ANDOVER CHOLERA STONES

 

Pictures and story contributed by Bonnie Wiley

 

 

The cholera stone located a couple of miles south of Andover on a family farm. The small stone is located on the north side of the Andover township building on the west edge of Andover Village. Three of the blocks south of the township building have mass graves of the cholera victims

 

An 1893 Article On This Cemetery

A very appropriate offering to the memory of the pioneer settlers who succumbed to the fatal ravager of humanity, "cholera 49," was completed last spring by the united efficiency of S.P. Peterson of Cambridge and Gustus Johnson of Andover. It consists of a little monument located 40 rods south and 40 rods west of the A.P. Swanson schoolhouse on Sec. 31 where 17 persons were consecrated to the bosom of Mother Earth 44 years ago. Among others were buried Hurtig and his son, father and brother of Mrs. Charley Morton of Stromsberg, Neb., wife and daughter of Swen Nelson, Eva M. Svenson, wife of Peter Svenson. Peterson and Johnson invited relatives of those who found their graves in the prairie dust on Sec. 31 to the front with contributions for this monument to the memory of their kindred, but, non responded.

Names on stone in burial plot in field: Maja Lisa Swanson, born July 3, 1793, died Sept. 20, 1849; Charles Nelson, born 1825, died 1849 and Sophia, his wife, born 1826, died 1843

 

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