Rufus Rypha Worden, son of Rypha Worden and Rebecca Ripley, was born in Cayuga County, New York, and moved with his parents to Wayne County, Michigan about 1833. He married Almyra Thayer, 16 July 1855 at Greenfield, Mighigan. Walter Henderson, Esq., Justice of the Peace, performed the ceremony. All six of their children were born in Wayne County, Michigan. Albert, Ella D. Rebecca, Charley, Ida Mira, and the twins Edward Oliver and Eva Olive.
They came to Bourbon County, Kansas in the early 1870s and bought a farm north east of Bronson. R. R. Worden farmed and taught school for 20 years to help eke out a living. His wife, Almyra, died 25 November 1876 and was first buried on the farm. Later she was moved to the Bronson Cemetary.
Albert Worden, born 20 April 1856, died 13 October 1935. He was married twice: Laura Thomas and Maud West. He had one son, Rypha Earl (known as Jack) born at Liberal, Missouri on 26 February 1883. He worked 45 years in the zinc smelters, the last years at Sandoval, Illinois where he is buried.
Ella D. Rebecca Worden and George William Holt were married 20 March 1879 at her father's home by J. W. Talbot, minister of the Gospel. Witnesses were E. A. Wright and William Gunning and others. They had three children: Merton Everett Holt, Mabel Holt and Ethel Thayer Holt. Merton Everett and Miss Maud Burton were married at Yates Center, Kansas on 22 October 1901. Merton Holt has been dead many years. Will and Ella Holt died in California. Mabel was married once and Ethel married several times.
Ida Mira Worden and Harry C. Miller were married 12 July 1891 in Jasper County at Joplin, Missouri. She had previously been married to a Mr. Thornton. One son, Milton W. Miller was born 23 November 1893 at Kansas City, Missouri. Harry C. Miller was born 19 December 1862 and named Plemet S. Miller. When he became of legal age he changed his name to Harry C. Miller. He died 7 December 1947. He was a baroer and they lived at Lost Nations, Iowa before moving to Sprague, Washington. Ida Worden was born 5 April 1865 and died 10 September 1943. Milton Miller died 29 October 1974 at Spokane, Washington. He served in the Army in Europe during World War I.
Charley Worden was born September 28th. He was married to Flaud ____. They lived at Nevada, Missouri and when Ed Worden visited them in the teens (1910s), he was working as a bartender. They had two children: Ralph and Ruth who was a talented pianist.
Eva Olive Worden married three times. The first ____ Saunders. Two sons were born, Joe Saunders and Eddie Saunders. Eddie died as a baby. Joe last lived at Long Beach, California. The second marriage was to ____ Whitaker. Three children were born to this union. Edward Whitaker, who died of cancer 7 November 1959 at St. Louis, Missouri; Horace Whitaker who served on a submarine during World War I and was drowned near the coast of Ireland; and a daughter Mildred, who died after she was married. Her third marriage was to Charley Fisher. for many years, their home was at 3427 South Jefferson Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri. When Rufus Rypha Worden became ill with stomach cancer he went to St. Louis and lived with Eva and family and when he died was cremated there. Charley Fisher and Eva spent their last years at Zephyrhills, Florida. After World War I Eva went to France as a Gold Star Mother.
Edward Oliver Worden and Leona Merton were married at Nevada, Missouri on 6 December 1894. Ed and his father R. R. Worden, operated a second-hand store at Rich Hill, Missouri for several years. Early in 1896 Ed and Leona moved to a farm in Osage Township, Allen county, Kansas and continued to live there the rest of their days.
Edward Oliver Worden and Eva Olive Worden, twins, were born 30 September 1867 and he died 14 April 1936. Ed and Leona had eight children: Eva May, Bertie Oliver, George Rypha, Myra Lunetta, Zaida Marie, Ethel Thayer, Edward Clyde and John Wesley.
Eva May married Clyde O. Tally, known as Joe. They had three sons: Lee Oliver, Billy Eldon and George Dean.
Bert never married. He served a short time in the Army during World War II.
George R. Worden served three years in the U.S. Marines and was on the U.S.S. Mississippi during that time. He married Hazel Peters and they had two children: Virginia Charlotte and George Rypha, Jr. He worked as a steel bender at Seattle, Washington and was electrocuted on the job 15 August 1933.
Myra Lunetta Worden married Thomas Johnson and they farmed in Bourbon County, Kansas, north of Bronson. They has nine children: Retha Louise, Donna Pauline, Mary Francis, Virginia Lee, Eva Nadine, Thomas Clark, Ruth Eilene, Shirley Lavonne and Myron Jack.
Zaida Marie Worden married Elmer Ross and they farmed many years and he did road construction work. They had twelve children: baby daughter (still born), William George, Helen Marie, Lawrence Ray, Lois Irene, Doris Elma, James Albert, Marjorie Joan, Russell Lee, Paul Dean, Maurice Gale and Verl Annette.
Ethel Thayer Worden married Samuel Gerdsen, a farmer. They had three children: Leona Matilda, Richard Elvin and Lora May.
Edward Clyde (known as Mike) married Olive Marie Gamble. He served in the U.S. Army several years and was a left handed ball pitcher. He developed lung problems and was unable to work. They had six children: Melody Lynn, Ronald Clyde, Cheryl Annette, Kelly Spencer, and twins Nolan Edward and Nadine LaVerne.
John Wesley served in the U.S. Army during World War II in Africa and Europe. Returning to the States, he married Dorothy Sidwell, a sister of his Army buddy, Buren Sidwell, of Greenup, Illinois. He farmed and did appliance repairs in that area. They had one daughter, Juanita Evelyn.
Ed Worden was a good farmer. He did like to play baseball and got real enjoyment playing his guitar and singing his old favorite songs. In the early 1930s he was married to Blanche Lakey McKinney.
As twins, Ed and Eva were much alike, except he was always slender and she was pleasantly plump. When he was sixteen years old he weighed eighty pounds and could use his hat band for a belt. They both enjoyed the many arguments they had whenever they had the opportunity to visit.
