BIOGRAPHY - Swen Anderson
SWEN
ANDERSON is one of the most distinguished citizens of the town of Sibley,
where he has held many offices of honor and trust, including those of
postmaster and president of the village. He was born in the parish of
Felestad, near the city of Lund, Sweden, Jan. 6, 1844. He had a common
school education in the old country and studied bookkeeping in Lund for a
short time. At twenty he came to this country, spending two years in
Champaign county, Ill., and one year in Iowa, subsequently settling in
Sibley, where he has lived since 1868 and been a dealer in lumber and coal
for over twenty years.
Among the other offices he has filled, besides those named above, are the following: school treasurer for 20 years, justice of the peace for 18 years, supervisor, town clerk, assessor, collector, commissioner of highways and village trustee and treasurer. He has been the Ford county member of the Republican State Central Committee for 16 years. In politics he is a Republican and one of the leaders in Ford county.
He helped to organize and has been secretary of the Swedish Lutheran Church since its organization in 1879 and superintendent of its Sunday school for more than twelve years.
Mr. Anderson was united in marriage to Miss Lotta Swenson of Fairbury, Ill., on Christmas day, 1873. To- them seven children have been born, five of whom are dead. The living are: Carrie C., and James L., of whom the latter has been educated at Augustana College.
Extracted 28 Jan 2017 by Norma Hass from History of Swedes of Illinois, published in 1908, Volume 2, pages 191-192.
