Family lore says that Mary Eliza Anderson had inherited her farm from her father who had gone west in the gold rush and made money by selling supplies to miners along the way. He would acquire goods in the west and bring them back to sell back home in Wisconsin and Iowa.
Census records for 1870 show that she was living with her new husband, James Anderson, and her brother Luther "Alonzo" Peck, on land in Mason City Iowa that may have belonged to her brother. A close inspection of the census shows that the value of the real estate ($800) was cited next to Alonzo's name, not next to JJ's name, the head of household. Interestingly, the value of JJ's personal property was $600.00, and Alonzo's personal property was valued at $300.
By the census conducted in 1880, they were living in Plymouth, Iowa, in Cerro Gordo County, and had four children. JJ was listed as a laborer, and Mary Eliza was a housekeeper. Also living in the home was JJ's widowed mother, Catherine Anderson, who was 66 years of age. In this census record, Catherine is listed as having been born in Ireland with her father born in Scotland and mother born in Ireland. Other records show her to be of more consistently pure Scot descent. In different family records, she is known to have spoken in a heavy Scottish brogue. In the year 1880, one of the children was school-aged and that would be Mary Ella Anderson who was nine years old at the time.
An Iowa State Census conducted in 1885 shows JJ to be living in Clear Lake, Cerro Gordo, Iowa. In 1895, another Iowa State Census reveals Mary E. Anderson living in Lime Creek, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa. Now, one might wonder why they moved from Clear Lake to Lime Creek? The answer can be found in newspaper accounts of the day, one of which was syndicated and appeared in multiple newspapers including the New York Time. Mrs. Anderson and "her five children" were mentioned specifically. The instance in question was that in 1888, the Rock River suddenly flooded its banks due to the dislodging of an ice dam. The photo below, shows the Anderson home resting at an improbable angle after the event.
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| This is a scanned and edited copy of a newspaper article from my personal file. Similar news accounts are dated April 7, 1888. I do not know the name of the newspaper that published this article. Perhaps it was a newspaper in Mason City or in Plymouth, Iowa? |
In 1890, the census records list her as a "widowed" head of household. Four of her children continued to live at home with her; Archie, 22; Rosco, 19; Leo, 16; and Kirk was 13 years of age. This time, it appears that she is living next door to her brother, Luther Alonzo Peck, and his family. And a couple of houses away in the other direction lives her sister, Sara Sophronia Peck, and her husband, Theodore VanKleek, and family. In 1905, an Iowa State Census record reveals that Archie, Belle, Leo, and Kirk live at home with her. Seemingly limited in scope, that census record does not reveal any other helpful information.
By 1910, Mary Eliza is "divorced" and lives next door to her son, Leo Burton Anderson, and his family in the Lime Creek Township, Cerro Gordo, Iowa. Certainly having grandchildren next door brought her warmth and happiness as she otherwise lived alone. The unreliable enumerator for the census erroneously listed Mary Eliza's mother as being born in Maine and her father as being born in Massachusetts. In reality, both of her parents were from a small New England Town, Westminster, Windham County, Vermont.
Mary Eliza is 65 when Iowa's 1915 census was taken, and the record is shown below. A notation in the section for "Do you own your home or farm?" is indecipherable.
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| 1915 Iowa State Census |
At age 70, Mary lived with her unmarried daughter, Hattie Belle Anderson in Falls Township, Cerro Gordo, Iowa. Hattie worked as a clerk in a general store. Previous records revealed that Hattie Belle had been a teacher as well, but she died at age 47. To date, records revealing the cause of death cannot be found. She is buried in Iowa City.
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| Hattie "Belle" Anderson (1873-1920) |
When she was 80 years old, Mary lived with Grace Prescott, her daughter who married William O. Prescott. The Prescotts own and operated a dry goods store and most of their sons were no longer in the home, except for the youngest, Ronald, who was 20 years of age at the time. The Prescotts also provided lodging for a boarder, a 26-year-old public school teacher from Missouri.
Interestingly, she mentioned the teacher in a letter dated April 22, 1930, written to her son, R.K. Anderson, and his wife, Louvae. Here is a transcription of that letter:
April 22, 1930
Dear Son & Daughter & Family
Yours of the 6th rec’d April 11. I was shurely glad to hear from you people & it had seemed like a long time since we heard from you. No doubt Lois will remember her 7th birthday when she had such a good time. We had a hard frost this morning. Grace went out to look at her pieplant and it was frozen stiff. I suspect the grain in the field will be set back a little. The gardens aren’t in here yet but the but the lawns are green and the trees are leafing. The young folk were home from college to spend Easter were all looking well and Geralds took dinner with us. Their little girls had had the measles last month & had quite a seage of it. Lois the oldest was very sick with them & for so long but little Marjory broke out right away & got over them much sooner. Grace helped Elsie to take care of Lois & they had a Dr. or two. They seem bright and well now and I hope you people escape the small pox. They
shurely must be very busy. I am glad Kirk if your health is better & you will feel better to have a change of occupation threw the wk if you don’t over doe. You, Louvae & the girls must be very busy but one feels best when busy if they don’t over doe. Grace boards the teacher. She hires her washing done & the teacher doesn’t come home to dinner. Grace spends most of her time in the store. She doesn’t wait on customers but keeps the books and finds enough to doe. Will has had a bad cold & cough it is better now. Apr 28 a fine bright morning. Will, Grace, Ronald, & Archie all went to M.C.last evening to hear Gerald’s band play. They all thought the music was fine & enjoyed it very much.Oh Reverend Galbreth is holding or starting to hold Meetings here. Ronald was to take the train back to Fayett. They only have a few weeks
of school there. I hope this finds you people all well yours with love and kind regards to all. That was a long ways for your class to go. They probably enjoyed it.
Your Mother, M.E. Anderson
While surrounded by family and loved ones, Mary Eliza Peck Anderson passed away little more than a month after this letter was written, on the 12th of June in 1930. The Mason City Globe Gazette announced, "Pioneer Woman in County Dies" and "Mrs. M.E. Anderson of Plymouth Survived by Large Family. Her children assembled from miles away to honor her life and they wrote a comprehensive memorial in her memory:
The following brief sketch is a loving tribute to our Mother by her children who recognize in her sterling qualities of womanhood, her stern devotion to duty and her unselfishness as a mother, an influence which guided our tender years and to which we are indebted for anything of merit in our mature life.
On September 15, 1849, Levi S. Peck and his wife, Clarinda Chipman Peck, rejoiced over the arrival of a daughter whom they named Mary Eliza. Six other children were born into this home, all of whom (excepting one who died in infancy) have lived to old age.
The old Wisconsin home was beautifully situated on the Rock River near Milton Junction and here the double log house with its upper story the family lived comfortably for many years.
The early influences on the children in this home were exceptional receiving as they did a rich harvest of noble traits of character from their parents who were of staunch New England stock.
As a child, Mary Eliza was slender, fair haired, and blue eyed. She was shy and timid, not strong physically, and always dreading rough games. She took her part, however, in the duties of the home for the daughters were taught by their father to give the invalid mother tender care and thought.
The education of Mary Eliza was received at Milton College, although she felt it her duty to leave the loved school work to assist again in the care of her mother and the work of a large household.
Five years later, in August 15, 1869, she was united in marriage to James T. Anderson under the rites of the United Brethren church. They came west in March, 1870, settling on a farm near Mason City, Iowa. Seven children were born to this union.
The pioneers in Iowa of sixty years ago found conditions which would seem primitive to us living here today. It took courage to leave an older settled country and set up a home in the treeless praries with the lack of former comforts and conveniences. Only a strong, brave spirit such as our mother possessed could rise above the conditions and make home a homelike place to which her children always returned with joy.
Someone has said that genius is an infinite capacity for taking pains. Our Mother had that capacity. Her love of carefulness and precision was shown in the accomplishment of each household task, as well as in the care of her garden and flowers. This capacity for taking pains was given an outlet when as a nurse Mother not only cared for her own children in serious illnesses but when in that day of no hospitals and few doctors she worked tirelessly at the sick bed of a neighbor welcoming little new lives, nursing sick one back to health, and many times helping perform the sad rites for a friend. She gave unsparingly of herself. “Content to do her duty and find in duty done a sweet reward.”
She had an abiding faith in the mercy of God and was deeply religious—not making formal demonstrations, but manifesting her religion rather in her beautiful philosophy of life—that of looking on the bright side and doing good to others, her stern distinction between right and wrong, and the earnestness with which she gathered her children about her teaching us the lessons and duties of life.
Having true a student nature, it was her custom to keep well informed on the events of the times and take a lively interest in current affairs. Then, in her declining years, this same characteristic found pleasure in travel, for in the visits to her widely separated children Mother had an opportunity not only of being with her dear ones, again, but also of viewing new scenes, of making new observations, therefrom gaining new ideas.
But, in all her busy life, her delight and satisfaction was in her home—the home which by the work of her own hands was changed from a mere dot on the Iowa landscape to one of the many homesteads which later beautified the prairies. This was her residence for nearly thirty years, or until twelve years ago when she removed to Plymouth. For the last ten years her home as been with her daughter, Mrs. Prescott.
For a number of months past, those closely observing could see a gradual failing in strength until on June 12, 1930, at the age of eighty years and eight months, the gentle spirit of Mary E. Anderson left its earthly tabernacle and went to the heavenly reward.
There are many who will cherish her memory—of these are her sons and daughters: Mary Ella, now Mrs. J.B. Stockman of Akron, Ohio; Alta Grace, now Mrs. W. O. Prescott, of Plymouth, Iowa; Levi Archie, also of Plymouth; Roscoe James of Redding, California; Leo Burton of Saint Peter, Minnesota, and Ralph Kirk of Anacortes, Washington. (One daughter, Hattie Belle, passed away in February, 1920). There are also three sisters surviving: Mrs. Ella Barnes, Mrs. Belle Stockman, both of Milton Junction, Wisconsin, and Mrs. Sophronia Van Kleek of Mason City, Iowa. There are also twenty-four grandchildren, eight great grand-children and many other relatives and friends who will hold her memory dear.
*************
“Who can find a virtuous woman?
For her price is far above rubies.
She seeketh wool and flax and work-
eth willingly with her hands
She stretcheth out her hands to the
poor, yea, she reacheth forth
her hands to the needy.
She openeth her mouth with wisdom
and in her tongue is the law of
kindness.
She looketh well to the ways of her
household and eateth not
the law of kindness.
She looketh well to the ways of her
household and eateth not the
bread of idleness.
Her children arise up and call her
blessed.”
*************
Funeral services were held Sunday afternoon, June 15th conducted by Rev. Wm. Galbreth from the ohme of Mr. and Mrs. Prescott. The text was from John XIX-25, now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother.
The following named ladies composed the quartet which rendered the following songs requested by the family; Mesdames George Chesebro, J. Heironimus, Will Wurn, and Frank Peshak, accompaniaed by Mrs. C. R. Lamson.
The body was laid to rest in the Oakwood cemetery the following named present and former neighbors serving as pall bearers, Messrs L.S. Armstrong, John Cluss, Herman Helmer, C.A Keiser, Wm. and Clifford McArthur.
Copied from headstone
Oakwood Cemetery
Plymouth, Iowa:
Mary E. Anderson
B. Sept 15, 1849
D. June 12, 1930
