FAMILY STORIES |
Relations Person at the Thoroughbred Farm. Marjorie is President of Wann Ladies Aid for 1982, member of Rachel Circle at Ashland C.W.F., and Secretary at the Thoroughbred Farm. C.J.'s family enjoys hunting, baseball, softball, horseback riding and the horse races. Needless to say they own a few thoroughbreds and watch them run at the nearby racetracks. The Thoroughbred Farm is very active in training, boarding, breaking and breeding of thoroughbreds. One item the family treasures is a family heirloom; a six-piece silver-service with the grape-cluster design which was a silver wedding anniversary gift for Albin Anderson's parents, the Carl Jacob Andersons who came from Sweden. The silver tray is engraved for the Carl Jacob Anderson's anniversary, Aug. 10, 1888-1913, then Albin David Anderson's wedding anniversary, March 5, 1930, and Charles James Anderson's wedding anniversary, June 28, 1953. The family also enjoys the traditional Swedish Ludefisk dinner for Christmas Eve. Submitted by Mrs. Charles James Anderson DAVID AND HATTIE ANDERSONThe path of our ancestors can be directly traced from Sweden to Saunders County. Our family roots were put down in this area over 100 years ago and today many family members can be found throughout the county. The family farm, which is located three miles north and three miles east of Malmo, was built by William Christenson in 1890. He grew up just south of there, living with his parents, Andrew and Johanna, and five brothers and sisters. Andrew and Johanna came to America in 1867 and to Saunders County in 1870. They belonged to the Swedish Mission Church north of Malmo, which no longer exists, until 1901 when they moved into the town of Malmo. Will Christenson married Lizzie Anderson in 1895. Lizzie was the oldest child of Anders John and Sophia Anderson who left Sweden to go to Pennsylvania where they were married in 1873. In 1876 they moved to Saunders County, bringing Lizzie with them. Six other children were born here. In 1909, they moved into Malmo where Sophia died four years later when their house burned. She was searching for her invalid husband who, unknown to her, had already escaped. Will and Lizzie raised four children on the family farm: Edna (Paulson), living in Arizona, Hattie (Anderson) of Fremont, Bernice (Swanson) of Wahoo, and Irvin of Arizona. In 1920, they moved to Wahoo and joined the Bethlehem Lutheran Church. While the Christensons were prospering near Malmo, another family was growing by Weston. Anders Peter Edward Anderson and Lizzie Samuelsson were married in 1894 in Saunders County. Edd came from a family of eleven children. The oldest sister had come to America in 1876 and worked for two years. She then sent for the second sister. They worked and later sent for a brother. Eventually all the children and their parents immigrated to the United States. Lizzie came from Sweden with her father, Lang Jonas Samuelsson, and mother, Brita, a colorful lady who smoked a pipe. Lizzie's two brothers and a sister died in Sweden. Her father was a fisherman who left them to go to Oregon and never returned. Edd and Lizzie were the parents of five children, four of whom lived past infancy. They were Ellen, David, August, Lilly (Dahl) of California, and Ruth (Quincy) of Greenwood. On Valentine's Day, 1920, David Anderson married Hattie Christenson, a marriage which lasted 62 years. They lived on the Anderson farm two miles south and two and a half miles west of Malmo for five years. They then moved to the family farm built by Hattie's father. These longtime members of Malmo's Edensburg Lutheran Church were the proud parents of six daughters; Fern, who died of scarlet fever at age three; LaVerne (Wiegand); Arlette (Johnson); Bernette (Johnson) of Cedar Bluffs; Eunice (Ernst) of California; and Marcella (Jensen) of Fremont. In 1963, David and Hattie retired to Fremont and Arlette's family moved onto the home place in 1964. In all, five generations of our family have farmed land in Saunders County, four generations have lived on the family property first owned by Will Christenson, and six different generations have visited there! Submitted by Arlette Johnson DELMAR AND DARLENE |
The Rev. Delmar Anderson Family. L. to R. -- Steven, Darlene, Delmar, Susan, and Mark. |
Darlene Mae Hanke was born in Lincoln on April 10, 1932 to Marie (Hageman) and Rudolph Hanke. After spending her first three years on a farm near Ceresco, the family of eight moved to a farm near Malmo where Darlene attended Dist. #85. Later the family moved to a farm near Swedeburg and Darlene completed her elementary education at Dist. #48. She graduated from Ceresco High School in 1949 and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from the University of Nebraska in 1954. She considers it a privilege to have taught three years at Dist. #48 -- the same school she attended as a student.
Delmar and Darlene were married August 15, 1954 at the Swedeburg Covenant Church. They lived first in Chicago, and then in Hinsdale, Ill., where Delmar served as Pastor for seven years. They served one term as Home Missionaries at the Mountain Mission near Jonesville, Virginia. From there they traveled to Bellevue, Washington to serve the Newport Covenant Church for ten years.
From 1975 to 1978 they served the Elim Covenant Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, after which Delmar became the Supt. of the North Pacific Conference. They resided in Kirkland, Washington for three years.
In the fall of 1981, Delmar attended Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California to work on his Doctor of Ministry, which he will be receiving in the fall of 1983. Presently they are living in Chicago where Delmar serves as Director of Church Growth for the Evangelical Covenant Churches.
Susan was born in 1956 in Hinsdale, Ill. Her early schooling was completed in Jonestown, Virginia and Bellevue, Washington. She graduated from North Park College in Chicago and attended Capernwray Bible School in Germany. She married Douglas Baumann from Kirkland, Washington, and presently they are serving as short-term missionaries at the Capernwray Bible School in Germany.
Steven was born in 1960 in Hinsdale, Ill. His elementary and Jr. High schooling was completed in Bellevue, Washington. He graduated from Minnehaha Academy in Minneapolis, Minnesota and went on to attend Covenant Bible College in Canada. He graduated from North Park College in Chicago and is presently enrolled at North Park Theological Seminary. He married Teri Beck from Drayton, North Dakota.
Mark was born in Knoxville, Tennessee on May 30, 1963. He completed his elementary schooling in Bellevue, Washington, his Jr. High years at Minnehaha Academy in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and his Sr. High years at Bellevue Christian School in Bellevue, Washington. He attended Washington State for one year and is presently enrolled at Covenant Bible College in Canada.
Delmar and Darlene enjoy going "home" to Nebraska to visit relatives and friends! By Rev. Delmar Anderson
Don was born at Colon, Ne., to Robert and Laurine Anderson, and lived there all his life until he joined the U.S. Navy upon high school graduation and served his country for two years.
I, Ruth, was born and grew up in Prentice, Wis. and came to Wahoo to attend Luther College in 1947 and met Don upon his discharge from the Navy. We were married ten months later, and here we remained to raise our family.
Don was a carpet, linoleum and tile installer by trade, working for Ericson's Furniture Store for 17 years, in Fremont for several years, and he had his own installation business here in Wahoo for about 5 more years. He has since been employed by Cubbision Distributing Co. out of Lincoln as a salesman of floor covering materials. I have been employed as a Customer Account Representative for Cengas/Minnegasco here in Wahoo for the past 11 years.
We were blessed with three children. Steven, a graduate of the U.S.A.F. Academy in Colorado Springs, who served five years as an Air Force pilot with SAC, and is now employed as a Specifications Engineer with OPPD in Omaha, is married to Virginia Morgan of Shenandoah, Ia. They are parents of Elizabeth Gail, born May 1, 1982. Virginia is an auditor for Physicians Mutual Ins. Co.
Wendy is married to Lon Olson, formerly of Funk, Ne. They live in Fremont and are the parents of Ryan Edward, born March 16, 1982. Both are graduates of Midland Lutheran College. Lon is a sales representative for Mutual of Omaha, and Wendy is a cardio-pulmonary technician at Immanuel Hospital in Omaha.
Lynette graduated from Midland Lutheran College with a degree in Business Administration, and has been employed as teller supervisor at University Bank and Trust Co. at Ames, Ia. the past year and one-half. She was married to Michael McCarty on Jan. 8, 1983 here in Wahoo, and they are now living in Merrillville, Ind. where Michael is manager of Century Consumer Mall. Lynette hopes to find employment in the field of banking.
We have been active in Bethlehem Lutheran Church where Don served as Financial Secretary for 17 years. The family enjoys Scandinavian traditions, especially during the Christmas season. Don and I hope to travel to Sweden someday to visit relatives. Right now we are enjoying our first two grandchildren. Submitted by Mrs. Don Anderson
My ancestors can be traced back, on my mother's side, through six generations, to Christian Walter, who settled in the William Penn colony about 1780. The family later moved to Wayne County, Ohio in the early 1800's.
In 1875, my great, great-grandfather, Lewis Keister Walter, whose maternal grandfather, Lewis Keister, served in the Revolutionary War, and his wife, Mary Ann Wilford Walter, plus eight other Walter and Keister families, came by wagon train from Ohio to Nebraska. In this group were my great-grandparents, Thomas J. Finegan and Rachel Ann Walter Finegan, and my grandmother, Ella M. Finegan. After a year of farming in Nebraska, some of the family moved on to Kansas, but my great-grandparents stayed in the Wahoo area. Thomas Finegan pastured his Jersey cows on the land where West Ward School now stands. Their home still stands on the southeast corner of 7th and Locust, where it was moved many years ago. My grandmother, Ella M. Finegan, who married Bert H. Trumbley spent her childhood in Wahoo and graduated from Wahoo High School in 1893. Her brothers, Walter and Guy Finegan, were barbers in Wahoo at one time. She told me of living in a sod
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house as a child and of the Indians asking for handouts, and all the family "working on the Grade" one summer. This meant helping build the railroad through Saunders County. She also told me of the Blizzard of 1888, and how her father came after the children at school. They made a chain by linking arms and holding hands and he led them home.
My mother, Edna Mae Trumbley, the daughter of Ella Finegan Trumbley and Bert H. Trumbley, was born in Fairbury, Nebraska, where her parents had moved. They then moved to Lincoln, where she met my father, Arthur B. Moore, who was from Tennessee, but was working in Lincoln. I can trace my ancestors on my father's side through the Southern side of the Civil War and back to the Revolutionary War also. When my father was transferred to Boston, Massachusetts, she joined him there, where they were married and I was born August 29, 1917. In the ensuing years, my parents moved to Detroit, Michigan where they were eventually divorced. My mother then married Burt Merner in 1924. In 1926, my mother and step-father visited my grandparents in Lincoln and my "dad" fell in love with Nebraska. We consequently moved to Lincoln where I attended several schools, but ended up graduating from Abraham Lincoln High School in Council Bluffs, Iowa, where we had moved in 1934. We moved to Wahoo in December of 1936 for six months, where my dad worked for O.F. (Ole) Anderson, owner of Anderson Auto Co. since 1913, and I met his son, Garwood. Garwood and I were married in Omaha at the St. Paul Methodist Church, March 17, 1943. We became the parents of identical twin sons on Dec. 16, 1945. We built a house a mile north of Wahoo and proceeded to raise Palomino quarter horses and Champion Boxer dogs. Garwood continued to run Anderson Auto Co. after Ole retired. Garwood died June 25, 1980. My sons have married. Garwood is the father of two girls, Ashli and Alexandrea, and Gaylord is the father of one girl and two boys, Heather Christian, and Joshua. I now work for the Wahoo Newspaper and still raise Boxers. Submitted by Dorothy V. (Mrs. Garwood) Anderson MRS. ELSIE M. ANDERSONOn December 10, 1890 a baby girl, named Elsie Mable, was born to Fanny and Abraham Shanor at the home of Elizabeth and John Piper located 3½ miles northeast of Ashland, which was the location of the H.T. Clark toll bridge over the Platte River. When I was 14 months my mother, Fanny, passed away, and I was taken into the Piper (an aunt) home and reared as their daughter. As a child, I lived on a farm east of Ashland and later moved into the city of Ashland. I attended grade school and graduated from Ashland High School. Upon graduation I began teaching a rural school south of Ashland, and later on, in the Louisville grade school. Mr. Piper passed away after a long illness in 1912, and I joined my mother in the millinery business in Wahoo for 2 years. Then I returned to teaching in the Ceresco Public School where I taught Mathematics and English. I had a special interest in music -- studying voice, piano, and violin. Later, I gave music lessons. I was united in marriage with R. Walter Anderson of Wahoo on August 8, 1917, and established our home in Wahoo, as my husband, Walter, was a partner in the firm of Smith-Hultin-Anderson Co. In 1920, a daughter, Milrae, was born to us. Through the years I have been associated with my church and many civic organizations in Wahoo. My husband and I were especially active in musical circles through the years. After Walter's death in 1962, I spent the school years in Phoenix, Arizona with my daughter, Milrae, and returned for the summers in Wahoo. My daughter took early retirement from teaching in June, 1981, and she joined me in Wahoo where we now reside permanently. I will be 92 years old on Dec. 10, 1982, and I still try to be a part of the activities in my church and organizations that have been a part of my life for all of these years. Submitted by Mrs. Elsie M. Anderson F. ANDERSON -- H. ROSEBERGMy grandfather, Fredrick Anderson, came to America from Sweden and settled on his homestead west of Swedeburg, Nebraska, May 28, 1870. He married Elisabeth Edlund, also a native of Sweden, in the spring of 1875. Pastor S.G. Larson, the first Lutheran missionary to the West, performed the wedding.
The Andersons lived in a dugout for several years. They had five daughters, Augusta, Emma, Hedvig, Ellen and Esther. They lived through many dangers and difficulties, both real and imaginary, from weather, hostile Indians, roaming herds of buffalo and other trying circumstances. Mr. Anderson and a neighbor, Martin Erickson, owned a team of oxen together and they shared them along with a job on the railroad. Mr. Anderson would work on his homestead with the oxen one week while Mr. Erickson worked for the railroad. The next week Mr. Erickson worked the oxen on his homestead while Mr. Anderson worked for the railroad. The Andersons helped organize and build the First Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Church west of Swedeburg, now known as Grace Lutheran Church. After Fredrick Anderson passed away, his daughter, Hedvig, and her husband (Henry Roseberg) moved to the homestead in the spring of 1909. Henry Roseberg came to America from Sweden when he was 22 years of age and worked as a hired man for a neighbor to the Andersons when he met his wife, Hedvig. Henry had three brothers, all who came to America. One sister stayed in Sweden. The Rosebergs had four children, Hattie (Mrs. Axel Pearson), Henry, Hilmer, and Harold. We attended school in District 56 and walked 2½ miles or rode horse and buggy through the eighth grade. We walked three miles to attend Swedeburg school during our ninth and tenth grades. Hilmer and Harold were in the service, both in the Air Force in World War II. Henry stayed at home and helped his parents farm. Henry and Harold did not marry. Hilmer married Annetta Griess of Sutton, Nebraska and had one son, Ralph. The sons were all farmers. Harold Roseberg, a grandson, now owns the homestead farm and received a Nebraska Pioneer Farm Award in 1973 for keeping the homestead farm in the family for over one hundred years. I, Hattie Roseberg Pearson, graduated from Mead High School in 1927. I had to pass seventeen teachers' exams to earn my teacher's certificate. I taught in District 58, Rose Hill, east of Valparaiso for four years. Many times the snow drifts were as high as the fence lines. I had to walk the last three miles to get where I stayed after spending the weekend at home. My pupils often wished I wouldn't make it back so there would be no school. The highlights of the school year would be the Christmas program and the picnic at the end of the year. I taught in District 55 Lothair, east of Colon for one year. In 1934, I quit teaching and married Axel Pearson. We had four sons, Neil, Paul, Daryl and Allan. We have retired and now reside in Ceresco. Submitted by Hattie Roseberg Pearson GOTHARD AND GERTRUDE |
GUS A. ANDERSON FAMILYI was born in Wahoo, 1912, at 316 West 11th St. My father, Nels R. Anderson, arrived here from Sweden in 1906 with my mother, Sophia, and children Hilda, Alma, Martha, Jean, Karl, and Gothard. Brother Helge and I were born here in Wahoo at our home.
My father was a carpenter. His first job in the U.S. was to help build the present Bethlehem Lutheran Church and Parsonage. In 1908 he went into business with us boys as helpers. I took over the business in 1965, and retired the family business in 1980. Many relatives came over from Sweden and lived with us. It seemed as though our home was always full of people. We had a large 6-bedroom house. They lived with us until they could care for themselves. Our home was close to the Northwestern Railroad. Many passenger and freight trains passed each day. Each Year Ringling Bros.' Circus came through on at least 3 to 4 separate trains. Also, I remember the train wreck on the north edge of Wahoo. We all went to see it and could walk on the over-turned engine and box cars. Summers were spent hiking to "second bridge" north of town on the same railroad tracks to fish, swim, and play in the woods. I attended the "Model School" of Luther College, and finished my education in Wahoo Public Schools. I attended Luther College and the University of Nebraska. I enjoyed playing all sports and received "Numerial" for swimming at the University. After my schooling, I worked in our family business. During the Depression of the 1930's, I was employed by the Federal Government as Area Supervisor, securing employment for the unemployed. I spent 4 years in the U.S. Army during WWII as Training Instructor, Personnel Classification Specialist. In 1940, I married Frances Hicks. She was born and raised in Sargent, Nebraska. She taught school one year at Arnold, Nebr. Then she took up nurse's training and graduated from the Omaha Methodist Hospital. She became a Registered Nurse and worked at the Wahoo Community Hospital, then at 818 North Elm St. She was night nurse, then surgical nurse, administrator, and owner. We have two children: Roy of Grand Island, a registered pharmacist, whose wife is Barbara Kriz, and children are Jill, Bryan, and Britt; and Rogene, a R.N. of Beatrice, whose husband is Don Gilliland, and children are Mathew, Rachel, Jessica, and Malonie. We were active in Red Cross, Scouting, Education, Church and civic activities. I was the first Water Safety Instructor in the Wanahoo Swimming Pool, circa 1920's, was one of 7 men to receive the first "Lutheran Lamb Award" in Scouting, received from the B.S.A. the "Silver Beaver" award, "Scouters Key" award, and from the American Legion the "Americanism Award." Also, I received the 50 year Gold membership card to the Boy Scouts of America. I served on the Church Council, Red Cross, School Board, Community Fund, Election Board, and Scouting. I am a member of many hobby and other organizations. Our family feels very happy and proud that we were able to find good friends to make our life a success in Wahoo and Saunders County. By Gus A. Anderson HELEN AND ELSIE ANDERSONHelen and Elsie Anderson were born in Omaha, Nebraska. They were six and four years old respectively when their father died. Their mother then moved to Malmo, Nebraska to be with her aged father until his death. When the girls became high school age their mother moved to Wahoo to take care of an elderly couple.
Having taken Professional Training in High School, Helen chose teaching as a career. She taught three years in District 32, Saunders County, eleven years in Ithaca, Nebraska and thirty-two years as second grade teacher in the North Ward School in Wahoo. She thoroughly enjoyed all those years. Helen attended one year at Luther College and summer school and night classes for her Bachelor and Masters Degrees from the University of Nebraska. Elsie took a Business Course at Luther College and then began her business career in the Saunders County Court House. She worked in the various offices and was Clerk of the District Court until her retirement in 1979. They are active members of the Bethlehem Lutheran Church of Wahoo, Nebraska. Submitted by Helen and Elsie Anderson HENRY M. ANDERSON FAMILYForty years before Pope John XXIII and the second Vatican Council opened the windows of the Catholic Church to many changes, including making interfaith marriages acceptable, a Catholic, Albina Kavan, and a Lutheran, Henry (Hank) Anderson were married. She was the youngest child of Philip and Marie Hrdlicka Kavan of Valparaiso; he, the youngest of Daniel and Sophia (Nelson) Anderson of Malmo.
Albina had moved to Wahoo with her parents in 1912. Her hobbies included chalk renditions of landscapes, a talent developed while attending secondary school in Omaha. Hank excelled in all sports for Wahoo High and later played semi-pro baseball. During World War I, he was in the Transportation Corps as a truck driver. Following their marriage in 1923, they drove to California seeking employment. Hank tried several jobs, but, after a year, they returned to Wahoo where he and Jim Koutny started a plumbing business which was to be his lifelong occupation. Two sons, Robert (Bob) and Harvey, were born in 1924 and 1927. Henry had little work during the Great Depression. The family managed by eating fresh and canned vegetables and fruit from their large garden, and by burning hand-cut wood in the cook stove and furnace. Hank loved to hunt and provided many meals of pheasant, duck and rabbit. Hobos seemed to have their house marked and were always given a share of whatever Albina had prepared for that meal. Over the years, she added various Swedish dishes to her extensive Czechoslovakian menus. Entertainment was comparatively simple, consisting of cards with friends, radio, fishing, hunting, family picnics and Sunday afternoon drives. Hank enjoyed keeping his car in perfect condition so they were much sought after whenever he traded for a new car. As economic conditions improved in the late thirties, the family drove to Henry's brother's farm near Cheyenne, Wyoming for several days' vacation each summer. Both boys attended St. Wenceslaus school, Wahoo High, and graduated from the University of Nebraska in Chemical Engineering. Bob had a paper route in Wahoo for 5 years. He enlisted in the Army in 1943 and was injured during the Battle of the Bulge. Upon graduation in 1947, he moved to St. Paul to work for Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co. where he did facilities engineering for 35 years. He married the Physical Therapist who had helped him learn to walk again, Lt. Maxine Tuggle of Sprague, Washington. Their children are Mary, Patricia (Pfeifer), Roger and Paul. Harvey followed a similar path to the same company in 1948. He worked in product development, primarily in the medical and dental fields. Harvey and the former Vera Kastenschmidt of Ithaca were married in St. Paul. They have 4 children, Steven, Michael, David and Kathryn (Griffin) and 5 grandchildren. Henry died in 1969 and Albina in 1979 in Wahoo. Their marriage was an example of mutual love, kindness and consideration. Their sons maintain that there is not another community in the world where they would prefer to have been raised. Submitted by Robert Anderson JAMES W. ANDERSONTwo of my grandparents immigrated to the United States from Sweden during the period 1868-1881 and settled first in Illinois and Iowa. My other 2 grandparents (Swedish and German descent) were born in Illinois and Indiana. In the early 1880's, they all settled in Nebraska in Fillmore and Phelps County, eventually settling in Holdrege, Nebraska. They were farmers and grain dealers by trade. I was born and raised in Holdrege and have 1 sister who lives in Fort Morgan, Colorado. My father was also born and raised in Holdrege and passed away there in 1957. My mother came to Holdrege in 1919. She still lives in Holdrege in the same house my parents moved into in 1921 when they were married. She also lived in Yutan for a few years in the 1960's. I graduated from high school in Holdrege and, after graduation, attended Nebraska Wesleyan University for a year and a half. Later I served in the U.S. Army and spent a year in Korea during the Korean Conflict. Ironically, my daughter spent a year in Korea with the U.S. Army, arriving in Korea 25 years after I returned. After returning from Korea, I returned to school at Nebraska Wesleyan and graduated in 1955. Also the same year I married Virginia Peters of Yutan, page 174 |
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