Springfield-Greene
County LibraryEarly and Recent History and Genealogical Records
of Many of the Representative Citizens
JOSEPH G. ANDERSON. Death is always regarded by the masses as a visitor to our homes to be dreaded, but before whose merciless power we are helpless, and his crossing our thresholds seems doubly deplorable when he summons the young and promising from the family circle, as he did in the case of the late Joseph G. Anderson, a young business man of Springfield who was apparently starting on a successful and brilliant career.
Mr. Anderson was born in Wichita, Kansas, on December 8, 1885. He was a son of William John and Rachel (Gilbert) Anderson. The father was born in New York and he came west to Kansas when a youngman and learned the trade of designing and decorating, which he followed most of his life. He had been educated in the common schools of New York. His death occurred in November, 1906, in Springfield, Missouri at the age of sixty-six years. The mother of our subject was a native of Kansas, and she is living in Springfield at this writing. Three children were born to these parents, namely: Joseph G., our subject; Christ, who lives in Springfield; and Maude, who makes her home in St. Louis.
Joseph G. Anderson came to Springfield with his parents at the age of eight years, and here he attended the ward and high schools, also the Southwest Business College, taking advantage of his spare hours at night to advance his business education. He worked a year for Otto Holmes, the decorator, and learned this trade in the meanwhile, and he devoted the rest of his life to decorating and sign painting, building up a lucrative and successful business. He first started a shop on Boonville street, paying only five dollars a month rent, but he gradually worked up a large business, handling most of the extensive sign work and bill-poster work, also pictorial sign work, under the firm name of the Anderson Sign Company, and was thus actively engaged at the time of his death, in 1914, at his home on North Campbell street. Politically, he was a Republican. He belonged to the Improved Order of Red Men and to the Master Painters organization.
Mr. Anderson was married, April 10, 1910, to Edna McCartney, a daughter of John William and Alice (Crail) McCartney. The father was born on April 24, 1844, in Cumberland county, Illinois, from which state he came to Springfield, Missouri, in 1893, where he still resides. He is a son of John and Susanna (Powell) McCartney. John McCartney, Sr., was born and reared in Virginia, and he came to Ohio with his parents, Daniel and Polly Ann McCartney, at the age of twenty years, the family locating in Lawrenceville county. He operated a flatboat on the Ohio to New Orleans and back. He moved to Illinois in 1836, where he followed farming until his death. He entered one hundred and sixty acres at twelve and one-half cents per acre, and later added another one hundred and sixty acres of government land, for which he paid one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre. Later he bought forty acres from the Illinois Central Railroad Company, for which he paid twelve dollars and fifty cents per acre, making him a total of three hundred and sixty acres. He carried on general farming in a successful manner until his death, August 5, 1888, at the advanced age of eighty-four years, on the farm which he cleared and developed. He took an interest in public affairs and served his community as justice of the peace for many years. He was a stanch Democrat and was a member of the Missionary Baptist church. His family consisted of nine children, only three of whom are now living, namely George and Nancy, both of Cumberland county, Illinois, and John W., who lives in Springfield, Missouri. The last named was educated in the common schools in Illinois, studied medicine and practiced his profession in Cumberland county, that state, also at Toledo and Newton, Illinois. He came to Springfield, Missouri, in 1893, where, owing to failing health, he has lived practically retired. He was mayor of Toledo, Illinois, for one term, and was chairman of the Democratic Central Committee of Cumberland county, that state, for four years, and was a member of the city council of Toledo for a period of fifteen years. He was a prominent man in public life there. He has belonged to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows since 1873. He was manager of a sanitarium for two years in Springfield, Missouri. After discontinuing the practice of medicine he entered the secret service department of the government under E. G. Rathburn, chief of the service. He remained in this work seven years, resigning before coming to Missouri. He is a member of the Grant Street Baptist church. Mrs. Alice (Crail) McCartney was born in Shelby county, Indiana, is still living at the family home on North Campbell street. She is an active member of the Baptist church. Ten children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. John McCartney, three of whom died in infancy. The others are Frank, who lives in Kansas; Mrs. Mattie Dodds, of Springfield; Walter, of Springfield; Clarence, of Springfield; Mrs. Ethel Emmons lives in Arkansas; Edna, widow of Mr. Anderson, the immediate subject of this sketch; and Mrs. Pauline Lodge, of Springfield. Mrs. Anderson received a good common school education. She is a member of the Grant Street Baptist church.
[1911-1913]
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y
Table of Contents | Keyword Search | Greene County History Home | Local History Home