John was born "Svend Andersen" in a Dutch farming colony on the Danish island of Store Magleby ... just south of Copenhagen in Denmark. He was the last family member given a named that is derived from his father's first name plus adding "sen" for a son. His father ( Ander Dirchsen ) was named after his father ( Dirch Svendsen ) who was named after his father ( Svend Andersen ) who JSA was named after. John was not the oldest son, so he had to leave the family farm to make his own life or work the family farm for his older brother. John left home at age 16 and emigrated to the USA.
Burr is a formal family name given to prominent families that owned land, but the family never used this name on legal documents. I found it on a birth certificate but no other documents.
John did not get along with his father and he ran away from home at 16 years old when his father would not allow him to have a dog. John's older brother was in line to inherit the family farm and wealth, so John decided to get an early start finding his own way in life.
At 16 years old, John ( Svend ) emigrated to America on a ship that he boarded in Northern Germany. John arrived by boat in Montreal, Canada and took a train to Chicago, IL. Upon arriving in Chicago, a Danish man told John that he should travel across Lake Michigan where other Danish immigrants had started a farming colony. John took the Ferry Boat to St. Joseph, Michigan the next day where he met a farmer on the docks who gave him a job and a place to sleep. John spent the summer working the fields and learning English for $ 0.50 per day plus food, room and board.
During the winter John shoveled snow at the local train station where he met a butcher who was thrown from his horse when a train whistle sounded. That butcher shop owner gave John a job and eventually gave the butcher shop to John a few years later when he got sick and died.
John sold the small butcher shop and used the money to study butcher and meat processing techniques in Germany before returning to Michigan to apply his education of European techniques. He was employed by the Castenholz family to manage their meat processing where he met his future wife Gertrude Castenholz. When Svend married Gertrude he changed his name from Svend Andersen to John S. Anderson whereby taking on the first name of Gertrude's father ( John ) who died in an accident when she was 16 years old.
John ( Svend ) was the first "Anderson" in America from our family ancestors. John started the JS Anderson Packing Company after Gertrude died during child birth. John later married Dora Davidson from Sweden growing his family and building his company. John continued to raise William from his first wife and added five more children with Dora. Together they raised their family and built a very successful butcher and meat processing business in Muskegon, Michigan.
Eventually John passed the family meat company to his children. Over the decades the meat company passed down from fathers to sons ... and even changed names a few times. The company became Superior Meats Company and later became The Meat Block as it is named today.
The company originally started by John S. Anderson still operates today in Muskegon, Michigan. The company has been passed forward through time to son Albert David Anderson ... then to son Albert Richard Anderson ... then to brothers Harvey David Anderson & David Albert Anderson ... and finally to son Matthew David Anderson who runs the company teaching his son Aidan the business. Today we have a 5th generation Anderson running the family business with a 6th generation Anderson preparing for the company's future.
The family and business started by John S. Anderson was his passion and is now his legacy. John started on a small family farm in Denmark but his descendants have expanded out to many states including Michigan, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Montana, Nevada, California, Texas, Virginia, Kansas and Arizona. He has hundreds of living descendants spread across America. One many with a dream and the ambition to make his dreams come true.
Rest in Peace great great grandpa. You will always be remembered.
John was born "Svend Andersen" in a Dutch farming colony on the Danish island of Store Magleby ... just south of Copenhagen in Denmark. He was the last family member given a named that is derived from his father's first name plus adding "sen" for a son. His father ( Ander Dirchsen ) was named after his father ( Dirch Svendsen ) who was named after his father ( Svend Andersen ) who JSA was named after. John was not the oldest son, so he had to leave the family farm to make his own life or work the family farm for his older brother. John left home at age 16 and emigrated to the USA.
Burr is a formal family name given to prominent families that owned land, but the family never used this name on legal documents. I found it on a birth certificate but no other documents.
John did not get along with his father and he ran away from home at 16 years old when his father would not allow him to have a dog. John's older brother was in line to inherit the family farm and wealth, so John decided to get an early start finding his own way in life.
At 16 years old, John ( Svend ) emigrated to America on a ship that he boarded in Northern Germany. John arrived by boat in Montreal, Canada and took a train to Chicago, IL. Upon arriving in Chicago, a Danish man told John that he should travel across Lake Michigan where other Danish immigrants had started a farming colony. John took the Ferry Boat to St. Joseph, Michigan the next day where he met a farmer on the docks who gave him a job and a place to sleep. John spent the summer working the fields and learning English for $ 0.50 per day plus food, room and board.
During the winter John shoveled snow at the local train station where he met a butcher who was thrown from his horse when a train whistle sounded. That butcher shop owner gave John a job and eventually gave the butcher shop to John a few years later when he got sick and died.
John sold the small butcher shop and used the money to study butcher and meat processing techniques in Germany before returning to Michigan to apply his education of European techniques. He was employed by the Castenholz family to manage their meat processing where he met his future wife Gertrude Castenholz. When Svend married Gertrude he changed his name from Svend Andersen to John S. Anderson whereby taking on the first name of Gertrude's father ( John ) who died in an accident when she was 16 years old.
John ( Svend ) was the first "Anderson" in America from our family ancestors. John started the JS Anderson Packing Company after Gertrude died during child birth. John later married Dora Davidson from Sweden growing his family and building his company. John continued to raise William from his first wife and added five more children with Dora. Together they raised their family and built a very successful butcher and meat processing business in Muskegon, Michigan.
Eventually John passed the family meat company to his children. Over the decades the meat company passed down from fathers to sons ... and even changed names a few times. The company became Superior Meats Company and later became The Meat Block as it is named today.
The company originally started by John S. Anderson still operates today in Muskegon, Michigan. The company has been passed forward through time to son Albert David Anderson ... then to son Albert Richard Anderson ... then to brothers Harvey David Anderson & David Albert Anderson ... and finally to son Matthew David Anderson who runs the company teaching his son Aidan the business. Today we have a 5th generation Anderson running the family business with a 6th generation Anderson preparing for the company's future.
The family and business started by John S. Anderson was his passion and is now his legacy. John started on a small family farm in Denmark but his descendants have expanded out to many states including Michigan, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Montana, Nevada, California, Texas, Virginia, Kansas and Arizona. He has hundreds of living descendants spread across America. One many with a dream and the ambition to make his dreams come true.
Rest in Peace great great grandpa. You will always be remembered.
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Section 2-6-9, Grave 4
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