History of
Taylor County, Iowa
by Frank E. Crossen. Chicago: S. J. Clarke
Pub. Co., 1910.
P
John P. Peterman
Taylor County was still a pioneer district when the Peterman family
arrived within it's borders. It still was situated on the western frontier and the work of
improvement and progress was scarcely begun and as the years passed important changes were
wrought, transforming the wild prairie into richly cultivated fields. John P. Peterman
since coming to the state, has resided in Page and Taylor Counties near the county line.
He was with his parents until his marriage and then went to a home of his own. he has
lived in East River Township for 35 years and is now busily occupied with the care of his
150 acres, which is situated on section 13. There are good buildings upon the place, and
his attention is devoted to the cultivation of corn, wheat, and oats. He raises good
grades of stock and altogether has a modern farm property.
On the 22nd of December 1877 Mr. Peterman was united in marriage to
Mary Delila Scarlett who was born May 6, 1855, in Taylor County, Iowa about 3 miles east
of her present home. She is the daughter of Harlen and Mary (Pace) Scarlett, who were
pioneer settlers of western Iowa, coming to this state from Indiana. the mother died here,
while the father passed away in Atchison Kansas.
He served as a soldier in the Civil War, enlisting from Page County
for 3 years. While he was absent at the front, Indians would sometimes call at the pioneer
home of the family and beg, as Mrs. Peterman well remembering such occurrences. She was
one of a family of 6 children, and by her marriage, has become the mother of 8 children:
Bertie Ellsworth, who is a farmer living in East River Township, John Edward at home,
Merrill, who is following farming in East River Township; Myrtle, the wife of George
Yearous of South Dakota; Corda, Harlen, Tammar, and Elmo, all yet at home.
In his political views Mr. Peterman is a republican who gives
stalwart support to the principles of the party. He has served as a school officer, but
otherwise has never accepted positions of public preferment. He belongs to the Christian Church of New Market, in the work of which he takes an active and helpful
part. His many sterling traits of character have gained him the high regard of all who
know him, while his business ability, and undaunted enterprise have won for him substantial success, making him one of the
progressive farmers of the community.
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