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Welcome To McPherson County Nebraska

Page 404 The Jess and Gertie Anderson Family submitted by Bud LaRue

Jess Anderson, was born near Florence, Nebraska. His step-father beat Jess with a braided strand of barb wire. Jess, carried the scars to his grave, but when fourteen years old he ran away from home and made his way to McPherson County where he became a cowboy. He worked on several spreads including the holddings of Cap Haskell.
Gertie Calkins Anderson, the daughter of Prentice Grant Calkins, was borne near Wymore, Nebraska. Her parents homesteaded approximately nine miles southwest of Tryon, very near the hill which is said to be the highest point in McPherson County.
Jess and Gertie married and homesteaded an adjoining claim. The land is now owned by the Brown brothers who live north of Sutherland.
Jess and Gertie had seven children while living in the county. Jess continued to work for neighbors while proving upon the homestead. The depression of the thrities caused him to lose his homestead and all of his other possessions.
They moved into a corn crib on the Seiler place while Jess improvised a shelter into the side of a hill in the southwest part of Tryon. This house would be considered energy effecient now but didn't prove to be very good at that time. It only had one window, one door and a dirt floor. They lived in it for about nine years and several of the children have had ailments which can probably be attributed to that house.
The five oldest Anderson children received all of their formal education in McPherson County. While living on the homestead they attended School District #22 which was three miles across country. They walked to and from school, stacking and bunching cow chips as they went. On weekends they retrieved these chips with a team and wagon. The cow chips were their primary fuel supply. At least one of their teachers still lives in the county, his name is Billy Griffiths.
Iris Pennington, is the oldest child. She spent several years in a TB clinic and eventually had to have one lung removed. She later fully recovered, married and raised a daughter. Iris now lives in Independence, Missouri.
Jack Anderson, was the oldest boy. He entered the United States Army soon after the Japs bombed Pearl Harbor. Jack served in the European theater of Operations, starting in North Africa and going into Europe via the southern route. After being discharged in 1946, he settled in Missouri near where Jess and Gertie were now living. Jack hired out to the Missouri Pacific railroad in the Bridge and Building Department and retired to an acreage near Holden, Missouri in 1983. Jack was married, but the marriage was terminated without children. Jack has a few head of cattle, a few acres of farm ground and lots and lots of wonderful trees. Unlike the average rancher who sells his calves once a year, Jack keeps his until he is forced to sell due to lack of feed and believe me he uses every trick known to man to keep them as long as he can, including the falling of trees to put feed within their reach. A person has to know Jack to realize what a sacrifice this really is. He has fifty three species of trees and can take you to any given specie blindfolded. The man loves his trees and at least twice they have nearly done him in. The first time one pinned him to his tractor, broke his shoulder and caused a brain concussion. The next time a thorn from a Locust tree went clear through his eyeball. His vision is now impaired, but you would never know it following him through the woods on his property.
All of Gertie and Jess's children have traveled extensively but the third child, Enid, got a head start. While they were living on the homestead southwest of Tryon and at the tender age of two she took off. At about nine in the morning they discovered she was gone and at sundown that night she was found near Squaw Creek almost six miles due west. At this time Jess showed how fond he was of his children; he wore out three saddle horses searching for Enid. Perhaps there are still men alive who will remember this search as it happened in 1924. A crippled man by the name of Kenneth Johnson traveling in a wagon found her quenching her thirst at a pond. One old cowboy, Charlie Moore, told me a coyote followed her for a while and he nick-named her the coyote girl. Enid didn't suffer any from this experience as she went on to graduate from McPherson County High School. She married at eighteen and had two children, a boy and a girl. This marriage ended in divorce and she remarried a professional soldier. Enid LaRue now lives at Sutherland, Nebraska.
Neil was the next Anderson child. Neil was young when he entered the United States Marine Corps at the time he finished boot camp, the United States was really taking a beating in the Pacific. Neil didn't even get to come home on leave before being rushed into combat against the Japs. He was killed by a sniper on Okinawa in 1945.
Leon Joined the U.S. Navy and served during the later part of WW II, he saw action agaist the Japanese in the Pacific. After he was discharged in 1946, he settled near Sutherland where Enid was living. He cowboyed for awhile north of Sutherland, then he drove a truck for Elza Burcham. He worked on the Lincoln County Road Department for several years but is now working for the Nebraska Public Power District. Leon resembles Jess both in looks and actions. Like Jess he can take someone else's junk and turn it into something useful. He is now single, but was married and raised six children, two boys and four girls. Leon still lives in Sutherland but says if he had a way to make a living, he would return to McPherson County in a minute.
Gene wasn't old enough to serve in WWII, but got in the Army during the Korean Conflict. He was wounded in 1951. He recovered and has worked very, very hard ever since. Like Leon he settled at Sutherland for several years. He and Leon worked together for Burcham. He worked on farms and ranches around Sutherland, then he became a park employee for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. He is now self employed as a carpenter and lives in Sutherlan. Gene has two grown sons.
Keith, the youngest of Jess and Gertie's kids, went to Missouri when Jess and Gertie moved there in 1943. He graduated from grade school there then roamed the country for a few years working at all kinds of jobs in several states. He finally joined the Army and served in Alaska, after he got out he returned to Missouri. He held a couple jobs temorarily then hired out to the the Ford Motor Company near Kansas City and has been with then ever since. He is now looking forward to retirement in just a couple of years. Keith raised one girl of his own and four step-children. His home is in Buckner, Missouri.
Jess was a strict father and if he wasn't sure which child had created the mischief he whipped all seven that way he was sure the guilty child got punished. His children all became outstanding citizens so it never hurt any of them.
No history of Jess and Gertie Anderson family would be complete without mentioning a few other McPherson County residents who contributed in their well being. Kenneth Johnson, who averted tragedy when he found Enid after ther trip through the Sandhills. Reuel Conroy, when the bank forclosed on Jess, bought Jess's milk cow then turned around and gave her to Jess so the kids would have milk. John and Ethel Dahlin who were nearly married and very, very poor, but they willingly shared what little they had with the Anderson children.

Page 404

Page 270 Kieth M. Anderson, U.S. Army Heavy Equipment Operator with the rank of Sp. 3, entered the Army October 8, 1954. He was discharged September 15, 1956. Keith spent 18 months in Fairbanks, Alaska with the National Security Forces. He now lives in Buckner, Missouri. He is the son of Jess and Gertie Anderson.