HISTORY OF BENTON COUNTY
p. 575

    Orville Inman, a retired farmer, still resides on his farm in Eden township. He was in Delaware county, New York, April 24, 1836, and is a son of Ashville and Sallie A. (DeMoney), _____ who came west in 1849, locating on a farm in Stephenson county, Illinois, where they spent the remainder of their lives. They had three sons and two daughters, of whom two sons and both daughters still survive, namely John, of Stephenson county, Illinois; Orville; Mrs. Mary E. Stoner, of Prescott, Iowa; and Mrs. Catherine Andrews, of Franklin county, Iowa. One son, Austin, died in Libby Prison; he had enlisted and served in the Forty-seventh Illinois Infantry, until his capture and incarceration.

    Orville Inman lived until fourteen years of age in New York and then went to Illinois with the family. He received a common school education, and has since followed farming. He came to Benton county, Iowa in 1860, and has since made this his home. In 1862 he enlisted in Company A, Twenty-eighth Iowa Infantry, and served until 1865, within seven days of three years. He participated in all the engagements in which his regiment had a part, and was never wounded or captured. The following were the engagements: Fort Gibson, Champion Hill, Siege of Vicksburg, Jackson, Cedar Creek, Winchester, and several other battles and skirmishes. He was also present at the surrender of Lee. After his return to Benton he resumed farming, and soon married. He started with very little capital, but has been very successful, and by his industry and thrift has become the owner of two hundred and forty acres of well  improved land. He carries on general farming and raises graded stock. He is a member of P. M. Coder Post No. 98, Grand Army of the Republic, to which he has belonged almost since its organization.

    In 1865 Mr. Inman married, in Livingston county, Illinois, Henrietta McCormick, born in Lycoming county, Pennsylvania, August 8, 1841, and daughter of Seth and Mary (Hill) McCormick, who came to Illinois in 1854, locating in Stephenson county, where Mr. McCormick died. Later the mother and one daughter removed to Nebraska where the former died. Mr. McCormick was all his life a wagon-maker. He and his wife had eleven children, of whom six are living, namely: Mrs. Margaret Brown, of St. Louis; Mrs. Nancy Lee, of Beatrice, Nebraska; Robert, of Nora Springs, Iowa; John, of Sumner county, Kansas; Mrs. Inman, and Daniel, of Colorado. The others, are deceased, most of them in childhood. Mrs. Inman was sixteen years of age when she came with her family to Illinois.

    Mr. Inman and his wife have three children, all born in Benton county. Mrs. O. E. Bogle, of Eden township, has six children, Henrietta, Seth B., Olive, Lawrence, Orville and John; Ashley, operating the home farm, married Flora Hite and has one daughter, Verna; and Charles, a farmer in Eden township, married Maud Phillipe, and they have three children, Myron, Florence and Gerald. Mr. Inman is a supporter of the Republican party.

    Orville Inman, a successful and well-to-do farmer and stock-raiser, residing in Eden Township, on section 15, is a native of Delaware Co., N. Y., and was born April 24, 1836. He is a son of Ashbill and Sally Ann (DeMoney) Inman. His father was a native of New York and his mother was of English descent. They had four children, two of whom survive - John, who is residing in Worth Co.,, IA, and the subject of this notice. The parents moved to Stephenson County, Ill., in 1849, where the father lives, the mother having died shortly after the close of the Civil War.

    Orville Inman's early life was spent on the farm and he was reared to that calling. He came with his parents to Stephenson County, Ill., where he received an education in the common schools, and lived there until about 1857. He then came to this county, and made his home with an uncle, John M. Inman, for several years, engaged in the meanwhile in breaking prairie and running a thrashing-machine. In August 1862, he enlisted in Co. A. 28th Iowa Vol. Inf., and served until the close of the war. He was in the battles of Champion Hill, Ft. Gibson, Vicksburg, siege of Jackson, and others of minor import. He was always with his regiment and was never known to shirk duty. On the expiration of his term of service, and after receiving an honorable discharge as Sergeant, he returned to this county.

    Nov. 8, 1865, Mr. Inman married Henrietta McCormick, daughter of Seth McCormick, of Livingston County, Ill., they were married in Illinois and came directly to Eden Township, locating on section 11, where our subject rented land. He now owns a a fine, productive farm of 240 acres. He has good buildings, groves, etc.; his barn costing $1,800. Mr. and Mrs. Inman have three children - Martha, born Oct. 7, 1866, married Orson Bogle, and they reside in Eden Township; Ashley, born Oct. 9, 1869, and Charles, April 30, 1876. The last two reside at home. Politically Mr. Inman votes with the Republican party. He is engaged in mixed farming, but his specialty is stock-raising, he dealing in Short-horn and Durham cattle.

From a county history book - Source unknown.

Submitted by Richard Inman.