Sanderson Home, Lee, Illinois

Having given this post that title, I’m not positive this is the home of the Sandersons or that it’s in Lee, Illinois.  What I do know from Mom’s photo book, the woman on the far right is Isabelle Sanderson (married Richoloson) and the woman next to her is Mom’s grandmother, Mary Ann Sanderson (married Oakland).  Mary Ann was born in 1868 in Lee, Illinois.  The family lived in that area for a long time.  How old are the two women on the right?  My guess is in their early 20s.  That would date the photo to the early 1880s.  What do you see, especially in the clothes?

Here are some enlarged images from the top photo.
I’d love to hear from anyone who can identify more of the people in the picture.

Sanderson & Oakland (Part 3) – Thomas’ Death

 

On 23 September 1918 Thomas Lewis Oakland died suddenly from a cerebral hemorrhage.  Mom said he was at a church supper when he collapsed.  Mom also remembered that because he had no life insurance and had not paid for the home on Somonauk Avenue that her grandmother lost the house and had to return to work at the age of 50.  She worked in a department store, second floor women’s apparel.

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Part One of the Sanderson-Oakland story can be seen here.

Part Two of their story can be seen here.

Another big shock to the family was the death of the Oakland’s daughter, Albie Duncan in 1927.  During Albie’s illness, Mary took care of her three granddaughters.  She became very close to the girls.  “God’s Minute” was a birthday present to my mother in 1934.

In a note to Mom in May 1939 “It passes the time to get away once in a while now that my girlies three have flown away to their own homes.  I sometimes wonder what I had better do now.  But dear I have so much to be thankful for to know you are all  happy.”  Later that month she sent another letter and card to Mom when my sister was born – Mary’s first great grandchild.

My favorite part of this letter is her wondering if Helen has arrived.  Helen is my mother’s sister who helped when all of us were born.  She was a mainstay in our lives.  I think it was a comfort to Mary to know that Helen would be there for my mother.  I know it was a comfort to my mother!

Just a few months later on 17 December 1939 Mary Ann Sanderson Oakland died in DeKalb, Illinois.  She was 71 years old.  She was survived by one son, five grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter.

Sanderson & Oakland (Part 2) – the Farm

Part 1 of the story of Thomas Lewis Oakland and Mary Ann Sanderson can be seen here.

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In 1905 the Oaklands moved to a farm between DeKalb and Sycamore, Illinois.  On a day in 1910 they held an “Old Time Harvest Day.”  The men look too well dressed for it to be a regular farm day!

Old Time Harvest Day 1910

Written on the back of this photo:  “This was taken “Old time harvest day.”  The photographer took it standing on the Crib, that accounts for the Machine shed and crib not showing in the picture, (also for barn and silo slanting).  It was taken late in the day after most of the people were gone, still there were a good many Autos in the south end of the yard.  This was taken to get all the machinery in one picture.  There were 2000 people here that day.  Had a fine time.”

In 1911 Albie married Thomas (Roy) Duncan and lived in DeKalb, Illinois.

Eber Oakland

On 15 September 1913 the Oakland’s older son, Eber, died of malaria that he had contracted while working in Texas.  He had been engaged to Alice Lee of Meridan, Mississippi.

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About 1915 the Oaklands moved from the farm to a large home on Somonauk Avenue in Sycamore, Illinois, a quite fashionable neighborhood.

On 27 December 1917 Milo married Hazel Olsten in DeKalb.

 There were no longer children living at home.

Part 3 of the Sanderson & Oakland story can be seen here.

Sanderson & Oakland – Part 1

I want to introduce my mother’s maternal grandparents – Mary Ann Sanderson and Thomas Lewis Oakland, the Norwegian branch of the family.  Other than some facts taken from the census, an obituary, and a few family stories, I don’t have much about their early years.  But what I lack in interesting stuff, I’ll try to make up for with some photos!

Mary Ann Sanderson, about 1885.

Mary Sanderson was born 26 November 1869 in Milan Township, Illinois.  Her parents were Anna Moland and Sander H. Sanderson both born in Norway.  Mary was the eighth of nine children.

Sanderson Children: Mary Ann is on the front row left.

Thomas Oakland was also born of Norwegian parents:  Ira Oakland (originally Erich Tollevsen Egeland) and Isabel Larsen.  Thomas was born 4 April 1863 near Lee, Illinois, the oldest of ten children (two died in infancy).

They married 3 March 1887.  He was almost 24, she was 17.  Both of her parents and his father died before the couple married.

Thomas Lewis Oakland and Mary Ann Sanderson

They had four children:  my grandmother, Albie Irene (23 July 1888), Eber Stanley (15 June 1890), Hazel Mae (1 June 1892), and Milo Thomas (22 December 1893).  Hazel Mae died within three weeks on 21 June 1892.  Albie was born in Dakota Territory; the other children were born in Illinois.

Eber, Milo, Albie Oakland

Thomas was listed in the census as a farmer.  They moved from Lee to a farm between DeKalb and Sycamore (IL) in 1905.  More on their farming life in the next part.

You can see Part 2 here.  And Part 3 here.