Sherman, Thomas

SHERMAN, SPARKS, MORGAN, PENINAH, GOVE

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 12/3/2008 at 12:15:30

SHERMAN, Thomas
Farmer; Sec. 17; P. O. Lynnville; Owns 785 acres of land, valued at $23,000; born in Brimfield, Hampden Co., Mass., Sept. 6, 1828; moved to Brimfield, Portage Co., Ohio, with his parents in 1831; there he remained till Oct. 1854, and came to this county, settling where he now lives; at that time his farm was an open prairie; it is now well planted with groves of shade trees, three good orchards and has on his land five dwelling houses and numerous outbuildings, stables, etc. Married Peninah SPARKS April 10, 1856; she was born in Morgan Co., Ill., Dec. 3, 1835, and came to this county with her parents in 1845; their children are Sarah E., Nancy J., John H., Lewis H., William A. (deceased), Edwin S., Frederick M. and Franklin O. Is politically a Republican, and the family are members of the Methodist Church.
~ "Lynn Grove Township Biographies," The History of Jasper County, Iowa, (Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1878)
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Thomas Sherman is one of the shrewdest and most intelligent agriculturists of Lynn Grove Township, Jasper County, as is shown by the success which has crowned his efforts. His home is a comfortable one, and his real estate comprises over six hundred acres of the very best land, which furnishes him a field for very extensive operations in the crops best suited to the situation and the soil on which he works.

Mr. Sherman was born in Brimfield Township, Hampden County, Mass., September 6, 1828, to Harris and Sallie (Morgan) Sherman. The father was born in the same place as was his son, and there lived until about 1831, when, moving to Ohio, he settled in Portage County and died on a farm. He was eighty-seven years old at his death, and had always followed agricultural pursuits. His good wife died in the same place when past eighty years of age. They were the parents of eight children, four of whom are yet surviving.

When reaching his twenty-third year, our subject left the family rooftree and came to Lynn Grove Township, in October 1854, engaging to work out by the month for John R. Sparks for sixteen months. April 10, 1856, he was married to his employer's daughter, Miss Peninah. A sketch of Mr. Sparks will be found in that of his son, John B. Sparks, on another page in this history. Purchasing two hundred and forty acres of wild land, the young couple located thereon and commenced life at the foot of the ladder, and by push, pluck and perseverance were enabled to purchase over nine hundred and thirty broad acres. He has disposed of three hundred and twenty acres of this to his four eldest sons, and now retains only six hundred acres. This is all kept in a perfect state of productiveness and is one of the finest estates in the county.

To Mr. and Mrs. Sherman a family of eight children was born, six boys and two girls, of whom seven survive. John is married and is the father of two children; Lewis is married and has one child; Edward is also married; Frederick is next; Frank is deceased; William is the sixth child; Sarah is the wife of H. M. Gove, and has one child; and Nettie, who is the wife of R. L. Gove, is the mother of three children. Mr. Sherman gave to his four eldest sons on their starting out in life for themselves a fine farm of eighty acres each. He is a stanch Republican in his political views, and he and his amiable wife are valued members of the Methodist Protestant Church. Portrait and Biographical Record, Jasper, Marshall and Grundy Counties, IA Page 579.