John H. Andersen is one of the large landowners of York township, deriving his income from valuable farming property comprising seven hundred and sixty-five acres. His home is on section 32, where he has lived continuously for twenty-two years or since 1885. He had settled in Mills county in 1883 and has continuously made his home in Iowa since that time. He was born in Holstein, Germany, January 16, 1854, and was reared in his native land, acquiring a public-school education there. His knowledge of English, however, has all been acquired since coming to the new world. He is a brother of William P. Andersen, who is mentioned elsewhere in this work. In Germany he was reared to the occupation of farming and followed that pursuit in the fatherland until his emigration to America. Thinking to enjoy better business opportunities in the new world, he bade adieu to home and friends and sailed for the United States with his family.

Mr. Andersen was married in Germany to Miss Katherine Miller, and in 1883 they crossed the Atlantic, making their way at once to Mills county, Iowa. There Mr. Andersen rented a tract of land for two years and on the expiration of that period he removed to Pottawattamie county, where he made his first investment in property, purchasing eighty acres of land. This constituted the nucleus of his present extensive possessions. With characteristic energy he began the development and improvement of that tract and as his labors resulted in the production of crops which found a ready sale on the market, he added to his original holdings another eighty-acre tract. His next purchase brought him one hundred and twenty acres in York township, followed by one hundred and sixty acres in Harrison township.

At different times the purchases have been made until he now has seven hundred and sixty-five acres of valuable land, of which three hundred and twenty acres lie in Gray county, Texas, and four hundred and forty-five acres in this part of Iowa. He has placed his capital in the safest of all investments—real estate—and as the years have passed has brought his lands under a high state of cultivation, thus greatly enhancing their value. Upon the home farm he has erected a good residence, two barns and outbuildings, and in fact has made the farm what it is today. He also put out an orchard and shade trees, broke the prairie, fenced the fields and carried forward the work of improvement along the line of progressive agriculture until his farming interests are unsurpassed by those of any resident of the community. He raises shorthorn cattle, feeding from two to three carloads per year and also raises and feeds about two carloads of Duroc Jersey hogs. While he has broad fields devoted to grain production his stockraising interests are so extensive that he feeds all of his grain.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Andersen have been born five children, three sons and two daughters: William, a real-estate agent in Des Moines; Mary, the wife of Hugo Stuhr, a farmer of Minden, by whom she has three children, Lydia Daisy, Arno and Hugo; Hannah, the wife of Ernest Burmeister, a farmer of Washington township, by whom she has one son, Harry; and John and Herman, who are upon the home farm and assist their father in its operation.

Mr. Andersen has served as school director for several years and the cause of education finds in him a warm friend, who has done effective service in its behalf. He has never sought or desired political office, however, and is independent in his voting. His religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Lutheran church of Washington township. He started out in life empty-handed and has made all that he possesses, working diligently and persistently to achieve success. He has never had occasion to regret his determination to seek a home in America, for here he has found good business opportunities and through their utilization has steadily advanced toward the plane of affluence.

[History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, Volume 1, 1907, transcribed by C. D.]