Memorial: Serene "Marie" SANDER (1888-1980)

Memorial. Marie SANDER (Howard, SD: Willoughby Funeral Home, 6 Sep 1980). Images courtesy of Verla Williams.

Descendants of Brede Bredesen SANDER, Jr.

Descendants chart (page 1). Brede SANDER, Jr. Image courtesy of Williams Family Pages.


Descendants chart (page 2). Brede SANDER, Jr. Image courtesy of Williams Family Pages.


Descendants chart (page 3). Brede SANDER, Jr. Image courtesy of Williams Family Pages.

Anton Bredesen SANDER

Visiting Card (Front and back). Anton Bredesen SANDER. (Decorah, IA: J. T. Relf, Bef. 1881). Image courtesy of Verla Williams.

Anton Bredesen SANDER was born 4 Oct 1851 in Grue, Hedmark, Norway and baptized on 26 Oct 1851 according to the Grue parish records.


Detail of Hedmark fylke, Grue, Ministerialbok nr. 8 (1847-1858), Fødte og døpte 1851, side 58. Image courtesy of Digitalarkivet.

When he was two years old, Anton, his parents, and his two older siblings migrated to America and settled in Madison Township, Winneshiek County, Iowa where they appear in the 1860 US Census as the "Braderson" family.

Anton B. SANDER: Luther College & 1870 US Census

According to Norlie (1922:208), Anton enrolled at Luther College in Decorah, IA in 1868 and graduated with an A.B. degree in 1874.


Luther College. Main I South Wing Dedication (1874). Image courtesy of Luther College Archives.

In 1870, Anton is listed at Luther College in the US Census.


1870 US Census. Anton B. Sander. Images courtesy of Ancestry.com.

Sander, A. B. / 18 / M / W / Student / Norway

---

Source Citation: Year: 1870; Census Place: Decorah, Winneshiek, Iowa; Roll: M593_426; Page: 96B; Image: 196; Family History Library Film: 545924.
Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1870 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.
Original data: 1870 U.S. census, population schedules. NARA microfilm publication M593, 1,761 rolls. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.

Anton SANDER at Yale

After graduating from Luther College in the spring of 1874, Anton enrolled at Yale in New Haven, CT. Ancestry.com has several records from some of Yale's old catalogs and yearbooks that contain Anton's name. This page has him listed as a student of Philosophy and the Arts.


Yale College in 1874. (New Haven, CT, 1874), p. 14. Source Information: Ancestry.com. U.S., School Catalogs, 1765-1935 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. Original data: Educational Institutions. American Antiquarian Society, Worcester, Massachusetts.

Shown below are pages from two different yearbooks for 1875. Anton is listed as a graduate student in Philosophy and the Arts from Decorah, Iowa. He was living at 38 High Street.


Right image: Yale Pot Pourri (New Haven, CT, 1875), p. 17. Left image: Catalog of Officers and Students of Yale College 1874 (New Haven, CT, 1875), p. 21. Source Information: Ancestry.com. U.S., School Yearbooks, 1880-2012 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Original data: Various school yearbooks from across the United States.

In 1876, Anton was still living at 38 High St. Now, however, in addition to being a student in Philosophy and the Arts, he also is listed as a member of the Theology Department. At some point during the year he moved into 107 West Divinity Hall.


Right image: The Yale Banner (New Haven, CT, 1876), p. 11. Center image: Yale Pot Pourri (New Haven, CT, 1876), p. 18. Left image: The Yale Banner (New Haven, CT, 1876), p. 38. Source Information: Ancestry.com. U.S., School Yearbooks, 1880-2012 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Original data: Various school yearbooks from across the United States.

The stars in the following image from Google Maps show the locations of 77 Ashmun St., 38 High St., 107 West Divinity Hall, and their relationship to the Yale campus. Today 77 Ashmun St. would be across the street from the Paolillo Service Station and presumably part of the Grove Street Cemetery.


Environs of Yale University campus, New Haven, CT. Image courtesy of Google Maps.

It is interesting that there still is a residence at 38 High St. as the image below from Google's street view shows. Whether it dates to the 1870s, however, is unknown.


38 High St., New Haven, CT. Image courtesy of Google Maps Street View.

According to Wikipedia:

When the [Theological] department was organized as a school in 1869, it was moved to a campus across from the northwest corner of the New Haven Green composed of East Divinity Hall (1869), Marquand Chapel (1871), West Divinity Hall (1871), and the Trowbridge Library (1881). The buildings, designed by Richard Morris Hunt, were demolished under the residential college plan and replaced by Calhoun College.

The star on the map above representing Calhoun College is where West Divinity Hall (shown below) was located.


Old Divinity School building of the Yale Divinity School, the school's second home. East Divinity Hall (right, 1870), Marquand Chapel (center, 1872), and West Divinity Hall (left, 1874). Image courtesy of Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division and Wikimedia Commons.

Ancestry did not have any records for 1877 which is when he earned his doctoral degree. But there are two pages for 1878 that suggest he may have stayed for another academic year as an instructor. By the fall of 1878, Anton had returned to Decorah to teach at Luther.


Right image: Yale Pot Pourri (New Haven, CT, 1878), p. 12. Left image: Yale Pot Pourri (New Haven, CT, 1878), p. 22. Source Information: Ancestry.com. U.S., School Catalogs, 1765-1935 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. Original data: Educational Institutions. American Antiquarian Society, Worcester, Massachusetts.

Correspondence: SANDER - Laursen (1878)

The Luther College Archives have in their files letters from Anton SANDER to Luther's first president, Laur Larsen. Reproduced here are six letters from 1878 that Verla Williams had translated by Solveig Quinney of the Norwegian American Genealogical Center & Naeseth Library. In the fourth letter dated 15 Aug 1878, Anton gratefully accepts a teaching position at Luther College for the 1878-1879 academic year.


Letter. Anton SANDER to Laur Larsen (6 May 1878). Images courtesy of Luther College Archives under their fair use policy.

Dear Professor Larsen:

Your esteemed and highly welcomed letter of 29th April has arrived. It was not without surprise that I observed that I had been billed by the College. A forgotten debt it can't be. At the opening of school in January '74, I paid the steward $20, as I remember. The rest was not paid until sometime during the summer. A day or two before the last payment I asked the steward O. Larsen if he would be so kind to check and see how much I still owed so that I could pay that; and I especially brought it to his attention that the entire amount was more than two quarters. The same was repeated when a day or two later I paid him. But he answered that from New Year on it would be regarded as half a year. And so I paid him. Perhaps steward Larsen still remembers it. It is not my intention to hide behind the steward's lack of accuracy. If I come home during vacation I will pay then, if not, I will send the money anyway. In the meantime I am very indebted that it will be being corrected.

There is an insinuation in your letter dear professor, that I must have your permission to correct, since it is unwarranted, and I had earlier heard something like it from others. That my specialty is not "more direct" came from the Synod, and not necessarily from the lack of money, although I -- ceteris paribus (all other things being equal) -- would prefer a larger over a small salary. But one is not equally qualified in everything. And for such work that I am (best) qualified the Synod has deemed it, as far as I know, to be of no use. There are still many of us in such situations with much to learn; and then I believe the East has better teaching methods than the West. I am also a Norwegian American. The greatest part of my life has been in American schools, and therefore I often feel sad when I hear these negative discussions.

Friendly greetings from your student,
respectfully Anton Sander

Lawrenceville, New Jersey,
The 6th of May, 1878

Of interest is the mention of his specialty not being directly from the Synod, perhaps a foreshadowing of later conflicts.


Letter. Anton SANDER to Laur Larsen (29 Jun 1878). Images courtesy of Luther College Archives under their fair use policy.

56 Monro N.Y.
June 29, 1878

Dear Professor Larsen:

Your esteemed letter should have been answered a long time ago, without sending you a "Post Order" for my remaining debt to the College. I thank you because you made me aware of it; but now I am ashamed for taking such a long time to pay it. My school work stopped on Thursday because of vacation and after spending a few days with Pastor Everson I think I will be spending the summer in New Haven doing my own work. I was a little careless in my earlier letter. I did not have any special meaning in mind. From what little I can understand it has been decided that "bomman" School was a superfluous institution and not to be recommended. I sincerely hope that I had misunderstood that.

A heartfelt greeting from your respectful student.
Anton Sander

I attempted to do some searching to see if I could find out what "bomman" or "bommon" means and have had little success as of yet. However, I did find out a little about the "Pastor Everson" mentioned above. He went to Luther and Concordia Seminary and was pastor of Our Saviour's Lutheran Church at 56 Monroe, Brooklyn, NY, from where the above letter was written. 


Letter. Anton SANDER to Laur Larsen (15 Jul 1878). Images courtesy of Luther College Archives under their fair use policy.

Dear Professor Larsen:

Allow me to thank you for your esteemed letter of the 3rd that contained your dear explanation. It is gratifying to me that my earlier article regarding "Synodene" [the Synod] teaching about School-Question had been misunderstood. I have not, for a long time, followed the discussions; but it had occurred to me that there are some who did not express themselves as clearly as you, dear Professor, or is there a separation and those like myself have misunderstood the "Synoden's" position.

With friendly greetings, your respectful student,

Anton Sander

202 Elm St. New Haven, Conn.
the 15th July 1878

It is difficult to understand to what he is referring when he mentions the "Synod teaching about School-Question." Are these questions about how the school is to function or what they are supposed to teach?


Letter. Anton SANDER to Laur Larsen (30 Jul 1878). Images courtesy of Luther College Archives under their fair use policy.

Dear President Larsen:

Your esteemed letter of the 20th gave me cause to be not just a little surprised. It was kind of you to accept my humble thank you for the honor that you, Mr. President, and the other professors and teachers at Luther College so unexpectedly have shown me. I can't do other than accept the call with the hope that God will guide us to do our best with His blessing. I thought at first that I would not accept it, but with closer consideration after I had consulted Pastor C. S. Everson in New York, and others, I came to this decision. It is not without concern to that I accept an invitation to a position of such importance.

In regards to the arrangements of work and associations I don't believe it will be of any great difficulty. I am willing to reprimand and teach when it is in the right spirit. My thoughts are to consider others as cultured "Gentlemen" and also myself as such.

In regards to what classes I should teach I would suggest Greek and Latin. This has been my specialty for several years, and studied for the most part at Luther College -- either a private education or otherwise: so I believe -- without being guilty of any sinful self-righteousness -- that I dare to regard -- these classes as somewhat "adult." And beside it is not out of the question to teach English, German, Hebrew, or something else. (Other than mathematics). My greatest difficulty would probably be Norwegian since I have not spoken it for .... ? teaching in English. [cannot decipher]

Salary will have to be decided by the College. My moving expenses should be about $100 dollars.

My intentions are, God willing, to travel west on the 19th of August presumably traveling by train to Buffalo and then by steamship through the great lakes to Milwaukee or Duluth. I hope to hear from you closer to the time I leave.

With heartfelt greetings to you and the College's professors and teachers.

Your young student, Anton Sander

202 Elm St., New Haven, Conn.
30th July, 1878

My interpretation of the sentences where the translator had difficulty is that Anton is concerned about teaching in the Norwegian language as he had not been speaking it for a long time and is hoping that perhaps his classes may be taught in English. Just to be able to teach Greek, Latin, English, German, and Hebrew is amazing to me.


Letter. Anton SANDER to Laur Larsen (6 Aug 1878). Images courtesy of Luther College Archives under their fair use policy.

Dear President Larsen:

[Cannot decipher completely] Your .... I have just received and I thank you for that. You did not misunderstand; this is "single" - et lege et corde.

The schedule, I am not worried about, will be completed when I get there.

If Prof. Siewers's old room is still divided into two, I would suggest [that I] not live at the College: otherwise it will not make any difference.

My salary at the school in New Jersey was to be $600 "and home" (= furnished room, board, and washing). I don't know what it costs to live in Decorah. The college will have to make the adjustments whether the $100 cost of traveling is covered or not. If at the time of my arrival I could get help to get my room furnished, I would be very thankful and if it could be done as soon as possible.

Friendly greetings from
Your student,

Anton Sander
202 Elm St. New Haven, Conn.
6th Aug. 1878

It appears that the opening of the letter refers to a letter Anton received written by Larsen on the 3rd. Where the translator has "this is 'single,'" probably should have read, "for I am 'single.'" The Latin phrase, "et lege et corde," means "and law and heart." It is possible he was answering a question about his living arrangements and relationship status by stating that he was single "by law and in his heart." Perhaps he intended to dedicate his life to serving the Lord through his teaching and did not plan on having a wife and family.


Letter. Anton SANDER to Laur Larsen (15 Aug 1878). Images courtesy of Luther College Archives under their fair use policy.

New Haven, Conn.
Aug. 15, 1878

Dear President Larsen:

I received your esteemed letter of the 12th today and I am very thankful for the information. The schedule and classes satisfy me completely, and I have nothing special that I have to do. I am excited about the Hebrew, and I have no great concerns about the high requirements. In regards to where I will live I leave to you and the College to decide; although I, as far as I know, would suggest that I live at the College. I thank you for your willingness to help me get my room in order. I leave for New York in the evening and leave from there on Monday morning, probably getting to Decorah before Monday or Tuesday of the following week.

I will then put it all into God's hands with a prayer and His blessings to guide my way so that my work will benefit the College.

Respectfully yours,

A. Sander

And so began Anton's brief tenure at Luther College.

Return to Luther

A few histories of Luther College make mention of Anton SANDER's one year tenure as an instructor in 1878-1879. The earliest (which is mentioned in previous posts and also lists him and his brothers as students) is Luther College Through Sixty Years 1861-1921 by The Luther College Faculty (Editorial Committee: O. M. Norlie, O. A. Tingelstad, and Karl T. Jacobsen). This book was published by Augsburg Publishing House in Minneapolis, MN in 1922. For simplicity I have referred to it as (Norlie, 1922). Subjects Anton taught that year include: German, Greek, Hebrew, and Latin.


Left image: Norlie, et al. "Teachers of Religion at Luther College by Subject" (1922), p. 36. Right image: "Distribution of the Teaching Load, 1878-1879" (1922), p. 133. Images courtesy of Archive.org.

Anton's biography with his picture indicates that he was the "first graduate of Luther College to obtain the Ph. D. degree."


Norlie, et al., "Faculty" (1922), p. 117. Image courtesy of Archive.org.

Olav Morgan Norlie also compiled and edited a book called School Calendar, 1824-1924: A Who's Who among Teachers in the Norwegian Lutheran Synods of America (Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg, 1924). Anton's entry appears to be based primarily on his biography in Norlie's earlier work. Of interest is that it indicates that Anton taught at Flushing, N. Y. the year after he graduated from Yale and before he returned to Luther.


Norlie, Olaf Morgan. "SANDER, Anton B." (1924), p. 625. Image courtesy of Solveig Quinney.

David T. Nelson published a history of the college entitled Luther College, 1861-1961 (Decorah, IA: Luther College Press, 1961). On p. 109, he describes the reason for Anton's brief stay at Luther:

Anton B. Sander, '74, has the distinction of being the first graduate of Luther College to earn the Ph.D. degree (at Yale University in 1877). Although very popular with the students, he had the temerity, in a meeting of the Decorah congregation, to challenge certain views of the church leaders. Moreover, he was regarded by some of the faculty as "too American." Accordingly, as not "firmly orthodox," he was dropped from the faculty after one year (1878-1879). [22] His promising career was cut short two years later by illness.

Since I am only in possession of a photocopy of this page from the book, I can only speculate that Nelson may have had access to an unpublished manuscript, "At Luther College," by Andrew Andersen Veblen. Since that information is fairly lengthy it will be dealt with in the next post. It is interesting to note here, however, that Veblen states that Rev. Koren "did not think Dr. S. unfit on doctrinal grounds."

The only other mention of Anton SANDER in Nelson's book (p. 99) describes how he was part of a committee along with Veblen and Jacob D. Jacobsen that recommended modifications to the wording and form of Luther's diploma. These were adopted by the faculty on 29 May 1879.