Irving Woodworth, sheriff of Kent county, and who is a native of Seneca county, N.Y., was born September 15, 1855, and is a son of Nestor and Phebe (Wing) Woodworth, a natives, respectively, of New York and New England. The father was a farmer, who came to Michigan in 1879, and resided with his son Irving, in Grand Rapids, until his death, in 1891, in the faith of the Baptist church. The mother had passed away, in the same faith, when Irving was but a boy, and of the seven children born to these parents six still survive. The father was a republican in his politics, held several township offices, and locally had been quite a prominent man. Irving Woodworth received his primary education in the common school of his native township, later attended the academy at Trumansberg, Tompkins county, N.Y., and finished his education when twenty years old. He remained with his father on the home farm until he had attained the age of twenty-three years, and then came to Grand Rapids, Mich., and engaged in dairying. He first rented 400 acres five miles north of the city, and next purchased 240 acres, to which he later added eighty acres, all of which land he still owns. He was very successful in his business, and resided on his farm until 1893, when he was appointed under sheriff to Nathaniel Rice, who died two months later, and Mr. Woodworth then assumed the office of acting sheriff, and filled out the unexpired term of Mr. Rice. In 1896 Mr. Woodworth was elected sheriff by a large majority, for which office he had been fully qualified by his prior experience, and the duties of which he so ably administered that he was re-elected in 1898, and is the present incumbent.

Mr. Woodworth was joined in marriage in Grand Rapids, May 6, 1896, with Miss Nellie Cutler, a native of Gaines township, Kent county, and a daughter of J.I. and Harriet (Church) Cutler, and to this congenial union has been born one child--Irving, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Woodworth attend the Methodist Episcopal church, and in his fraternal relations is a blue lodge Mason and a member of lodge No. 48, B.P.O.E., while in politics he is a stanch republican. He still continues his dairy business on his 320 acre farm, which is situated in Plainfield township, and he is classed among the go ahead, enterprising citizens of Kent county, by whom he is universally respected. `