William O. Anderson

His Story

        William Oscar Anderson was born to David (Jöns) Anderson and his first wife, Olivia (Olu), on May 15, 1875 at Galva, Illinois. Willie, as he was known in childhood, moved with his two older brothers, Andrew and Frank, and two older sisters, Elna and Matilda, to Iowa County, Iowa, when he was less than two years old.

 

        They lived on at least two different farms in the Marengo area over the next 18 years or so. William was 14 when his mother died and 17 when his father married Regina Swan. When his father and stepmother moved to Colfax County, Nebraska, in the mid 1890’s, William, now about 20, moved with them.

       

        Here he met Anna Banghart. They were married on June 23, 1897.

         A year later (24 July 1898) their first son, Frank Dewey was born followed by a second son, Edward Lawton on  14 Jan 1900. At this time they were living on a farm in Wilson Township south of Leigh, Nebraska in Colfax County. William’s  younger brother, Edward, and younger sister, Minnie, were also living with them.
 

        In January 1907 William purchased property near Cedar Rapids, in Boone County, Nebraska, on the bank of the Cedar River.  A third son, Harvey, was born here on December 29, 1907.  After two seasons, in the spring of 1909, this farm was sold and the family moved north of Cedar Rapids to a farm between Primrose and Albion.  Twin daughters were born on 20 Oct 1909.  One daughter died at birth and is buried at the Sunset Cemetery in Cedar Rapids.  The surviving daughter was named Mabel.

         In 1911 William moved his family again.  This time it was to a farm in Dodge County northeast of North Bend.  Here they were near Anna's Banghart family and William's brother, Andrew's, family.  The children attended District 28 school.  In 1914 or 1915 William sold this farm and purchased a section of land 12 miles west of Dalton, Nebraska, where he raised wheat and oats.  In the fall of 1917 he traded this land for the Denslow farm back in eastern Nebraska near Hooper in Dodge County.  The village of Winslow sits in the northeast corner of the section where this farm was located.  He stayed on this farm until retiring in 1930.  By 1933 William and Anna had moved to western Nebraska living first at Petz, Colorado, and then Hershey, Nebraska.  All of their children were living in this area by this time.

        On November 15, 1933, William's wife, Anna, died of complications from diabetes.  She was buried in the North Platte Cemetery.  Over the next six years William moved around frequently to live near one son or another in Willard and Sterling, Colorado, and North Platte, Nebraska.  In 1940 he was living with his eldest son, Frank, and his wife, Connie, on a farm near North Platte. 

        In the meantime, William's youngest son, Harvey, had moved to Oregon and William decided to join him there.  By 1943 he had joined Harvey in Vale, Oregon eventually coming to Alsea where he lived for about the last 20 years of his life.  Alsea is an unincorporated community between Corvallis and Lebanon.  In 2010 the population was 1674.  When William died July 3, 1969, at age 94, he was brought back to North Platte for burial next to his wife.

     

Sources

1880 Federal Census, David Anderson residence, York Twp, Iowa County, Iowa, Aug. 3-6, 1880, Film #1254345, UNK Library, Kearney NE

 

1885 Nebraska Census Records, Salt Lake City, Utah, Family History Library
 

1900 Federal Census, Colfax Co. Nebraska, June 18, 1900, #1240920 Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah

 

1910 Federal Census, William Anderson residence, Boone County, Nebraska, June  2, 1910, at ancestry.com

1920 Federal Census, Nebraska, Jan 16-17, 1920, Census roll #986, sheet 14, UNK Library, Kearney, Nebraska 68849

 

1930, Federal Census, Anderson, W. O. residence, Hooper, Nebr., April 9, 1930, at ancestry.com

 

1940, Federal Census, Anderson, Frank D. residence, Lincoln County, Nebr., April 17, 1940, at ancesty.com
 

Anderson, Edward L., Collection of genealogy information ("ELA Papers"), 1960's, Sidney, Nebr.
 

Anderson, Harvey, (North Platte, Nebr.), letter to W. O. & Anna Anderson, May 3, 1933.
 

Anderson, Harvey, (Monmouth, Oregon), letter to  W. O. Anderson, Nov. 26, 1937
 

Anderson, Harvey, envelope for letter. Feb.7, 1939, from Rt.2, Monmouth, Oregon, to W. O. Anderson

Anderson grandchild (Los Angeles, California), postcard to William O. Anderson, July 5, 1960

Lacher, Tillie (Matilda) Anderson, (Cedar Bluffs, Nebr.), Christmas letter & card to William O Anderson, Dec. 17, 1933
 

Needham, Alice Mae Anderson,  interview by Mardi Anderson. February, 2002, Sidney, Nebraska

 

Nelson, Mabel Anderson, (Bertrand, Nebraska), letter to W O Anderson, Oct 12 & Nov 10, 1937

 

(The purchases and sales of the various farms described here have not yet been verified with county land records.)

WILLIAM O. ANDERSON INDEX
 

ANDERSON INDEX

HOME