Michael Anderson

  Research Notes:

Michael's first marriage - 1859 in Rice Co MN; from TMA2014 Family Tree, Ancestry
- had 5 children, Alexander Andreas (1860-1936), Isabell C (1861-1865), Isabelle Christina (1866-1946), Theolina A (Lena) (1869-1909, Anna Sophia (1870-1939)





1. 1900 US Census - at Stevens Co --- wife Marit is enumerated with her brother Iver

2. 1910 - Tacoma, Ward 3, Pierce Co, WA --- widower, age 73 born in Nor, migration 1856; retired farmer; owns home; has a roomer/boarder with him
-- likely this is correct, but not 100%

3. 1920 - living with daughter, Ellen and her husband James Love.


4. Michael Anderson - obit, 1926

- State legislator (from about 1890-1895); helped establish the Normal School in Bellingham
- civil war vet
- resided in Whatcom Co for 40 yrs; homesteaded at the head of Whatcom Lake
from The Seattle Times article [ Michael Anderson resident of Seattle and Bellingham for 50 yrs <1876> ???
- survived by son Alexander, Orient WA; daugther Isabelle of Seattle, daughter Mrs Cecil Robertson of Seattle; daughter Emilie of Los Angeles; Mrs F E Frothingham [Inger] of Cambridge, MA; Mrs John Ranathan [Anna Sopphia] of Bossburg, WA


5. Michael Anderson, TMAnderson1944 Public Member Tree, Ancestry.com (copied p 1, but very poor quality)
accessed 6 Dec 2014

Portrait of a Pioneer; excerpt taken from the book "Axel and Lars Iverson Family History", by Verine (Reiber) Lewis. The book can be found at the Pope County Historical Center in Glenwood, MN

- emigrated from Norway in 1855, settling in Northfield, Rice Co, MN
- served in the US Civil War - drummer/drum major, MN 7th Infantry - campaigens on the plains against Indians; experience temporary blindness (2 months) and then then had poor vision rest of life; also developed rheumatism
- 1st marriage to Inger Everson (Iverson) who died in 1873
- 2nd marriage to Mary (Marit) Prestlien
- Sheriff of Otter Tail Co (Fergus Falls), 1872-1878, but had to quite due to eye condition
- elected to MN State Legislature (House of Representatives) on 5 Nov 1878 - one session until 1881; then served 2 yrs as "Sergaent at Arms" at the MN State Senate (administrative post)
- in 1883 - left for Washington State - settled in the "wilds" of Whatcom Co, WA at the head of Lake Whatcom (Park); ran a general store, hotel and his son ran the post office
- in summer of 1885, operated/owned a 'fleet' of 3 rowboats on Lake Whatcom; summer of 1885, operated a 'sloop' for passengers/freight (named Belle-Lena), after 2 of his daughters); in 1890 hauled a steamboat overland from Bellingham Bay over Alabama Hill (high land) to the mouth of Whatcom Creek near Silver Beach on Lake Whatcom; fire in summer required reconditioning and new equipement, renamed the Michael Anderson and served Lake Whatcom for at least 2 yrs
- 1892 elected to the WA State Legislative (House of Rep ) for Whatcom Co and re-elected in 1892; responsible for the bill to create Bellingham Normal School (now Western Washington University)
- abt 1894 went to Santa Monica, CA
- returned to WA and lived at various places - Bossburg, Colville, Newport, Orting
- died on 29 Jun 1926 at the home of youngest daughter, Ellen at 8855 3rd Ave NW, Seattle; numerous health issues such as eye conditions, rheumatism, lung and heart; death cert - cause of death due to chronic bronchitis and "infirmaties of old age"

** marriage in 1873 the only comment regarding Marit Prestlien

WA death certifcate - WA State Digital Archives
- died 29 Jun 1926; born 2 Sep 1836, Norway; father Andrew Anderson b in Nor; mother - not known
- address: 8855 3rd Ave NW, Seattle - lived in this district - 20 years; in US 69 years
- retired clerk
- widow;
- informant: Mrs James Love - address same as his [she was his daughter, Ellen - 2nd marriage] ^5114,5121

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Residence - 1900, 1900, Bossburg Twp, Stevens Co, Washington, United States. ⁵¹²² Dwelling #130, Family #130: Michael Anderson, head of household along with daughters, Amanda (age 20), Ellen (age 14) and Annie (age 24)

Michael married Inger Axelsdatter Everson on 21 Oct 1859 in Faribualt, Rice Co, Minnesota, United States.⁵¹⁰⁹ (Inger Axelsdatter Everson was born in 1840 in Norway ⁵¹⁰⁹ and died in 1873 in Fergus Falls, Otter Tail Co, Minnesota, United States ⁵¹⁰⁹.)

Michael next married Marit Mikkelsdtr Prestlien, daughter of Mikkel Nilsen Søndmør and Anne Beate Iversdtr Prestlien, on 8 Jun 1875 in Fergus Falls, Otter Tail Co, Minnesota, United States ⁵¹⁰⁹.^,5110 (Marit Mikkelsdtr Prestlien was born on 10 Sep 1853 in Tolga, Hedmark, Norway ⁵¹¹¹, baptized on 2 Oct 1853 in Tolga, Hedmark, Norway,⁵¹¹¹ died on 23 Aug 1903 in Bellingham, Whatcom Co, Washington, United States ^5109,5112 and was buried in Bayview Cemetery, Bellingham, Washington, United States ⁵¹¹³.)