Bannock County
IDGenWeb
The invasion of the province of womanhood into the positions of personal
effort and accomplishment has been given a proper and a just recognition
in the virile young state of Idaho, and thus we are permitted to call
direct attention to Mrs. Harmer, who is the incumbent of an important
and distinguished official position in the gift of the people of Bannock
county, where she is the superintendent of the public schools, an honor
which has been most worthily bestowed, since she has shown marked
executive ability and has been and is prominently identified with
educational work. She was born in Burlington. Towa, a daughter of James
and Margaret (Breene) Forden, emigrants from Ireland who came to the
United States in 1861 and made their home in the city of her birth.
Mrs. Harmer early manifested literary ability of a high order,
graduating with distinction from the high school at Burlington,
thereafter attending the Burlington Normal School, maintaining there the
same relative precedence that had distinguished her in her earlier
education. After her graduation therefrom she became interested in
pedagogic labors, for ten years maintaining a high reputation as an
instructor in the public schools of Burlington, thence removing to the
state of Washington, where was her home until 1893, when she accepted
the principalship of the East school of the city of Pocatello, giving
marked satisfaction in this situation by the progress, demeanor and
culture of the pupils, and holding this position until 1900, when she
was nominated by the Democratic party as its candidate for the
responsible office of county superintendent of schools, receiving a
highly gratifying vote, and being elected, and, after an administration
demonstrating her high ability, she was nominated and re-elected in
1902, being one of the three county officers chosen by the people on the
Democratic ticket. In her labors she has proved exceptionally successful
and has justified the choice of the people, and has conducted her work
with zealous interest, administering its affairs to the distinct
improvement of the educational work and facilities of the county. Her
popularity is extremely great in Pocatello, where her home and business
headquarters are located. By her marriage to George Harmer, which
occurred on August 14, 1888. she has one winsome daughter, Margaret.
Extracted from Progressive Men of Bannock, Bear Lake, Bingham, Fremont and Oneida Counties, Idaho, published in 1904, pages 473-474, contributed 2021 Jun 15 by Norma Hass
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