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.
From An illustrated history of Lyon County, Minnesota (1912)
JOHN M. ANDERSON (1891) is proprietor of the Liberty Lunch Room in Cottonwood, having purchased the business from Henry Hanson in May, 1907. He serves short orders and lunches and handles cigars, candies, ice cream and soft drinks. He has been enjoying a liberal patronage, owns his store building, and has a nice residence in the village. In May, 1912, he purchased T. Fossum's restaurant and moved to his new location June 1. He carries on the business under the old name.
Our subject was born in Crawford county, Wisconsin, January 2, 1877, and is a son of Magnus and Ingeborg Anderson, the former of whom is now a resident of Clarkfield, Minnesota, the latter having died at Cottonwood in May, 1903. John received his early education in Dakota and about four years of schooling in Lyon county after the family moved from Dakota and settled on a farm near Cottonwood.
From his eighteenth year until he attained his majority John worked on the farm and then hired out to Bolsted & Mero, liverymen of Cottonwood. He worked for that firm a while and later for George Anderson several years. He then engaged in the livery and dray business with his brother-in-law, Sam Olson, and at the end of six months bought his partner's interest in the dray line. He continued that business two and one-half years and then wascompelled by ill health to sell and cease active work. One year's rest found Mr. Anderson greatly improved and he engaged in the dairy business for a little over two years, after which he bought the Liberty Lunch Room and took charge.
John M. Anderson and Hulda Larson were married September 20, 1902, in Yellow Medicine county. The bride was born November 2 9, 1882, and is a daughter of Ole Larson, a Yellow Medicine county farmer. Mr. Anderson is a member of Silo Norwegian Lutheran Church of Cottonwood. He has served as a member of the Village Council of Cottonwood for the past two years.
As printed in An illustrated history of Lyon County, Minnesota (1912). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
The printed record stops around 1912. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.