The Andrew K. Anderson Family 102th Reunion

Mary Ann (Hendrickson) Dunkin, Reunion coordinator

On floor: Zoey McWilliams, Arron McWilliams holding Lea Gute, Emma Gute, Connie (Haley) Cleaver, Jolene (Haley) Bissill, Darlene (Weaver) Bryant, Joyce (Cain) Parrish, Jentry Shafer, Jacy Shafer, Shyla (Brown) Shafer holding Jordyn Shafer, Carla (Lee) Hiner holding Parker Hiner.
Second row sitting: Lois Jean (Orstad) Couch, Maxine (Larson) Morrison, Gilbert Lindberg, Deloris (Orstad) Weaver, Bernice (Anderson) Miller, Shirley (Anderson) Kimball, Mike Kimball, Peg Fast, Orville Fast, Ben Dunkin
Third row staggered: Deloris (Hendrickson) Peterson, Unknown, Linda (Lindberg) Bruning, Sue (Couch) Moon, Gary Bruning, Susan Lindberg, Betty (Lee) Lindberg, David Lindberg, Betty Lindberg, Marcia (Lee) Lindberg, Pat (Rhamy) Forschler, Pam Devine, Mary Ann (Hendrickson) Dunkin, Cheryl (Haley) Swartz, Joan (Rhamy) Haley, Ron Brown, LaDonna Jergenson, Janice Sheppard, Norma Brown, LaDean Jergenson, Cathy Peterson, Janelle (Brown) Wiese, Bob Lee, Anna Blanch Lee
Back row staggered: Tom Cain, Marj Anderson, Ned Parrish, Bill McCrory, Bob Lee, Jr., Unknown, Mark Benda, Dennis Devine, Danny Lindberg, Joe Devine, Carl Lee, Darvin Anderson, Dale Sheppard, Neal Peterson, Sandy Lee, Lindsey Hiner held by John Hiner.

THE 102nd ANDERSON REUNION

On a beautiful Iowa summer day, 2 August 2009, seventy-four (74) descendants and two (2) guests of the Andrew K. Anderson Family, from Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois, Washington and Colorado, gathered at the Villisca Community Center to celebrate the 102nd Anderson Family Reunion.

Doors opened at 10 AM for early sign-in, visiting, greeting our “cousins” and partaking of coffee and apricot tea ring and sugar cookies provided by Betty (Lee) Lindberg and Mary Ann (Hendrickson) Dunkin. The tables were soon covered with delicious food provided by the Anderson and Lee cousins. Ned Parrish gave the invocation and we were ready to eat!

The memorabilia table held past reunion photos and newspaper articles regarding the 100th Reunion and the latest family history information.

We had our family meeting with announcements of family happenings and statistics of the past year. A big thanks was given for all the great food the ladies provided and the wonderful tomatoes that Dennis Devine always brings. We decided the ladies should bring their recipes to share next year.

Various prizes were given. The family of Andrew John and Carolyn (Larson) Anderson had the most members in attendance - with 33 and one guest in attendance. The oldest man in attendance was Orville Fast of Elliott at age 84. Bernice (Anderson) Miller, of Corning and Maxene (Larson) Morrison, of Griswold, both at age 87, were the oldest ladies. Lindsay Marie Hiner, daughter of Carla (Lee) and John Hiner of Liberty, Missouri, b 15 July 2008 took the prize as the youngest child in attendance. Mike and Shirley (Anderson) Kimble of Valley, Washington won the honor of traveling the furthest.

The latest “known” vital statistics since our last reunion include the death of Henry G. Hendrickson, age 90, on 7 Feb 2009, Lincoln, Nebraska and of Stanley H. Barnes, age 84, Cibolo, Texas, on 7 Oct 2008 and Carolyn (Mitchell) Olson, Red Oak, Iowa, age 72, on 27 Mar 2009. Known births include: Jack Richard Kline, b 24 Feb 2009, Pensacola, Florida, son of Kelly (Wolfe) and Eric Kline, Kase Darrell Schafer, b 12 Jan 2009, Omaha, Nebraska, son of Laci (Fulton) and Brian Schafer, Lukas James Cleaver, b 16 Feb 2009, son of Chris and Wendy Cleaver and Owen Joseph Gute, b 26 Dec 2008, son of Frankie (Nickie Cleaver) and Jeff Gute. There were no weddings reported for the year. Deloris (Orstad) Weaver, a long time Anderson Picnic attendee and resident of Grant, moved to Boone, Iowa this past year.

Thirty-three family members and one guest represented the Andrew and Caroline Anderson family: Deloris (Hendrickson) Peterson and Joan (Rhamy) Haley, Nodaway, Nodaway, Mary Ann (Hendrickson) and Ben Dunkin, Fort Collins, CO, Deloris (Orstad) Weaver and Darlene (Weaver) Bryant, Boone, Adam and Stephanie Wiese, Denison, Mike and Shirley (Anderson) Kimball, Valley, WA, Bernice (Anderson) Miller, Shyla (Brown) Schafer and Jacy, Jentry and Jordyn Schafer, Jolene (Haley) Bissell and Cheryl (Haley) Swartz, all of Corning, Andy and Liz Wiese, Council Bluffs, Neal and Cathy Peterson, Shenadoah, Ron and Norma Brown and Janelle (Brown) Wiese, Prescott, Pat (Rhamy) Forschler and guest Marlene Forschler, Colfax, Joyce (Cain) and Ned Parrish, Des Moines, Tom Cain, Brooks, Connie (Haley) Cleaver and grandchildren Emma and Lee Gute, Missouri Valley, and Zoey and Arron McWilliam, Pisgah.
Sarah (Anderson) and Aleak Lee family were represented by 31 members and one guest: Betty (Lee) and Gilbert Lindberg, Dan Lindberg of Villisca, Gary and Linda (Lindberg) Bruning and LaDean Jergenson and guest Bernice Baird, all of Villisca, LaDonna Jergenson, Audubon, David and Susan Lindberg, St. Clive, Bob and Anna Lee, Patty (Lee) Wagaman and Kalli, Marcia (Lee) and Mark Benda and Brent Olson, all of Red Oak, Bob Lee, Oswego, Illinois, Carl and Sandy Lee, Clarinda, Darin, Jennifer, Garrett and Piper Lee of Liberty, MO, John and Carla (Lee) Hiner, Parker and Lindsay, Kansas City, 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 ten descendants: Darwin Anderson, Red Oak, Dawn (Anderson) and Bill McCrory, Atlantic, Brad and Marj Anderson, Van Meter, Orville and Peg Fast of Elliott, Dennis P. Devine, Sr., and Joe and Pam Devine of Council Bluffs.

Ned Parrish and Ben Dunkin took the Anderson Family photos.

It was a great reunion again and we will look forward to seeing you all in Villisca next year - 1 August 2010 for our 103rd 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.