Carroll County IAGenWeb

HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY IOWA

A Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress and Achievement

VOLUME II ILLUSTRATED

CHICAGO THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY 1912

Transcribed by Sharon Elijah October 5, 2020

The keynote of the character of Sherman Tecumsch Waldron, a well known optometrist of Glidden, may be designated as persistency and fidelity to worthy ideals. It is through these or similar traits that he has attained his high standing in central Iowa where he has been known since his early manhood. He is a native of Greene county, Iowa, and was born near the Carroll county line November 13, 1864, a son of John and Cecilia (Chambers) Waldron. The father was born in Butler county, Ohio, and the mother in Chemung county, New York. At the age of three years he moved with his parents to Berrien county, Michigan. He came to Iowa in 1855 and settled on a farm in Greene county. In 1869 he took up his residence in Glidden where he has since lived, being in the jewelry business until 1869 when on account of the loss of his eyesight he was obliged to retire from business and has since lived quietly at home. He and his wife are members of the Presbyterian church. At the time of the Civil war he drilled the soldiers, but not being an able-bodied man, he was never accepted for the army. He served very acceptably for a number of years as mayor of Glidden. The paternal grandfather of our subject was Isaac Waldron, a farmer. He was twice married, his first wife dying in Michigan. Six children were born of this union, John, Emeline, Elizabeth, Clara, Harriet and “Joe.” He came to Greene county, Iowa, with his second wife and they both died at Glidden, he being seventy-seven years of age at the time of his departure. The maternal grandfather was Harmon W. Chambers, a native of New York state. He came to Iowa in 1854 and engaged in farming in Greene county. After spending many years upon his farm he moved to Carroll but subsequently sold his property there and took up his residence at Glidden, where he died at the age of eighty-nine, his wife passing away when in her ninety-first year. They had two sons and two daughters, Cecilia, Losey D., Alvah and Ida.

Sherman T. Waldron has lived in Glidden since he was a lad of about six years. He received his early education in the public schools and the high school of Glidden and was connected with the jewelry business in Glidden with his father and also on his own account for thirty-nine years. He learned the business under his father and became his father’s successor, continuing until 1907. He took up the scientific study of the eye many years ago and for fifteen years past has made it a specialty, graduating under Dr. A. B. Tarbox, of Omaha, March 22, 1897. On account of his thorough knowledge of his profession he has been unusually successful and his patrons speak highly of his skill. He has also met with a goodly measure of success in handling real estate at Glidden.

On the 25th of November, 1885, Mr. Waldron was married to Miss Rosella R. Coulter, a daughter of Captain John N. and Elizabeth A. (Skelly) Coulter, and an only daughter, Julia O., blessed this union. Mrs. Waldron was the first white child born in Scranton township, Greene county, Iowa, her natal day being January 2, 1862. Her father was a native of Ashland county, Ohio, and her mother of Indiana. He died at Glidden, November 22, 1905, at the age of seventy-five years, but the mother is still living and makes her home with her daughter and son-in –law. They had four children, three of whom grew to maturity, Lorenzo Dow, Rosella R. and George Benton Eddy. Mrs. Waldron’s father was captain of Company E, Thirty-nine Iowa Volunteer Infantry, at the time of the Civil war and served four years. Mr. Waldron, the father of our subject, and Captain Coulter were close friends as young men and drove a yoke of oxen from Green county, Iowa, to Pike’s Peak in 1860.

Mr. Waldron of this review and his family are members of the Presbyterian church and in politics gives his support to the republican party. He possesses the social qualities that make him personally popular and is one of the most esteemed residents of Glidden, being always ready to extend his assistance to any movement for the promotion of the public good. A constant reader and student, he has a richly stored mind, and those who know him best find him a pleasing companion, worthy of their perfect confidence and highest regard.

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