June 2004 - The Butterworths
Edgar S. Butterworth was born in Shelby County, Missouri, October 29, 1848, and received his education there. In 1866 he came to Quincy with his brother Theodore, and in 1874 he married Miss M. G. Alexander, of Quincy. They then returned to Shelby County, where he followed farming, and from there moved to Webb City in Southwestern Missouri, where his wife died in the prime of life. Of their two children one died in infancy and the daughter Mabel at the age of twenty-five.
After this misfortune Mr. Butterworth returned to Quincy and was advertising manager of the Western Agriculturist and Livestock Journal, published by his brother, and did much to build up the prestige and commercial prosperity of that paper. Following this for four years was in the drag business as a member of the firm W. H. Alexander & Company at Fourth and Maine streets.
In 1891, Mr. Butterworth married at the home of his bride in Ellington Township Miss SOPHIA M. KIDNEY [Thomas, Johan, Jacob, Johannes, Jacobus, John/Jan]. After his marriage Mr. Butterworth devoted his time to the farm which Mrs. Butterworth had inherited frown her father, located a half mile from the city limits of Quincy. Thirty-seven acres comprise a large orchard of apples and peaches, and he found both pleasure and profit in operating this valuable old property.
Mrs. Butterworth was born two miles north of her present home March 26, 1854, and attended the local schools and the old Female Seminary in Quincy. She is a daughter of THOMAS and SOPHIA LOUISE (BERRIAN) KIDNEY. THOMAS KIDNEY, her father, was born in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, in 1822, and was a son of JOHN and MATILDA KIDNEY. His parents came west to Quincy in the fall of 1837, when he was fifteen years old. Later JOHN KIDNEY went back to New York State and died there about 1879, at the age of eighty-six. THOMAS KIDNEY engaged in farming in Adams County and was especially successful as a pioneer fruit grower. In 1846 he married Miss Berrian, who was born in New York City in 1824 and came to Adams County when about nine years of age with her parents, William and Sophia (Ricker) Berrian, a prominent family whose annals are recounted on other pages of this publication. THOMAS KIDNEY built his beautiful home on the farm near Quincy in 1873. It comprises fourteen rooms, and is one of the most commodious country establishments in the county. THOMAS KIDNEY passed away March 8, 1889, and left no will. He always said the law was the best will he could make. After his death MRS. SOPHIA KIDNEY divided the farm of seventy acres between her two children, William A. and Sophia M., giving her daughter the old home place. She remained with her daughter twelve years, passing away February 23, 1903, after a residence of almost half a century in Adams County.