For
Muscatine County Iowa
1911
| Biographies For Muscatine County Iowa 1911 | |
Source: History of Muscatine County Iowa, Volume II, Biographical, 1911, page 296
A.B. ANDERSON. Prominent among the citizens of Wapsinonoc township who have assisted by honest toil in building up that portion of the county is the gentleman whose name stands at the head of this review. He is a native of Sweden born December 6, 1854, and is the son of O.K. and Anna Anderson. The parents were both born in Sweden, and in 1861, when the subject of this review was seven years of age, they came to America and settled in Kane County, Illinois, where they spent two years, then moving to Shelby county. The mother departed this life very soon after her arrival in that county. In 1873 the father took up his residence in Kansas and continued in that state until 1898, when he was called away. He was twice married and by his first union had fifteen children, two of whom are now living; Christina, now the wife of Ben Swanson of Moline, Illinois; and A. B.Very limited opportunities of education were available to A.B. Anderson as he was obliged to start out for himself at nine years of age. He worked upon a farm until eighteen, and then became a fireman on the Vandalia Railway. Subsequently he learned the wagonmaker's trade, at which he continued for two years, then engaging in farm work in Rock Island county, Illinois. After his marriage he worked for two years at his trade in Moline, Illinois, and at the end of that time rented a farm on the Rock River, which he cultivated with a good degree of success for ten years. In 1888 he came to Muscatine county and purchased land in Wapsinonoc township, which he has greatly improved, now being the owner of one hundred and sixty-two and one-half acres on sections 17 and 20. He makes a specialty of raising horses and hogs. His place is supplied with good barns and other buildings, fruit and ornamental trees, and is one of the attractive farms in the township. He is a good judge of stock and has a reputation as a fair dealer, ranking as an honest and upright citizen.
On June 7, 1877, Mr. Anderson was united in marriage to Miss Mary Bachman, who was born in Rock Island, May 25, 1855, a daughter of Mathias and Catherine (Shroder) Bachman, natives of Germany. Mr. Bachman came to this country with his parents when he was a small boy and Mrs. Bachman arrived in America in 1850. They were married in Louisville, Kentucky, and in 1855 located in Rock Island, where Mrs. Bachman is now living at the age of eighty-eight years. The father departed this life in 1903, at the age of seventy-four years. There were eight children in their family, seven of whom are now living. Ten children came to bless the union of Mr. and Mrs. Anderson, namely: George M., now of West Liberty; William, at home; Anna, deceased; Nettie G., a graduate of West Liberty high school and now a teacher at Steamboat Springs, Colorado; Albert, at home; Andrew and Paul, of West Liberty; Mabel, a graduate of the high school and now the wife of Charles Connelly, of Canada; Nellie J., a graduate of the high school and now engaged in teaching; and Edwin, now a student at the high school.
Owing to their generous hospitality and kindly spirit, Mr. and Mrs. Anderson have greatly endeared themselves to friends and acquaintances and are today numbered among the worthy residents of Mucatine county. He was reared in the Lutheran faith, while she was reared a Catholic. Politically Mr. Anderson is a stanch supporter of the republican party and, being a sincere friend of education, as is indicated by the excellent training received by his children, he has served most acceptably as a member of the school board.
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