(Source: “As Time Goes By”, Odebolt, Iowa 1877-1977,
printed by The Odebolt Chronicle May, 1977)
The Gunderson farm, located southeast of Odebolt, was first purchased from Iowa Railroad Land Company for five dollars and fifty cents an acre in 1874 by Joseph P. Goreham, great grandfather of Charles Gunderson, and was owned at one time by Leonard Goreham, son of J.P., and later by Anton E. Gunderson, whose wife was Joseph Goreham's daughter.
Anton E. Gunderson was born July 29, 1875 in Chicago, Illinois, son of John and Anna May (Peterson) Gunderson, both natives of Sweden, where John was born in 1844 and Anna May in 1853. In 1868 John emigrated from Sweden, coming directly to Chicago, and Anna May came one year later. They were married in Chicago and in 1880 came to the Odebolt vicinity where they had purchased land in 1875. They were among the early pioneer residents of this area and lived the remainder of their lives here, John dying in 1893 and Anna May in 1901. John and Anna Gunderson's children were Hulda, Gustave, Amil, Anton E. and Ester.
Anton E. Gunderson worked in his father's store in Odebolt which was purchased from E. W. Lester and was known as Gunderson-Larson-Erickson Company. When Anton was about eighteen his father died and Anton assumed charge of the family interests, disposing of the mercantile business and taking charge of the estate.
On January 18, 1899 Mr. Gunderson married Grace Goreham, daughter of Joseph P. and Charlotte (Hill) Goreham. Mr. and Mrs. Anton Gunderson were parents of Hazel, Vernon, married to Luverna Schroeder, Pierce, married Maxine Nelson, Paul, married Verna Olsen, Cyril, married Julia Ukasic, Eva (Mrs. Leonard Einspahr), Edward, married Zola Brucker, Anna (Mrs. George Streed) and Mary (Mrs. Eugene Corrin).
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Gunderson [son of Vernon] are now [1977] living on and are owners of the farm Joseph P. Goreham bought over one hundred years ago.
[Information on more recent generations has been removed.]
(Click photo for enlargement)
(Transcribed by Kim Tholl, Dec.2002. Photos scanned by B. Horak.)
Also see biography on Anton E. Gunderson