Anderson-Scott Grands

 

I wanted to start this post with my parents but so much of who they were came from their parents so I decided to go up a generation. It helps to understand where they came from.

My maternal grandparents were William James Anderson and Mary Jeanette Hanson. I originally started my genealogy journey with my grandfather's history in mind as I never met anyone from his family. I knew all of my maternal grandmother's family, but my grandfather's family lived in Port Huron, Michigan and he was estranged from them when I was growing up. He and my grandmother, Mary Hanson were married from 1931 until his death in 1976. Although I knew my grandfather for the first 18 years of my life, he did not interact with us kids much and stayed in his room more in his later years. A few years ago one of my mother's cousins commented that he remembered my grandfather early on being 'one of the guys' as he had 4 brother-in-laws and I assume he wanted to fit into my grandmother's big family. He went on to say that as the years went by my grandfather became more reclusive and didn't want to be photographed. I have no photos of him with me or any of my cousins. Since I've been doing genealogy I've been able to uncover more of his life & family in my research but sadly will never fully 'know' him.

William "Bill" James Anderson was born May 9, 1892 in Sarnia, Lambton County,
Ontario, Canada, the first child of James E. and Sarah Hager Anderson. Bill's father James was also born in Ontario, to Irish & Scottish immigrants; George and Sarah Mills Anderson. Bill's father James was a carpenter, and his grandfather George a ships carpenter. This skill was passed down to my grandfather as he was also a carpenter and my grandmother recorded the different items he would build for the family; a swingset, a cradle, etc.

Bill's family moved from Sarnia, Canada across the border to Port Huron, St. Clair County, Michigan, United States in 1899 when he was 7 years old, along with his 2 brothers and a sister. Their youngest sister was born in Michigan 2 years later. Bill grew up around and near the waters of the St. Clair River and Lake Huron. By the age of 17 he was an apprentice in a machine shop and by age 23 he was working at the Au Sable Light Station on the South shore of Lake Superior, about 12 miles West of Grand Marais, Michigan. He would work at lighthouses for the next 25+ years.

My grandmother, Mary Hanson was born July 6, 1908 in Open Meadows, Chautauqua County, New York to Ernest Julius and Ruth Dickson Hanson. Her father Ernest was born in Tåssjö, Kristianstad, Sweden and emigrated to the US when he as 18 years old. Her mother, Ruth Dickson was the only child of Harvey and Orilla Matson Dickson whose farm my grandmother grew up on. The farm belonged to my great grandmother's grandfather Henry Dickson who moved to Chautauqua County in  That farm would be in our family for over 200 years.

This is cropped from the photo above. Pictured are my great grandmother, great great grandmother and the first 5 children of Ruth & Ernest Hanson. My grandmother was the second of 7 children, with the first 5 being all girls; Gerda (b. 1907), Mary (b. 1908), Orilla (b. 1910), Hilda (b. 1912), and Hilda (b. 1914). How my great grandfather must have despaired thinking he was never getting a son! He was soon rewarded with 2 sons, Ernest (b. 1918) and Franklin (b. 1930-surprise!).

L-R: Fido the dog, Orilla Hanson, Ruth Dickson Hanson holding daughter Mabel, Gerda Hanson, Ruth's mother Orilla Matson Dickson holding Hilda Hanson and my grandmother Mary Hanson.

The next photo was taken when my grandmother was a young woman and likely around the time she and Bill were married in 1931. My grandmother only attended school until the 8th grade and worked manual labor the rest of her life as a maid, in childcare or in restaurants. She was very industrious, a very good cook, seamstress, and knitter. She always had yarn and needles or a crochet hook in her hand when she was sitting down to 'keep her hands busy'. She would knit mittens and hats to give away to those less fortunate for many, many years. Lucky for me, she kept a diary from the 1920s until just before her death on Jan. 1, 1999 and while most entries were short, they provide a ton of information about our family and her life over those 70 years. 

 

 My paternal grandparents were Frank Farnham Scott and Gertrude Selma Sealy. Unfortunately, my grandfather passed away in 1961 just before I turned 3 years old so I have no memories of him. I was lucky to have my grandmother until I was 28, but so wish I had really appreciated her when she was alive. By that time I had 2 small children and she had been battling Alzheimer's for a number of years which was very hard for me to deal with at the time.

Frank Farnham Scott was born June 26, 1894 in Silver Creek, Chautauqua County, NY, the youngest child of George F. and Margaret Kilburn Scott. He had 2 older sisters; Grace, b. 1889 and Helen, b. 1891. Frank worked as a barber and at one time owned multiple barber shops in Jamestown, NY.

My grandmother, Gertrude Selma Sealy was born Dec. 2, 1892 in Gerry, Chautauqua County, NY, the middle child of Otis Robert and Selma Algoth (Johansson) Hult Sealy. She had an older brother Otis Conrad Sealy, b. 1891 and a younger sister, Katheryn Elizabeth , b. 1894. Sadly, their mother Selma died April 5, 1896 when all 3 children were under 5 years of age. The children would largely be reared by their paternal grandparents, Hiram Nelson and Ellen Elizabeth Barmore Sealy as Selma's adoptive parents passed away less than 8 years later. Although their father remarried within a year, nothing can replace the loss of a mother, especially at such young ages.

What I remember about my grandmother was that she was very kind, even to a rebellious child like me, and she kept a very nice, orderly house. It was a Victorian style house with lace curtains, a big dining room table, a red velvet couch that she recovered herself and a huge piano in the front room. I remember when I would stay overnight at her house, I would sleep in her front room which was off the foyer and had a door that she locked against intruders as she rented out the upstairs apartment. I always remember hearing the train at night but I was never afraid in that room and soon enough morning would come and the light would flood in through the large plate glass window that overlooked the street. In the mornings, my grandmother would make us scrambled or soft boiled eggs and cream of wheat for breakfast. As she sprinkled the sugar on the cereal she would tell us it was "snow on the mountain". She is the one who taught me to love grape jelly with scrambled eggs. I don't know of anyone else who eats them that way but it is one of life's pleasures and always reminds me of her. 

When I said I did not have memories of my grandfather, I forgot about the one memory that almost seems like I could not have remembered it but I do and it is forever etched in my memory. I remember that I walked with my grandmother down the street from the house my grandparents lived in on Livingston Ave. in Celoron, NY. We went to the last house on the street that my grandfather was staying in as they had separated. I did not know that at the time but learned that years later. They talked a few minutes and he handed her a letter or card. I remember she read it, whether or not it was while we were there or on the way back but I remember that she said "he really does love me". I believe the reason I remember this is because she was crying. It is always a shock to see your parent or grandparent cry. Probably why I remember it because I was so very young. Remember, my grandfather passed away a month before I turned 3 years old.

You can read much more about my grandparents on my cousin's blog here: 

https://bradish-scotthistory.blogspot.com/2021/