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John Thorman

John Thorman, one of the very earliest settlers and most successful agriculturists of Jefferson Township, has a well improved and valuable farm of three hundred acres situated on section 6, conveniently near Oelwein, his post-office. Mr. Thorman was born in Lenzen, Prussia, on the 16th of January, 1850, and is a son of Frederick and Mary (Meyer) Thorman. He was a babe of three years when his parents left their native land and emigrated with their family to America. After spending two years in Dubuque, Iowa, they came to Fayette County, locating in Jefferson Township upon the farm which is now the home of our subject. He was married in that township October 8, 1878, to Miss Dora Meyer, daughter of August and Elizabeth (Meyer) Meyer. She was born in the same town of which her husband is a native, on the 4th of January, 1857, and came to America in 1876. Her parents still reside in Germany. Seven children grace the union of Mr. and Mrs. Thorman, four sons and three daughters - John, the eldest, born February 10, 1882; Robert, February 3, 1884; Martha, July 9, 1885; Albert, February 4, 1887; and Herbert, December 10, 1888. The two eldest, Dora and Hermenia died in infancy. Dora born August 7, 1879, died June 1881; Hermenia born October 19, 1880 and died September 21, 1881. All were born on the home farm in Jefferson Township.

Mr. Thorman and his wife are members of the Lutheran Church and in politics he is a Democrat but does not seek political preferment, desiring rather to give his entire attention to his business interests. He raises some full flooded horses and thoroughbred poultry and has made some very creditable exhibits of his stock at the fairs of Iowa. He is a representative German farmer of the State who by industry, frugality and integrity has won prominence among the leading farmers of Fayette County.