THE ANDERSON FARM IN STONE COUNTY
By Mary Anderson-Boyd

Anderson farm in Stone County

Thomas B. & Rachel (Hood) Anderson farm

 
     The family of James Adam Anderson and Ella Ethel Sanders/Anderson lived on a farm in Stone County, about 5 miles from Hurley and 10 miles from Crane in a 4 room house, on top of a hill, where Crane Creek went around the Horseshoe Bend, from the North around to the South & East, until it reaches the White River.  The White River eventually reaches Galena, Missouri, which is the county seat of Stone County.  To this family were 6 children, Howard, Mary (me), Milford, Ruby, Doris, and Peggy.  We moved from the log cabin when Milford was a baby to the 4 room house.  We were a happy family but had our trials and ups and downs.  We attended the Walnut Grove School which was a 1 room school.  We had 1 teacher for all 8 grades.  One morning some of the boys caught a mouse and placed it in the teacher's desk drawer and when school started, the teacher opened the desk drawer and out jumped the mouse.  It like to of scared Mr. Dryer to death.  Several years later when I went to a party we were suppose to tell a funny story, so I told the one about the mouse.  As I told it, I made a mistake though and said that the boys had put a mouse in  "Mr. Dryer's drawers."  I got the prize for the funniest joke.  The boys had to stay in after school for several days.  They didn't do that again.  On the farm was the Anderson Cemetery where my Great Grandparents John H. Anderson and Elizabeth Wright/Anderson are buried.  Grandpa Thomas B. Anderson and Rachel V. Hood donated the land for the cemetary.  They are also buried there.  There are a lot of relatives buried there besides neighbors and friends.  Every decoration day, people would come and bring a pot luck lunch for the one that would clean up the cemetery which most everyone pitched in to help keep it clean.