Irene, daughter of James and Letia Shuman was born on April 17 1863, in Bryan County, Georgia. Her family came to Florida c.1868 in a wagon pulled by oxen. When they had just crossed over the Florida state line Irene, who was only four years old, got lost. The men hunted all day and all night for her. The next day a man who lived in the area was out looking for his pigs and when he would call them Irene would answer. Knowing a little girl was lost, he returned Irene to her family. While enroute through Florida they camped at Silver Springs, which was then a wilderness and later became a major Florida attraction.

Irene married William Mitchell Alderman in.Chicora, Florida, in 1884. Five children were born to Irene and William: William Cleveland, Clara, Eva Blanche, Michael B. and James Mitchell.

Irene’s husband William was a very successful cattleman in Hillsborough and Manatee County. Eva Blanche, her daughter, related that they once ran cut of sugar for making Fourth of July celebration cookies and boiled down watermelon to make the sugar. In 1899 Irene and William moved to Bradenton, Florida where the children attended local schools. Later, Clara and Eva Blanche attended Rollins College, William Cleveland attended South Florida Military College in Bartow, Mitchell graduated from the University of Florida with a law degree, and James Michael graduated from Massey Business College in Jacksonville.

William Mitchell engaged in business and banking. They moved from the downtown home in 1925 and lived their later years with three of their children at 904 22d Street in Bradenton. Irene continued to live there after William Mitchell died in 1935.

Irene attended church in the First Baptist Church of Bradenton where the family had its own pew. Irene’s son, Mitchell, would drive her to church and they would often take Irene's granddaughter, Jean, who lived nearby, with them. This granddaughter, Jean Alderman Wolfe, recalls that she was often asking questions in church and grandma Irene was continually trying to keep her quiet.

Irene died on October 20, 1942 and was buried next to her husband in the family plot in Manasota Memorial Park in Bradenton.