The Andrew K. Anderson Family 101th Reunion

Mary Ann (Hendrickson) Dunkin, Reunion coordinator

Sitting on floor: Jacy Schafer, Jentry Schafer, Joyce (Cain) Parrish and Jennifer Lee holding Piper Lee

Second row: Bernice (Anderson) Miller, Mary Ann (Hendrickson) Dunkin, Deloris (Hendrickson) Peterson, Henry G. Hendrickson, Lois Jean (Orstad) Couch, Maxene (Larson) Morrison, Ben Dunkin and Gilbert Lindberg

Third Row - Staggered: Shyla Schafer holding Jordyn Schafer, Jerry Barnard, Marilyn (Odson) Barnard, Janice Shepherd, Marcia (Lee) Benda, Anna Blanch Lee, Gary Bruning, Sherry Lee, Linda (Lee) Bruning, Dennis Devine, Sr., Sandy Lee, Sue (Couch) Moon, Darwin Anderson, Rusty Anderson, Donna (Hendrickson) Mapel, Betty Lee, LaDean Jergenson, Dwaine Mapel

Back Row - all men: Mark Benda, Darin Lee holding Garrett Lee, Dale Shepherd, Bob Lee, Dan Lindberg, Carl Lee, Bill McCory, Kyle Anderson, Brad Anderson, Marj Anderson

Not in photo: Dawn (Anderson) McCroy, Patty, Kalli and Kolton Wagaman and Ned Parish (photographer).

The 101st Anderson Picnic now known as the Andrew K. Anderson Family Reunion, was celebrated 3 August 2008 at the Community Center in Villisca, Iowa, with 46 members and 2 guests in attendance.

Doors opened at 10AM for coffee and an apricot tea ring (baked by Betty Lindberg) and cookies (baked by Mary Ann Dunkin). We were ready for our “Picnic Dinner” at 12:30 - as by then the tables were loaded with delicious food provided by the Anderson and Lee cousins.

We enjoyed looking at past reunion photos and newspaper articles regarding the 100th Reunion and the latest family history information on the memorabilia table.

After dinner we had our meeting and announcements and various prizes were given.

The family of Sarah (Anderson) and Aleak Lee had the most members - with 25 in attendance. The oldest man in attendance was Henry G. Hendrickson, of Lincoln, NE, at age 90, followed by Bernice (Anderson) Miller, of Corning and Maxene (Larson) Morrison, of Griswold, both at age 87, as the oldest ladies. Jordyn Schafer, dau of Shyla (Brown) and Justin Schafer, of Corning was the youngest girl, and Garrett Lee, of Liberty, MO, son of Darin and Jennifer Lee, the youngest boy in attendance. Rusty and Kyle Anderson from Louisville, KY won the honor of traveling the furtherest.

The newest vital statistics since our last reunion include the death of Garold Anderson, on 2 Jul 2008, age 80, in Louisville, KY, son of Bob and Bertha Anderson, and grandson of Ole and Ellen Anderson, father of Nick, Rick, Carolyn and Rusty Anderson. The wedding of Nathan Rapp, grandson of Deloris and Marvin Peterson, to Jennifer Koerner, on 2 Aug 2008, in Lincoln, NE. Christopher Cleaver, son of Connie (Haley) and Bill Clever married Wendy Story, in Missouri Valley, IA on 6 Oct 2007. Several known births in the Anderson family since our last reunion include: Lindsay Marie Hiner, 15 Jul 2008, dau of Carla (Lee) and John Hiner, Liberty, MO, Zoey Lois McWilliams, 22 May 2008, dau of Arron (Cleaver) and Drew McWilliams, Kaya Janice Owen, 2 May 2008, Omaha, NE, dau of Trisha (Fast) and Scott Owen, Riley James Van Doren, 21 Apr 2008, Jodie and Joshua Van Doren, Valley, WA, Levi Matthew Odson, 26 Mar 2008, Des Moines, IA, son of Jason and Mackenzie Odson, Lexie Jo Wiese, 12 Mar 2008, Carroll, Iowa, son of Adams and Stephanie Wiese, Samuel Wolfe Kline, 13 Sep, 2007 son of Kelly (Wolfe) and Eric Kline, of Navarre, FL and Hunter Heslin Barnes, 2 Aug 2007, son of Joe and Evie Barnes, Owatonna, MN.
Those in attendance from the Sarah and Aleak Lee family were: Betty (Lee) and Gilbert Lindberg, Dan and Sherry Lindberg, Gary and Linda Bruning, LaDean Jergenson from Villisca, Bob and Anna Lee, Patty (Lee), Kalli and Kolton Wagaman, Marcia (Lee) and Mark Benda from Red Oak, Carl and Sandy Lee, Clarinda, Darin, Jennifer, Garrett and Piper Lee of Liberty, MO, Dale and Janice Shepherd, Lenox, Maxene (Larson) Morrison, Griswold and Lois Jean (Orstad) Couch and Sue (Couch) Moon of Ralston, NE.

The Ole and Ellen Anderson family was represented by Rusty and Lyle Anderson, Louisville, KY, Darwin Anderson, Red Oak, Dawn (Anderson) and Bill McCrory, Atlantic, Brad and Marj Anderson of Van Meter, and Dennis Devine of Council Bluffs.

Thirteen family members represented the Andrew and Caroline Anderson family, Deloris (Hendrickson) Peterson, Nodaway, Mary Ann (Hendrickson) and Ben Dunkin, Fort Collins, CO, Shyla (Brown) Schafer, Jacy, Jentry and Jordyn, Bernice (Anderson) Miller of Corning, Henry G. Hendrickson, Donna (Hendrickson) and Dwaine Maple, of Lincoln, NE, Joyce (Cain) and Ned Parish, Des Moines. Marilyn (Odson) and Jerry Barnard, guests, of Corning.

Dennis Devine brought the letter of greeting to those gathered for the 2008 Anderson family reunion that he had received and was signed by George W. Bush, President of the United States. Dennis had made copies for all in attendance. This was really great!

Ned Parrish took the Anderson Family photo.

It was a great reunion again and we will look forward to seeing you all in Villisca next year - 2 August 2008 for our 102nd Reunion - always the first Sunday in August.

100TH ANNUAL ANDREW K. ANDERSON REUNION

The 100th Annual Andrew Knutson Anderson Family Reunion was celebrated 5 August 2007 at the Community Center in Villisca, Iowa, with 205 members (at last count) in attendance. Many of the “cousins” wore tee-shirts with the 1907 Anderson Family Photo imprinted on them.

The honorable Steve King, a Member of Congress from the 5th District of Iowa sent a letter of congratulations on our 100th Anniversary, which was read to the assembled families.

Various prizes were given. The Andrew and Caroline (Larson) Anderson family had 97 family members and 3 guests representing their family with the Ole and Ellen (Jergenson) Anderson family a close second, with 63 and 1 guest, followed by the Sarah (Anderson) and Aleak Lee family with 41. Orville and Peg Fast took the honor of having the most members of one family in attendance.

Henry G. Hendrickson, from Lincoln, Nebraska, was the oldest member in attendance at age 89, followed by Bernice (Anderson) Miller and Maxene (Larson) Morrison, both at age 86. The youngest was Grace Fast, four months, dau of Luke and Kim Fast of Branson, Missouri - but she had to leave before the party was over - so Tyler Van Doren, Valley, Washington and Jordon Schaffer, of Corning, Iowa - the next two youngest shared the Gummi Bears and Animal Crackers. The Kelly Wurster family from Hemet, California and Shirley (Anderson) and Mike Kimball and families (11) from Valley, Washington shared the honors of traveling the farthest distance to attend the reunion. We sang “Happy Birthday” to the 13 members who have or will attain the age of 80 in 2007!

We did not have a prize for this honor - but - we had 20 members attending in 2007 whose mother or father or both were pictured in the 1907 photo: Darwin Anderson son of Carl and Carrie Ann Anderson, Henry G. Hendrickson, son of Sarah (Anderson) and Goodman Hendrickson, Maxene (Larson) Morrison, dau of Amanda (Lee) and Joe Larson, LaDean Jergenson, son of Bertha M. Danielson, Bob Lee, Betty (Lee) Lindberg and Carl Lee, children of Albert Lee, Helen (Johnson) Hill, dau of Floyd Johnson, Dale Shepherd, son of Mabel Johnson, Lois Jean (Orstad) Couch, dau of Emelia Johnson, Deloris (Orstad) Weaver, dau of Gladys Hendrickson, Mary Ann (Hendrickson) Dunkin and Deloris (Hendrickson) Peterson, dau’s of Marion Hendrickson, Sally (Windom) Barnes and Marilyn (Windom) Wurster, dau’s of Agnes Hendrickson, Bernice (Anderson) Miller and Shirley (Anderson) Kimball, dau’s of Andy Anderson, Marilyn (Danielson) Knoke and Leatrice (Danielson) Gidley, dau’s of Ernest Danielson and Ron Hendrickson, son of Glenn Hendrickson.

The Andrew K. Anderson family “cousins” enjoyed visiting with family members who had traveled from as far away as: Oxford, North Carolina, Brookhaven, Pennsylvania, Golden, Fort Collins, and Colorado Springs, Colorado, Branson, Kansas City and Liberty, Missouri, Overland Park, Kansas, Alpharetta, Georgia, Bella Vista, Arkansas, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Valley and Spokane, Washington, Redwood Falls and Waseca, Minnesota, Canyon Lake, Cibola and Spring, Texas, Hemet, California, Lincoln, Big Springs, Bellevue, Ralston and Omaha, Nebraska - as well as those living closer to home in Iowa: Villisca, Nodaway, Corning, Red Oak, Shenadoah, Prescott, Lenox, Denison, Des Moines, Boone, Grant, Council Bluffs, Stanton, Glenwood, Griswold, Elliott, Van Meter, Atlantic, Missouri Valley and Colfax, Iowa.

It took a lot of help and coordination to arrange this 100th reunion as I live in Fort Collins, Colorado and the reunion was in Villisca, Iowa. A huge thanks to all those helping hands with sitting up the tables and chairs the night before and taking them down after the party was over. To Deloris (Hendrickson) Peterson who served as Hostess and to Betty (Lee) Lindberg for her delicious apricot tea-ring and to Bernice (Anderson) Miller and Shirley (Anderson) Kimball for making the Norwegian lefse and kringler and for the 10 AM coffee. There were vases of flowers on each table brought and arranged by Cathy Peterson. Mary Ann (Hendrickson) Dunkin placed Norwegian and American flags throughout the hall. The photos and information on the memorabilia tables that Mary Ann brought was enjoyed by all. Debbi (Cooksley) Marquardt brought her fathers large Norwegian Flag to be displayed. Thank you to all the family members that helped in the kitchen and to the ladies that kept the food lines going. Neal Peterson returned Thanks before we ate. The biggest thanks goes to the “cousins” for bringing all the delicious food and to Jolene (Haley) Bissell for making the wonderful Anniversary Cake from her “Sweet Desires” bakery in Corning. Connie (Haley) Cleaver from her “Memory Lane Photo Studio” for taking the 100th Anderson Anniversary Photos. These photos can be obtained from Connie.

LaDean Jergenson guided several of the Anderson Family members to Strand to see where their families attended church and were baptized, confirmed, and married, and the cemetery where many were laid to rest.

And last but not least - thanks to Dennis Devine for all his endeavors regarding the publicity of the 100th Reunion, and arranging the interviews with the Des Moines Register, the Omaha World Herald and the Council Bluffs Nonpareil.
It was a wonderful reunion and we will look forward to seeing you all back in Villisca next year on 3 August 2008 for our 101st Reunion.