Bios of Gorman, John J. (b.1856) Wabasha Co., MN
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Made available to The USGenWeb Archives by: Barbara Timm
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This bio comes from "HISTORY OF WABASHA COUNTY" 1920.
Check out Barbara's site for more great information on this book:
http://www.rootsweb.com/~mnwabbio/wab3.htm
There are also some pictures and information from descendents for some 
of the bios on her pages.

Gorman, John J. (page 554), now living retired in Lake City after a long
and successful farming career, was born in Greenfield Township, Wabasha
County, Minn., August 14, 1856, son of Mathias and Nora (King) Gorman. At
the time of his birth his parents had been located on their farm but a
year and four months and the surrounding conditions were those of a
pioneer community, with few white settlers, and but little land developed.
As he grew up he assisted his father to improve the place, his waking
hours being spent chiefly in work, as he had but little chance for
schooling, though the first school in the district was held in his
father's original claim shanty. In time he engaged in farming on his own
account, acquiring a farm of 320 acres in Greenfield Township, of which he
had 200 acres under the plow, the rest being in timber and pasture. He
also erected a good set of buildings. His agricultural operations were
continued until the fall of 1919, when, on account of failing health, he
sold the farm, and moved to Lake City, where he has since lived retired,
owning and occupying a comfortable residence at No. 911 North Oak street.
During his active career Mr. Gorman served his township twelve years as
chairman of the town board, and was assessor eight years. He also served
several years as school clerk, and was president of the Kellogg school
board. In politics he has always been a Democrat. On July 3, 1883, Mr.
Gorman was united in marriage with Mary E. Calhoun, daughter of Lawrence
and Mary (McDonough) Calhoun. She was born at Reed's Landing, Wabasha
County, August 9, 1859, her mother having been one of the party which
landed there in April, 1855, at the same time as the Gormans. Subsequently
for some time before her marriage she was a teacher in Wabasha. Seven
children were born to Mr. and Mrs. John J. Gorman: Mathew E., Lawrence,
Mary C., Margaret, John K., Robert R., and Ruth C. Mathew E., who was a
steel worker, met his death by accident at Detroit, Mich., March 28, 1916.
Lawrence, who is a railroad engineer residing at Clarion, Iowa, served in
the recent war with Germany as a member of Company C, 18th Engineer Corps.
He entered the service the second day after the United States declared
war, and his company was the first to carry foreign colors in England. It
was also the first to take part in the fighting at Verdun, August 16,
1917. It left Marseilles, France, for home April 16, 1919. Mary, who
graduated from the Kellogg High and the Winona State Normal School,
followed teaching for eight years in Wabasha County, is now Mrs. P. E.
Waller, of Braham, Minnesota. Margaret Gorman, who is a graduate of the
Kellogg High School and the Winona Normal School, is now a teacher. John
K. Gorman, like his brother Lawrence, also served in the late war, and
gave up his life for the cause of democracy and freedom from military
oppression, though not in battle. He was a member of Company K, 54th
Pioneer Infantry, and went out from Duluth, as he was the owner of a claim
in Beltrami County. He worked with the Engineer Corps, and saw active
service in the fighting around Verdun, being under shell fire much of the
time. He came out of the ordeal unscathed but took sick and died in the
hospital, April 12, 1919, being buried in Coblenz. His remains were
brought back home in the spring of 1920, and buried in the family lot.
Robert R. Gorman, who is a farmer at Roseberg, Ore., is another war hero.
He made three efforts to enlist in the West, but was rejected, being
finally placed, however, in an emergency fleet there. Being determined to
see active service, he came home and succeeded in becoming a member of
Battery B, 332d Field Artillery, training at Camp Robinson, Wisconsin. He
reached Bordeaux, France, September 1, 1918, and being of 400 selected to
join the Army of Occupation, marched from Bordeaux to the Rhine. He
reached home August 28, 1919. Ruth Gorman is a student and is residing at
home. It will thus be seen that all Mr. Gorman's surviving sons served
their country patriotically in the recent great war, from which one never
returned ~ a fine record, of which the family may well be proud. Their
religious faith is that of the Catholic church, attending the parish at
Lake City.