Brant Andersen

ANDERSEN

Posted By: Connie Swearingen - volunteer (email)
Date: 1/31/2016 at 14:52:37

ANTHON IOWA
1888-1988

Andersen – Brant, page 318-9

In the spring of 1909 among the passengers on the ship Virginian were two young Danes. They were sailing to the land of opportunity “American”. The young man was Niels Laurits Andersen from Herning, Denmark and the young woman was Pedrea Pedersen from Lunde, Denmark. Tho they were strangers coming aboard the ship, they soon met and a spark was ignited. However, upon arrival at the Ellis Island Medical check point it was discovered that Pedrea had a goiter, so she was sent back home. After surgery she again returned.

They again met at Battle Creek, Iowa where Niels had found work on a farm and Pedrea was visiting a brother. A short while later Pedrea was offered a job in Pasadena, California as a maid for a wealthy American family of Danish descent, so it was off to the west coast.

Life in their new country was not easy. Niels went to Grandview College to learn English and Pedrea learned it thru her co-workers.

In 1916 Pedrea returned to Battle Creek and they were married on March 23, at the Danish American Church in Omaha, Nebraska.

Niels had started farming several years before so they were at home south of Battle Creek. Many Danish families settled in this area, creating a home like atmosphere for all of them.

One of the highlights of their lives was becoming American citizens.

On January 5, 1917 their first child, a son, Irving was born. Seven years later his only sibling a sister was born. She is Mrs. Gary (Ardis) Hartmann of Akron, Iowa.

The Andersen’s were proud, thrifty, hard-working and stubborn. Through their perseverance they realized the American dream of owning a farm.

Niels passed away in 1974 at the age of 88. Pedrea passed away in 1982 at the age of 96. They are both buried in the Battle Creek cemetery.

My side of the family, George and Carrie Brant lived most of their married life in the Anthon area. George moved with his family to the area in 1989.

George was born November 16, 1980 and was the second child of Winfield Scott and Josephine Krowl Brant. Their first child, John, died in infancy. The Scott Brants had five other children. Mary Brant Sands, the twins, Ira and Milo, Jennie Brant Heitman and Josephine. Mary, Ira and Josephine lived most of their lives in the Anthon area. Jennie lived in Sioux City, Iowa and Milo moved to California in the forties.

Josephine Krowl Brant was of Chech decent. Scotts nationality is unknown.

When the Brant family came to this area they traveled by train, all except George. At that time he was 9 years old and was thought big enough to help the hired hands with moving of the machinery, livestock and other necessities to their new home.

My mother Carrie Diment Brant was born June 18, 1890 northwest of Danbury near the Sharon Church. Her parents were Henry and Annie Leetch Diment. The Diments ancestors ere English. Coming to the United States by way of Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland. The Henry Diment family consisted of eight children, Robert, Margaret Sands, Ida Millard, Carrie Brant, Henry, Jennie Brant, Alice Dolan, and Hazel Secord.

George and Carrie were married January 25, 1911 at Ida Grove, Iowa. They moved to the farm four miles east of Anthon and except for three years they spent their entire lives together there.

The George Brant family consisted of seven girls. Irene Joy who passed away in 1985 from cancer. She is buried at Washta, Iowa; Lelia Brant retired and lives in Sioux City; Glatha Brant retired and lives in San Diego, California; Thelma Andersen retired and lives in Anthon; Caroline Berger retired and lives in Sioux City; Georgia Florke a nurse in the Veterans Hospital in Omaha, Nebraska and Norma Joyce died in 1949 at the age of 19 after a long difficult bout with diabetes. Norma, Carrie and George are buried in the Danbury cemetery.

Irving Andersen attended a rural school near Battle Creek, Iowa through the eight grade. In 1935 at the age of 18 he left for Detroit, Michigan to live with an uncle and look for work. This was at the height of the depression. After several months in the unemployment lines he was hired by the Lincoln Division of the Ford Motor Co. At that time there were no labor unions.

I was born July 22,1919 on the George Brant farm east of Anthon Public School, graduating from the later in 1938. I worked in Sioux City as a maid for several years.

Irving and I met in 1937 and were married January 25, 1940 at the West Chicago Methodist Church in Detroit. We purchased our first home in 1941. On October 21, 1941 our first child, a daughter, Carol was born.

Our city soon became the arsenal of democracy. It geared up fast for the production of war materials.

Irving registered for the draft as was mandatory for all abled bodied men. However, he was classified 4-F because of the loss of three fingers on this left hand. This loss was due to a farm accident when he was three.

The factories were soon in full production and manpower was becoming shorter and shorter, so women were encouraged to take factory jobs. It was then that we decided I too would go to work. Irving as a finish grinder on crank shafts for Sherman tanks and I was a spot welder on the B-24’s.

In the fall of 1945, with the war over, the urge to return to the farm was utmost in Irvings mind. I was not nearly so anxious to return to a cook stove and kerosene lamps. However, in 1946 we returned to Iowa.

On August 19, 1946 our second child, a son, was born. He died at birth and is buried in the Oak Hill cemetery at Anthon, Iowa.

On June 28, 1952 our third child Erick (Rick) was born.

In 1961 after the death of my Dad the home farm was to be sold. We decided, for several reasons, we would like to buy it. In 1963 we moved back and lived there until retiring in 1982.

Our daughter Carol and her husband Jim live in Iowa City. They are both employed in Criminal Justice work. Carol is Director of Social Services at Iowa Medical and Reclassification Center at Oakdale. Carol received her bachelor degrees and her master degree from the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa.

Eric lives in Selah, Washington a suburb of Yakima. He is Director of Land Management, Yakima Firing Center United States Army, Yakima, Washington. He received this bachelor degrees from Washington State University at Pullman and his Masters degree from the University of Washington in Seattle. While in college, Eric was a member of R.O.T.C. He served in Korea in 1975-76. He was in the reserves six years following active duty. He attained the rank of Captain.

In 1982, two weeks after retiring, Irving lost the sight in his right eye due to a detached retina.

Farming was very good to us. It gave us a comfortable life and our children a chance for an education. We never farmed more than 200 acres.

In 1990 “The Lord Willing” we will have our 50th wedding anniversary and our farm will become a century farm.

By Thelma Anderson, Anthon, Iowa