Anna Sophia (SANDER) Peterson

Visiting Cards. Left image: Anna SANDER (Decorah, IA: A. W. Adams, c. 1875). Right image: Anna SANDER (Decorah, IA: J. T. Relf, c. 1880). Images courtesy of Verla Williams. Digitally retouched by Mark D. Williams. [Asa W. Adams was in business in Decorah from 1863-1884. Relf went into business on his own in 1880.]

Anna Sophia SANDER was the first of Brede and Karen's children to be born in America (29 Apr 1854, Winneshiek Co., IA). The 1860 and 1870 Censuses show her living with the family on their farm in Madison Township. As mentioned before, in 1870, the census taker apparently got her mixed up with her older brother Anton who was attending Luther College. In 1871 the family moved to Glenwood Township and were still living there in 1880.


Portrait. SANDER sisters (Decorah, IA: J. T. Relf, c. 1880). From left: Anna, Henrietta, and Ellen. Image courtesy of Verla Williams. Digitally retouched by Mark D. Williams.

On 20 Nov 1889, she married Sophus Christian Nels Peterson (b. 17 Jul 1864, MN). He was ten years younger than Anna. Perhaps they met while he was attending Luther College from 1880-1886. According to Norlie (1922: 321, 336), he was the Business Manager for Chips, the student newspaper, and also on the baseball team. He received an A. B. degree in 1886, went to Luther Seminary, and was ordained a minister on 25 Oct 1889.


Visiting Card. Sophus Christian Nels Peterson (Decorah, IA: J. T. Relf, c. 1885). Image courtesy of Verla Williams.

Norlie (1922: 453) also has him listed as President of S. F. Luth. N. S. [Sioux Falls Lutheran Normal School] from 1892-1893.

1910 US Federal Census: C. N. Peterson Family

Sometime between 1900 and 1910, C. N. and Anna adopted a young girl named Ella (b. 1 Apr 1900, SD). Below is a picture of her as a young girl with her cousin Lillian Bakke and also one of her as a young woman.


Left image: Ella Peterson and Lillian Bakke (c. 1910). Right image: Ella Peterson (c. 1920). Images courtesy of Verla Williams.

In 1910 the Peterson family is living in Willmar, Kandiyohi, MN, where C. N. is serving as a minister.


Detail of 1910 US Census. Image courtesy of Ancestry.com.

Peterson, Christ N. / Head / M / W / 45 / M / 20 / Minnesota / Norway / Norway / Clergyman
_____, Anna / Wife / F / W / 51 / M / 20 / Iowa / Norway / Norway /
_____, Ella R. [sic] / None / F / W / 9 / S / South Dakota / Norway / Norway

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Source Citation: Year: 1910; Census Place: Willmar Ward 1, Kandiyohi, Minnesota; Roll: T624_708; Page: 15B; Enumeration District: 0057; FHL microfilm: 1374721.
Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1910 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.
Original data: Thirteenth Census of the United States, 1910 (NARA microfilm publication T624, 1,178 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

1920 US Federal Census: C. N. Peterson Family

Portrait. Anna (SANDER) Peterson (Minneapolis, MN: Floyd's Studio, n.d.). Image courtesy of Verla Williams.

In 1920, the Petersons were renting an apartment in Minneapolis, MN on 2648 Emerson Av. N.


1920 US Census. Image courtesy of Ancestry.com.

Peterson, Christan N. [sic] / Head / M / W / 55 / M / Minnesota / Norway / Norway / Minister
________, Anna / Wife / F / W / 60 / M / Iowa / Norway / Norway
________, Ella N. / Daughter / F / W / 19 / S / South Dakota / Minnesota / Iowa / Bookkeeper

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Source Citation: Year: 1920; Census Place: Minneapolis Ward 10, Hennepin, Minnesota; Roll: T625_837; Page: 20B; Enumeration District: 192; Image: 627.
Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.
Original data: Fourteenth Census of the United States, 1920. (NARA microfilm publication T625, 2076 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Death of Anna (SANDER) Peterson

Ancestry.com has two records for Anna's death. She is listed in the Minnesota Death Index as having died on 29 Mar 1921 in Hennepin County. However, there is also a record shown below from American Lutheran Church in Grantsburg, Burnett, WI that seems to indicate she died on 25 Mar and was buried on the 29th. There are numbers written over the original entry that make it difficult to decipher the correct dates.


Burial record. Mrs. Anna Sophia Peterson (Grantsburg, WI: American Lutheran, 29 Mar 1921). Image courtesy of Ancestry.com.

The right column appears to have cemetery information, but it is illegible. As of yet her gravestone and the cemetery where she was buried have not been located.

Christian then married Jeannette Pauline Thoreson (b. 16 Jun 1887, d. 9 Feb 1973) on 1 Jun 1923 in Decorah, Winneshiek, IA. They had a daughter named Myra Jeannette (b. 12 Oct 1926, d. 24 Jan 2014) who married a Richard Gibeson and had two daughters, Jeannette Ellen and Paula Elaine.

C. N. Peterson died 8 Jun 1936 and is buried in Ada, Norman, MN.

C. N. and Anna's adopted daughter, Ella, married Melvin Goodrich and had a son, Bud, and a daughter, Corinne. She later married Peter S. Smith. We currently don't have any further information on her family.