Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
Anderson (family)
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
History
Nels Anderson, at age 16, and his older brother Andy, left Aarhus, Denmark to sail for New York in 1906. Their brothers, Mac and Einar, followed in 1911 and 1914. After 4 years of working on the railway and in logging camps, Nels and Andy came to Canada. Arriving by train in the spring of 1910 at Medicine Hat, the Anderson's took out a homestead 21 miles northeast of Alderson. The two brothers started farming with two horses and 4 oxen hitched to a gang plow. Brothers Mac and Einar joined them soon after. With one crop failure after another, the Anderson brothers eventually decided to sell out. Einar and Andy bought irrigated farms 10 miles southwest of Tilley; Mac moved to B.C. and Nels returned to the United States to work in logging camps, sawmills and blacksmith shops. In 1927, Nels came back to Tilley to help Einar with the farming. Three years later he started the International Implement Agency in an old shed, while Einar purchased and operated the General Store and Post Office in Tilley. On July 26, 1936, Nels married Leah McLean, a school teacher. They had six children: Ian, Peter, Donald, Leigh, Robin and Connie. Nels expanded his business to include a car dealership and after building two new garages, one in 1936, and another in 1950, he retired in 1960. His wife Leah, passed away suddenly in 1962. In 1964, Leigh married Margaret Patterson of Vancouver. They have 3 children and currently live in Ottawa where Leigh is an R.C.M.P. Sergeant. In 1965, Donald married Judy McGowan of Tilley. They have 2 children, and currently live in Coronation where Donald is supervisor of Bow River Pipelines. In 1971, Connie married Rick Swanson of Brooks, where Rick is a gas plant operator with Oakwood Petroleums. In 1972, Peter married Betty Mannerfeldt of Sylvan Lake. They live in Red Deer where Peter is Chief Surveyor for the city and Betty teaches in Sylvan Lake. In 1975, Robin married Pat Tinordi of Red Deer where they currently reside. Pat works in the Hospital's physiotherapy department and Robin has been employed as a truck driver. Robin also recently graduated from the R.C.M.P. and works at the Nordegg Correctional Institute. In 1977, Ian married Margaret Dragland of Forty Mile. They live in Medicine Hat with Margaret's 3 sons, Glen, Neil and Lyle. Ian is a mechanic with the Department of Highways. Since 1972, Nels has been living in his own home in Brooks. He keeps himself busy with woodmaking projects and his interest in politics.