Simon Iseman (1850-1928), was born in Marion, South Carolina to merchant Hannah Iseman (1826-1879) of Baden, Germany. In the 1870s, Simon moved to Spartanburg, where he worked as a general merchandise dealer. In 1899, he and his wife, Ellen Levi (1859-1939), and their four children moved to Manning, where Simon worked as a wholesale and retail grocery merchant. Simon continued in the grocery business through 1920.