Ole Bjorkjonli Anderson 1842-1920

ANDERSON, PAULSON, OLSON, JORGENSON, DOYLE, KOENECKE, SARGENT, SARGEANT

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 2/17/2014 at 00:04:57

Pioneer Resident Called
Ole B. Anderson Passed Away Tuesday Afternoon
Lived Here 38 Years
Funeral Services Will Be Held Saturday Afternoon at Two O’Clock

Another of Estherville’s pioneers was called by death last Tuesday afternoon after an illness that has lasted most of the winter. Ole B. Anderson was one of the best known men in the community having spent thirty-eight years of his life in this county. In later years he and his wife returned from the farm to this city where they have made their home. He was of considerable means and was identified with several business interests in this county.

Mr. Anderson would have been seventy-nine years old this spring. Two years ago he and his wife celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. Funeral services are being held for the arrival of relatives from a distance and will be held from the Norwegian Lutheran church Saturday afternoon at two o’clock. We will publish a more extended obituary next week. The bereaved family have the sympathy of the entire community. (Vindicator and Republican, Estherville, IA, March 10, 1920)

Obituary Ole Anderson
Ole Anderson Bjorkjonli was born in Norway on May 14, 1842, and died at Estherville, Iowa, March 9, 1920. He was a son of Andrew and Mary (Olson) Jorgenson, who came to the United States in 1868, a year after the arrival of their son, Ole, in this country. They settled in Worth county, Iowa, and there the mother passed away in 1881, after which the father made his home with his son Ole until his death in 1904 [1902].

Mr. Anderson acquired a limited education in the common schools of Norway and in 1867 came to the United States, established his home in Cerro Gordo county, Iowa. After a year spent in Cerro Gordo county he purchased 100 acres of land and began farming on his own account. The same year he made preparations for a home of his own by his marriage to Miss Hannah Paulson, also a native of Norway, who came to the United States with her parents when in her 15th year.

Mr. Anderson became a resident of Emmet county in 1882, but in 1876 he purchased 240 acres of land upon which he took up his abode six years later. In subsequent years he added to his holdings from time to time as his financial resources increased until his farm comprised almost a full section of land. Later, however, he sold a portion of this property but still owned 400 acres in Emmet county and 240 acres in Todd and Cass counties of Minnesota, his landed possessions affording him an excellent income. While upon the farm he converted his place into rich and productive fields from which he annually gathered good harvests that enabled him to put aside something from his earnings year by year until in 1906, possessing a handsome com--- he retired from active farming and moved to Estherville where he has since made his home enjoying rest which he truly earned and richly deserved. In the meantime, Mr. Anderson broadened the – of his activities by becoming one of the organizers of the Emmet County Farm Co-operative Insurance company and upon the organization was mad a member of its board of directors, in which position he has been continually since covering twenty-four years, while for the past – years he had been treasurer of the company. He was also agent for several Scandinavian steamship lines but otherwise had no active business connections.

To Mr. and Mrs. Anderson have been born thirteen children, eight of whom still survive, as follows: Al--, who follows farming in Emmet township, Emmet county; George, who is engaged in the land business in this city; John, an agriculturist of Clearwater county, Minnesota; Isaac, who follows farming in Todd county, Minnesota; Josephine, the wife of – k Doyle of St. Paul; Nettie, the wife of Edward Koenecke who operates one of Mr. Anderson’s farms in Emmet County; Jacob, who is engaged in the insurance business in this city and Jennie, the wife of Lawrence Sargeant who cultivates the old home farm of Mr. Anderson.

Politically, Mr. Anderson is a Republican, having long supported the party. He served as township trustee for fifteen years and as Justice of the Peace for about the same length of time and in both offices discharged his duties with promptness and fidelity, his decisions as Justice being strictly fair and impartial – a – which is indicated by his long –tion in the office. He has been –ally connected with the schools for many years as a member of the school board and he has put forth every effort to advance the welfare of the community. He was a member of the Norwegian Lutheran church. Funeral services were held from the Norwegian Lutheran church and the body was laid to rest in the cemetery north of the city, Rev. S.A. Berge officiating. (Estherville Enterprise, Estherville, IA, March 24, 1920) Note: the left part of the column was bound, resulting in a loss of words.