Ida Merriman never married and spent most of her life living with family members. She did lived in Hamilton with her parents in Hamilton, then she lived with Owen Merriman while he taught at Queens. She also cared for Robert Merriman in Kingston in his very old age. Legend has it that she even polished his shoes at night.
Owen and Robert Merriman died at roughly the same time. Her only work outside of the home was as a proctor at a private girls school in Quebec. She stayed in Kingston for many years later on and did not return to Hamilton. She provided room but no board to many students.
Later on in life she spent a lot of time with her sister Bertha. She even had a very small cabin near Bertha’s home in Picton.