Anderson, Otto Fredrik

ANDERSON MAURITS

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 4/12/2010 at 16:24:46

Monona County History 1982
Otto Fredrik Anderson

Otto Fredrik Anderson was born September 15, 1861 at Brackan in Varmland, Sweden. He was the youngest of a family of five. In 1883, when he was 22, he left his parental home to emigrate to the United States to find a better life and to be freed from military duty. He came to Onawa and found employment with cattle feeders in the Arcola area.

Before he had a chance to comprehend the English language, on one occasion he attended a political rally with his employer at the Arcola school building. Not understanding what was being said, the speaker seemed to him to be ready to come to blows by the heated dabate and pounding of fists so he was surprised when the meeting ended amicably. Learning the difficult new language was aided by the children he encountered in the neighborhood.

Among recollections he told of the prairie grass on the Sioux River bottom so tall that while on horseback to follow a steer he had to watch the motion of the grass ahead of him. In the spring the wild ducks and geese were sometimes so numerous that their noise made conversation impossible for two men in a wagon on the trail. Prairie chickens were also plentiful. On one occasion he and a friend were going to swim to a windmill tower but found the entire tower covered with snakes.

He was a competent mechanic in both carpentry and blacksmithing, helped build the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Castana, helped put in the dam and mill in the Maple River west of Castana, as well as constructing farm buildings in the community. He also did some carpenter work at the government building project on the Indian reservation in Nebraska.

He soon learned to read English and being an avid reader, he followed politics, studied law and advised friends on various questions. He was granted citizenship in 1890. He served on the school board and was an Ashton Township Trustee for many years. He was one of the first directors of the Monona County Mutual Insurance Co. and also helped organize the Whiting Farmers Co-operative Elevator Co.

He moved into farming on his own in 1893 when he married Hedvig Maurits who had come from Packebo in Smaland, Sweden. Their first farm home was northeast of Onawa where in 1894 their first child Anna, was born. Two years later they purchased the farm in Ashton Township where they made their permanent home until deceased May 19, 1939. His wife and companion passed away July 22, 1940.

Their four children are Anna (Mrs. Merrill Dickson, deceased), two sons, Edgar M and Harold R. and Alice (Mrs. Raymond Letterly). The family has church membership in the Christian Church at Whiting.