Riley Co., KS AHGP-Portrait and Biographical Album of Washington, Clay and Riley Counties-William Worrel
Portrait and Biographical Album of Washington, Clay and Riley Counties Chapman Brothers, Chicago, 1890
WILLIAM WORREL. In noting the lead�ing citizens of Zeandale Township, Riley County, the list would be wholly incom�plete without the name of this gentleman, who has been efficient in promoting its agricultural interests and who has a well-regulated home on section 16. He is of Southern birth and parentage, having first opened his eyes to the light in Harrison County, Ky., Sept. 12, 1825. His parents, Richard and Jane (Snodgrass) Worrel, were likewise natives of that county, where they were reared and married and where they lived until 1840. Then when William was a youth of about fifteen years they left the Blue Grass State and emigrated to Hendricks County, Ind., where the mother departed this life in 1870. Richard Worrel subsequently came to Kansas and died at the residence of his son, our subject, in 1885.
There were born to the parents of Mr. Worrel, ten children, of whom William was the third in order of birth, eight of these are living and residents of Kansas, Kentucky and Indiana. William accompanied the family to Indiana in 1840, but when reaching his majority returned to the old homestead in Harrison County, Ky., and lived there for a period of thirty years longer. In March, 1870, he retraced his steps to Indiana, then pushed on further Westward, crossing the Mississippi into Riley County, Kan., and took up his abode in Zeandale Township of which he has since been a resident. For seven or eight years in Kentucky he occupied himself in a saw and grist mill, but with the exception of that time, has been a life-long agriculturist, and like some of his compeers, he was fairly well provided with means when coming to Kansas, and in due time became the owner of 1.700 acres of land, the most of which, however, he has since disposed of, having now only 260 acres. This, however, is sufficient to engage his time and atten�tion and his carefully cultivated fields are the source of handsome returns.
In Harrison County, Ky., on the 20th of Decem�ber, 1854, William Worrel was united in marriage with Miss Susan Moore. This lady was born in Bracken County, that State, where she was reared to an interesting womanhood and remained under the home roof until her marriage. Of her union with our subject there were born five children, viz: Richard, Alfred, Sallie, Alice and Charles. The youngest child died at the age of three years. Mrs. Susan Worrel departed this life at her home in Zeandale Township July 6, 1886. She was a lady of many estimable qualities, of kind and affectionate disposition, and was greatly mourned by her family and friends. She proved a most worthy helpmate to her husband who holds her name in tender remembrance.
Mr. Worrel, politically, is an independent voter but has no aspirations for office, being content to give his attention to his farming interests and his influence to the cause of morality and good order.