Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1891
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 380
IRA CARMAN

Ira CARMAN, of section 34, Unoin Township, who came to Harrison County during the month of March, 1883, bought the farm he now occupies, which then consisted of eighty acres of wild land. He at once set about to build for himself a home, his first work toward improvement being the erection of a house, eighteen feet square, one story and a half high, togther with stables and outbuildings. At present (1891) the place is well improved and is provided with a good orchard, with seventy-five apple and a quantity of plum and cherry trees and small fruits. His land is all under cultivation, and is provided with three wells of living water, at various locations on the place, which is made beautiful by a large number of shade trees. The owner came to the county, to use his own language, "worse off than nothing," but is now surrounded with a comfortable, valuable home.

Mr. CARMAN was born in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, April 21, 1847, and is the son of William P. and Lydia P. CARMAN, who reared a family of eleven children, of whom our subject is the fourth. The family came in the following order -- Cordelia, Ervin, Edwin(deceased), Ira, Byron(deceased), Andrew, Milo, Rosella, Jasen, Elvira, and Clara. Andrew has not been heard of by the family for fifteen years, and it is not certain whether he is living or not. The father of our subject was a native of New York and the mother of Ohio.

January 30, 1870, Mr. CARMAN was united in marriage to Emaline SHERMAN, a daughter of John and Sarah SHERMAN, who were the parents of ten children, of whom our subject's wife was the fourth. The parents were both natives of Pennsylvania, and the following is the order of their family -- an infant(deceased), Mary A., infant(deceased), Emaline, Emanuel, Franklin P., Katherine J., David G., infant(deceased), and William E.

Our subject and his wife are the parents of eight children, who were born in the following order -- William J., born May 2, 1871; Charles F., Sept 16, 1873; Maude M., May 24, 1874; Edith R., April 23, 1879; Nannie R., Oct 21, 1882; Orville I., Sept 27, 1883; Milo E., April 13, 1884; Lulu V., Jan 18, 1888.
Mr. and Mrs. CARMAN are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church and politically he is identified with the People's party.

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