WI BIO - Dane Co - GREENMAN, John W.
Biographical Review of Dane County, WI. Chicago: Biographical Review Pub. Co. 
1893, Vol II, pp 459-460

John W. GREEMAN, a farmer of Dane County, WI, was born in Fulton County, NY, 
07 May 1833, a son of James GREENMAN, who was born in RI in 1807. He [James 
GREENMAN] was married in RI in 1828 to Mary WHITE, who was born at Sackett's 
Harbor [Livingston County], NY, 21 Nov 1839. [Note the marriage occurred 
before the wife was born.] Three years after marriage they [James and Mary 
(WHITE) GREENMAN] moved to Fulton County, NY, where the father [James] 
followed the carpenter’s trade about 40 years. About 1882 they removed to SD, 
where the father [James] died in 1885, aged 78 years, and the mother [Mary] 
about two years later, at the age [p 460] of 75 years. [By calculation Mary 
(WHITE) GREENMAN would have been born about 1812.] They [James and Mary 
(WHITE) GREENMAN] raised a family of six children: (1) William, who died in 
Buffalo [Erie County], NY, at the age of nineteen years; (2) Sarah, wife of 
Joseph CARR, of Gloversville [Fulton County], NY; (3) John, our subject; (4) 
George, a farmer of Washington [author probably means Washington, Dane 
County, WI, but could be Washington County, WI or the state of WA]; 
Alexander, a merchant of Redfield, Dakota [Spink County, SD]; and Charles F., 
a farmer of IA.

John W. GREENMAN, the subject of this sketch, learned the trade of half 
bushel maker and carpenter in Adams, Jefferson County, NY. In the fall of 
1854 he removed to Aurora, IL, but later began farming on rented land in 
Arlington Township, Dane County, WI. In 1860 he purchased 80 acres of his 
present farm, paying $20 per acre, erected a comfortable frame cottage, and 
in 1887 added 20 acres to his original purchase, making a fine farm of 100 
acres. He also owns 160 acres in Dakota. Mr. GREENMAN makes a specialty of 
the raising of tobacco, having grown about 11,000 pounds in 1891 on seven 
acres of land. He keeps from 5 to 7 horses of the Clydesdale and Norman 
breeds.

John W. GREENMAN was married in Jefferson County, NY, in Jan 1856 to Melissa, 
a daughter of Abijah and Olive (HEMSTREET) TARBLE. Abijah TARBLE was born at 
Loraine, Jefferson County, NY, 16 Mar 1812, and Olive (HEMSTREET) TARBLE at 
Rome, Oneida County, NY, on 16 May 1817. They came to WI and purchased a 
home near our subject in 1862, where Abijah TARBLE died on 15 Jan 1885, aged 
72 years and 10 months, and Olive TARBLE on 25 Jan 1892, in her 74th year. 
Abijah and Olive (HEMSTREET) TARBLE were the parents of six children: Joy 
J., who died in Aurora [DuPage or Kane County?], IL, in Oct 1865, at the age 
of 29 years; Elisha and Edward, farmers at Washington [again probably refers 
to Washington, Dane County, WI]; Mrs. Mary HOPPER, of Seabrook [Shawnee 
County?], KS; Olive, now Mrs. James KNAPP, of Ashland [Ashland County], WI; 
and Melissa, wife of our subject.

John W. and Melissa (nee TARBLE) GREENMAN have had four children: (1) 
Edward J., born 22 Oct 1861, is at home, married Viola HYDE, a native of Dane 
County, WI, and a daughter of George HYDE; (2) Alice, born 18 Dec 1864, is 
the wife of Thorbin OMSTAD, of Washington [again probably Dane County, WI], 
and they have four daughters; (3) Amy Grace, born 19 Aug 1868, is the wife 
of William McINTOSH, a farmer near Lodi [Columbia County], WI, and they have 
one son and one daughter; and (4) Jessie D., born 21 Sep 1871, is now the 
widow of Andrew QUAMAN, and has one son, Robert. John W. GREENMAN is a 
Republican in his political views, and religiously his wife is a member of 
the Seventh Day Adventist Church. One daughter, Jessie, is also a member of 
the same church.

Submitted by Cathy Kubly