wore
large sunbonnets. In later days "Father" Green of the U. B. church,
a native of Lancashire, England, a homesteader of York county came
often to preach and in fact was the only preacher there for a long
time. True to his native country characteristics and training he was
a very "deep" preacher, and of great fervor in his devotions. He was
always careful to kneel when he prayed he was not ashamed to bow
himself before his God and would spread a large red handkerchief on
the floor; evidently to save his best trousers, though the newness
had long since departed. But, "There were giants in those days" men
mighty in faith and prayer, their treasurers were not to be measured
by their earthly possessions or dress, they realized the value of
the unseen world and had treasurers more abiding than earth can
give. What days these would be if their successors with the
increased value of the land had increased proportionately in their
faith and religious devotions! The Kingdom of God and the
brotherhood of man would be much nearer than it now is.
"Father" Green was a man who believed in the incoming of better
things, by trusting in God, and was much disappointed as were
others; when, after praying on the Sunday of the grasshopper plague,
that the plague might be taken away, and the congregation dismissed
to find that the grass hoppers were actually rising in clouds and
moving onward; that some should wonder and ask, "What started them
going?" He died some 20 years ago loved and respected by all, having
lived to a good old age •somewhere over 80 years, and is buried in
the Exeter Cemetery. Many there are in the neighborhood who with
Mrs. Woodworth are glad to keep green and fragrant the memory of the
man of God named Green, the man who was good and upright in all his
ways and died as he had lived, praying and singing.
Pioneers of Fillmore and Adjoining Counties
Source: Pioneer Stories of the Pioneers of Fillmore and adjoining Counties, by G. R. McKeith, Press of Fillmore County News, Exeter, Nebraska, 1915