Family History

Anna Stevenson married Edward A. Anderson on March 21, 1895. They lived for a time with Anna’s parents, Lars and Anna, on the County Line Road (Kendall-Grundy). Here, their first child, Alvin Herbert was born on January 3, 1896. He suffered from Bright’s disease and lived only four years. Their second child, Minnie Amanda, was also born while they were at this location--on December 24, 1897.

Edward and Anna moved to the Fletcher Farm across from the Central Limestone Quarry on Conklin Road and Edward farmed this land. While living there, three more children were born--Alma Lu Ella on November 9, 1901, Earl Milford on February 25, 1904, and Arthur Lawrence on February 18, 1907

In the same year that Arthur was born, the couple bought a farm on Helmar Road, and moved to a house a short distance away. (across from Oscar Slyke Farm). Their sixth child, LaVerne Alexander was born here on March 14, 1911.

In addition to farming the property, Edward managed to build a crib, a barn, and finally a house into which he moved his family. The house originally had stucco siding, but after a few years of settling, the stucco began to crack. Birds, eager to find homes, got into the cracks and built nests, and all this activity caused the siding to crumble and fall away. Eventually it was replaced with wood.

The children of Edward and Anna recall how hard their parents worked. But they also remember the enjoyable times when “Pa  would hitch up the surrey" and they would be off to church, followed by a visit to the aunts and uncles where they had been invited for Sunday dinner.

Alma talked in some of her letters about a real “Red Letter Day” being when the folks would announce a trip to Morris to get outfitted with shoes and clothes. This event happened twice a year. In the meantime, if something was needed, the Sears and Wards catalogs were relied upon. The mail service was quite good, Alma reported, and an order sent to Chicago was usually received in a day or two.

Minnie remembered rides to Morris on Saturday afternoons (only if all the chores were done). Pa would buy balogna and crackers and the family would have a “feast” on the way home.

LaVerne recalled later trips, when the surrey had been replaced by the “modern” automobile. The first car that Edward and Anna bought was a Hanes, and LaVerne stated that you had to strike a match to see if the lights were on. Night trips required carrying extra lanterns along. These could be dangled from the front of the car if the lights failed completely, which they frequently did.

Later the family acquired a Model T and LaVerne remembered a trip they took to Ford County to visit Uncle Oliver and Aunt Maggie. They left home by 7:00 a.m. and traveled on dirt roads, as there were no paved roads back then. Traveling with five children meant numerous “comfort stops” at school houses along the way, in addition to frequent “nuisance stops” to fix flat tires--no easy task in those days. The tire was removed and patched, and the inner tube was repaired if necessary. Then the tire was placed back on the car and pumped up by hand. After all of the delays, the Andersons arrived at their destination in time for supper. Aunt Maggie thought they had made “marvelous time”. They had driven a distance of about 100 miles.

Edward passed away on May 1, 1927--his death caused by pneumonia. Anna remained in their home until her death eighteen years later. She passed away on October 29, 1945, after a long illness. Both she and Edward were buried in West Lisbon Cemetery. The children decided to sell the farm and it was purchased by George Dickson in 1946.