Franklin County, Nebraska

For Another Day

The article this week contains another chapter on the background and life of Mary (Anderson) Hill.

A.C. Anderson married Anna Mae Olson in 1904 and lived in a sod house. It was located two miles west of Bloomington, on the old highway, and south about * of a mile. (This would be just east of the current Bruce Kahrs farm.)

In 1990 I had heard this bit of information: "Hazel (Anderson) Greening was born in a sod house." Where I asked? "Where the road makes a curve north by the railroad track between Naponee and Bloomington." Was the reply? I got all the details I could at that time and took my new camcorder and went to the site: SW * of section, Turkey Creek Township. When I arrived at the railroad track, I went north a little way of the track and through the fence where I just knew I would find the remains of this sod house. Being a new historian at that time I had no doubt that I would find the tree sides to this dirt house.

Well I walked practically back to Bloomington, zig zagging back and forth from the railroad track to the hill and found nothing. I have been asking all the people I interview for 10 years, " Do you know anything about that sod house, or A. C. and Annie (as she was called) living in it?" I hit stone walls every time. Then I met Howard and Bonnie Hill. Howard is the son of Mary (Anderson) Hill. Howard was able to give me better directions, so back I went this past spring, in March 2000. This time I took my metal detector and my dowsing tools.

I believe, I can grave dowse, but to use these same rods to find a sod house is a bit over whelming. I tried it and discovered the rods crossed in the vicinity of where this sod house was. But, I have some information about the farm because it was handed down information from family member Hazel Barbara (Anderson) Greening. Hazel was born in a sod house in October 24, 1905.

Shortly after she was born, the Andersons bought the farm in Bethel school district, the SE * of Section 22, of Farmers Township (the south 80 acres), and the NW * of section 27, (the north 80 acres); Making 160 acres in all.

Today, this farm is right east of where Roger Tupper lives. Where this house sat in this week's picture is now a cornfield. All evidence of the two-story house and the farmyard are gone. We know A. C. And Annie Anderson lived in the sod house just about a year, and that A.C. and Annie had a total of six children.

The rest of the children: Elsie Mae, Jessie Marie, (who died at the age of six), Mary Georgia, William Aaron and George Edward, were born in the wooden house, which was located in the Bethel School District. All the Children walked to the school on a road that has since been closed.

A.C. and his first wife, Francis, had a boy named Glen. When Glen's wife died two weeks after Junior Anderson was born, the A. C. Andersons took him to raise.

In addition to taking care of Glen, there was Grandpa William to help take care of for a while. Mary wrote in her noted, " Grandpa William Anderson (A.C.'s father) came out to See Dad and Mom as he was sickly from the Civil War. My sister Hazel could remember seeing him. I think it was in 1907.

Could this become the sorry fate, of snaps (photos) we take today? The faces and the memories, some day to pass away? Unknown

Rena Donovan, For Another Day

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