In the book's own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
Born 1861
From History of Otter Tail County, Minnesota : its people, industries, and institutions : with biographical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of many of the old families (1916)
CHARLES M. ANDERSON.
Charles M. Anderson, residing on his farm of three hundred and twenty acres in Buse township, near the city of Fergus Falls, Otter Tail county. Minnesota, is accounted one of the most progressive farmers of his section He carries on general farming and meets with excellent success with his crops, while with live stock he is also uniformly successful.
Mr. Anderson was born in Norway on September 15, 1861, a son of Martimus and Martha Anderson, both natives of that same place. The father was a goldsmith by trade and his death occurred in 187 1. The mother never remarried and passed from this life in 1805. Both parents were devout members of the Lutheran church and in that faith reared their children. There were five in the family, all coming to this country but two. These arc Petra, the eldest, who married Christina Gunness, and Emma, who is located near the childhood home. The subject of this sketch is the fourth child in order of birth and together with his sisters, Mary and Edwarda, emigrated to this country. Mary met death by drowning in Lake Harriett, this state, while still a girl, and Edwarda is the wife of a Mr. Johnson, of Spokane, Washington.
Mr. Anderson received a fair education in the common schools of his native land and from the time he was ten years old, he made his own wain the world. While a boy he did all sorts of odd jobs and finally became quite proficient as a clerk in various stores. He came to America in 1878 and settled in Minneapolis, in which city he did odd jobs of work and later worked on farms nearby. About 1886 he came to Otter Tail county and near Fergus Falls worked on the farm owned by Blake Brothers, where he was employed for three years. Then for the following seven or eight years, he worked on the farm owned by J. S. Billings & Company, after which he engaged in farming for himself. He rented for six or eight years the farm which is now his own, purchasing it about the year 1900. After securing possession of the place, he set about improving the buildings and now has a comfortable residence and good outbuildings, the entire place appearing well-kept and prosperous.
On February 22, 1894, Charles M. Anderson was united in marriage with Sarah Erickson. born at Orrdale in this county, daughter of Arno and Carrie Erickson, who were among the very earliest settlers of this county. To this union has been born a family of six, namely: Leonard, George, Clarence, Selma, living in South Dakota and the wife of Albert Edmundson; Florence and Myrtle. Mr. Anderson takes a commendable interest in all matters pertaining to the welfare of community life and gives his influence to any project working toward that end. Fraternally, he is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America and is much interested in the work of that order. He is honorable and upright in his dealings with his fellow men and is entitled to the respect in which he is generally held
As printed in History of Otter Tail County, Minnesota : its people, industries, and institutions : with biographical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of many of the old families (1916). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
The printed record stops around 1916. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.