BIOGRAPHY: Mrs. Amos Jarman (Nov. 9, 1789 – 1873)

COLBERTIANS

By R. L. James

MRS. AMOS JARMAN¹

BIOGRAPHY and GENEALOGY

(1789- 1873)

Written in 1945

North Carolina and Colbert County, Alabama

From North Alabamian & Times, July 3, 1873

“Departed this life at the residence of her son, near Helena, Arkansas, on the 13th of June, 1873, Mrs. Mary Jarman in the 84th year of her age. Mrs. Jarman was born in North Carolina on the 9th of November 1789. She was married to Amos Jarman in that State Oct. 3d 1811 and removed with her husband to Alabama in 1820. They first settled in the neighborhood of Tuscumbia, but removed to Lawrence County; about five miles north of Leighton, where they lived together for nearly forty years. In 1861 she lost her husband, with whom she had lived 50 years. She continued to reside at the old homestead until a few years ago, when she broke up housekeeping and went to live with her children.

Joined Baptist Church

Mrs. Jarman joined the Baptist Church in North Carolina at an early age and remained a consistent member until her death. For nearly fifty years she was a member of the Mount Pleasant church, near where she lived up to a short time before her death. She was in very good health for one of her age, a few months ago she had a very severe fall, which brought back an old disease of the heart which produced her death. She was laid by the side of her loved companion who had preceded her to the spirit land, in the family burial ground at Mt. Pleasant church. She leaves three sons and two daughters with many grandchildren to mourn her death.

In all the relation of life Mrs. Jarman was a model woman. She was a true help meet to her husband in all his labors and trials, helping him by her counsel and prudent cares of things. As a mother she was affectionate and watchful of her children. As a neighbor none were kinder. As a Christian she was consistent and lived out in her daily life what she professed. One after another of the old settlers of this valley are thus dropping off. One by one of our friends are passing over to the other shore. May we who are left behind so live, that when we are called to follow we may have the faith which will enable us, as did our sister, to pass through the dark valley of the shadow of death and fear no evil.

Home in Lawrence County

The Jarman home, at that time in Lawrence county, is now in the Town Creek-Triangle. According to his gravestone record, Amos Jarman was born in North Carolina, Nov. 13, 1789 and died Dec. 14, 1861. He was therefore only nine days younger than his wife. Mr. and Mrs. Jarman reared a prominent family of children. The son at whose home Mrs. Jarman died in Arkansas, was an outstanding citizen of that state. There was a daughter, Louisa Ann Jarman, who died in 1848 in her sixteenth year, and who is buried in the family plot at the old Mount Pleasant cemetery. The wife of the late Judge Fox Delony of Colbert, was among the grandchildren of Amos and Mary Jarman.

There were also Jarmans who lived in the old Bethel community. I do not know whether they lived in what is now Colbert, Lawrence, or Franklin county. I also do not know whether they were kin to Amos Jarman or not. In the cemetery at Bethel may be seen the graves of H. Jarman (Oct. 10, 1796—Feb. 22, 1862) and another Jarman who I suppose was his wife, but the first name and the dates are not very clear. It appeared however that she was born June 19, 1798 and died January 14, 1865.

1Transcribed from The Alabama Historical Quarterly, Vol. 07, No. 03, Fall Issue 1945 “I am releasing another section. No. 3, of my article “Colbertians.” I hope it will be possible for me to add one more section but I am sure there will still be many interesting people whom I cannot include. In addition to those to .whom I expressed thanks in the preface (See No. 2 Vol. 7) I wish to acknowledge my appreciation to Mr. James Carloss of Elkmont; Mrs. J. F. Craig, Jasper; Mrs. William Malone and Mrs. W. D. Brotherton, Cherokee; Mrs. Emma Scruggs and Miss Mattie Guy, Tuscumbia; and there are probably others who deserve to be mentioned in this connection whom I cannot at this moment recall. Mr. Woodruff Delony gave me quite a bit of information. I was at his house on August 6, 1946, which incidentally, was his eighty-sixth birthday, and had a long conversation with him. Since then this venerable citizen of Leighton, has passed away. He was a son of Dr. Edward B, Delony. I hope to write more about the Delony family in some future issue of the Quarterly. Sept 4, 1946 R. L. JAMES”