Anderson Family Stories

William H. Holdsworth was born in Scott County, Iowa, March 23, 1858, the son of William and Hannah (Rolls) Holdsworth, the father born in Ireland and the mother in Pennsylvania. The elder Holdsworth was a stone contractor by trade. He grew up and was educated in Ireland, from which country he emigrated to America when a young man and he began working in the quarries, soon becoming a contractor and he got out stone for arsenals, bridges and various important jobs and became very well established in the new world. He was a member of the Episcopal Church. His death occurred in 1903. His family consisted of nine children, named as follows: John, Samuel, Joseph, Robert, Thomas, Mary, Jane, Charles and William H. of this sketch, he being the oldest child.

William H. Holdsworth grew up in Scott County, Iowa, and attended school there, and when but a boy began working on a farm as a hand, then rented land for himself, but not taking any too kindly to the life of a husbandman, he left the farm and went to Oskaloosa and ran a bus line for six years, then, having gotten a good start, he came to Jasper County in 1891 and rented land for three or four years, then he went into the implement business at Lynnville with W. J. Breeden and they built up a good trade. In 1899, Mr. Holdsworth sold out and came to Sully and started in an implement store, which, with his son, Charles Oscar, he still runs. He started on a small scale, but by judicious management and honest dealings his business rapidly increased until he bought a large building, in connection with which he put in a garage and he handles a standard line of automobiles in connection with a large, general and well-selected stock of farming implements. His trade embraces a large territory and is ever widening. He is one of the leading merchants and businessmen in the southeastern part of the County.

Mr. Holdsworth has taken much interest in public affairs and he has held all the Township offices and the offices in the town of Sully, always discharging his duties in a manner that reflected much credit upon himself and to the entire satisfaction of the people. He was mayor of Sully for eight years, during which time he did much for the permanent good of the vicinity. Politically, he is a Democrat, and is a leader in local affairs.

Mr. Holdsworth was married in September 1878, to Emma Kent, who was born in Ohio, from which state she came to Poweshiek County, Iowa, when very small and there she grew to womanhood and was educated. Three children have been born to this union, Mrs. Effie May Horn, Charles Oscar and Edna.

ANDERSON, D.-Bear Creek Twp-pg 821. Physician, Brooklyn. Was born in Wynette, Bureau county, Illinois, December 11, 1853; was there raised and attended the common schools until the age of fourteen years, when his father (F. Anderson), who was a farmer, came to Brooklyn with his family. In June 1875, our subject entered the drug store of Sterling & Talbott as clerk, and remained there eight months; after which he went to Mt. Pleasant and attended the Iowa Wesleyan University for two years, graduating as pharmaceutical chemist June 19, 1877. While attending the University he made a study of medicine, Drs. J. and C.D. Conaway, of Brooklyn, being his instructors. After his return to Brooklyn he studied in their office for nine months, after which he took a course at the Eclectic Medical Institute, Cincinnati, graduating June 3, 1879. July 7, 1879, he opened an office in Brooklyn, and has pursued the practice of his profession since with a considerable degree of success. Although but a young practitioner, he has attained a successful record, and is recognized by the leading members of the profession throughout the county.

The respect which should always be accorded to the brave sons of the North who left home and peaceful pursuits of civil life to give their services and their lives, if need be, to preserve the integrity of the American Union, is certainly due the memory of the late Charles Johnson, to a brief review of whose life the following lines are devoted. He proved his love and loyalty to the government on the long, tiresome marches, in all kinds of situations, exposed to summer's withering sun and winter's freezing cold; on the lonely picketline a target to the unseen foe; on the tented field and in the flame and smoke of battle, where the rattle of musketry mingled with the terrible concussion of the bursting shell, and the deep diapason of the cannon's roar, which made up the sublime, but awful, chorus of death. Among these valiant defenders of the Union and of Old Glory, the late Charles Johnson was one.

Charles Johnson, one of the pioneer settlers of Audubon county, Iowa, was born in February 11, 1823, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. When a young man he removed from Philadelphia to Bucks county, Pennsylvania, where he was reared to young manhood. Subsequently he removed to Princeton, Illinois, where he worked as a farm laborer for the same man who had employed him in Pennsylvania.

The late Charles Johnson was married on April 20, 1858, to Barbara Ball, and after their marriage they settled in Putnam county, Illinois, where they lived until the outbreak of the Civil War. After the close of the war they moved to Macon county, Illinois, and lived there for eleven years on a rented farm. In 1875 they moved to Greene county, Iowa, and in 1882 sold their fine farm in Greene county and came to Audubon county. Here Mr. Johnson purchased a farm of one hundred and sixty acres, raw prairie land, wholly unbroken, for which he paid seven dollars per acre. Here he erected a small house, consisting of one room down and two rooms upstairs. He later added five rooms to this house, and this became in time a good house. Subsequently, he erected a fine barn on this farm, and the family lived on that place for twenty-one years, at the expiration of which time they moved to Audubon and bought a comfortable residence. Mr. Johnson also became the owner of one hundred and twenty acres of land in Guthrie county, Iowa, and was accounted a very substantial citizen. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson began life with nothing, and during all of their early struggles, Mrs. Johnson practically supported the family from the proceeds of her poultry and the dairy. Mrs. Johnson now cultivates three lots in Audubon, and is hale and hearty despite her seventy-seven years.

In 1862 the late Charles Johnson enlisted for service as a Union soldier in the Civil War, in Company C, One Hundred and Thirteenth Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and served eighteen months. He contracted lung fever during his service and was not able to perform strenuous war duty, part of the time being detailed to hospital duty. Charles Johnson was a Republican and served as constable while living in Illinois, discharging the duties of this office in a creditable manner. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson were lifelong members of the Presbyterian church, and Mrs. Johnson is still an active worker in this church, in whose welfare she is deeply interested. Fraternally, Mr. Johnson was a member of Allison Post, Grand Army of the Republic. He was also a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and filled all the chairs in that lodge. His death occurred on December 20, 1910, and he was buried on December 22, 1910, under the auspices of the Grand Army of the Republic and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

Charles Johnson's widow, Mrs. Barbara (Ball) Johnson, was born on September 9, 1837, in Belmont county, Ohio. She is a daughter of Vachel and Frances (Everett) Ball, who were natives of Virginia and Ohio, respectively. Vachel Ball was a descendant of the Ball family of Virginia, which was related to George Washington. In 1849 the family went by steamer to La Salle, Illinois, and then by train they removed to Princeton, in that state, and settled on a farm four miles west of Princeton. During the eighties Vachel Bell removed his family to Poweshiek county, Iowa, and there his death occurred at the advanced age of ninety-four years.

To Charles Johnson and wife were born two sons, Charles, Jr., and Eugene M. Charles, who lives near Stuart, Iowa, married Nora Reddy, and they have five living children, Nellie, Grace, Wilbur and Willie (twins) and Gerald. Eugene M. lives at Audubon, where he is engaged in the automobile and garage business. He married Mary Snyder, to which union three children have been born, Glen, Iola and Charles Leon.

Mrs. Johnson is a member of the Woman's Relief Corps and also belongs to the Daughters of Rebekah, and takes an active interest in both these organizations.

Mrs. Clark Anderson entertained at a dinner in her home Sunday honoring her brother and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Ray Shill of Missoula, Mont. This is Mr. Shill's first visit in Grinnell since 1937 and the first visit for Mrs. Shill.

Those present at the family dinner were:

Mr. and Mrs. Harold Anderson and Wanda and Margaret Oliver of Grinnell; Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Anderson, Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Anderson, Mr. and Mrs. Everett Anderson, all of Newton.  Mr. and Mrs. Robert Anderson and family called during the afternoon.