Biography - William Coleman
William COLEMAN, farmer, P. O. Raymond, was born in Crawford County, Mo., August 25, 1842, to Ephraim COLEMAN and Nancy (BEST); father was born in Muskingum County, Ohio, in 1812; during his life, followed farming, and now resides in Montgomery County, Ill., with his children; mother was born in Muskingum County, Ohio, in 1813; she died in 1877, in Missouri; parents had eleven children, eight of whom are living - four boys and four girls; subject was third child. He received his education from the neighborhood schools of Fayette County, Ind., at the time living with his uncle, Thomas COLEMAN; commenced life by trading in stock in Missouri in 1863, and continued until 1870; shipped to St. Louis, where he engaged as brakeman on the Missouri & Pacific, and, at the end of a year, was given a train, and acted as conductor until 1875, when he commenced farming in Osage County, Mo., by renting; in 1877, he bought a farm of 105 acres in same county, where he continued until 1881, when he sold out and removed to his present residence, and is now the owner of eighty acres of well-improved land, upon which he has a good residence, good barns, etc.; he intends to make stock-raising a specialty. In 1878, he married, in Missouri, Miss Susan PHELPS, a native of Osage County, Mo., born in 1842, daughter of Charles PHELPS, of Missouri; they have no children; wife is a member of Christian Church; in politics, is a Democrat; he gave up railroading because he disliked it.
Extracted 20 Nov 2016 by Norma Hass from 1882 History of Bond and Montgomery Counties, Illinois, Part 2 Biographical Department, page 236..
