Annie M. Bridgefarmer was born November 25th, 1879 to Alanson Lawson Bridgefarmer (1832-1906), and Susan Augusta (Bond) (1852-1886) Bridgefarmer, pioneers who had immigrated to Oregon, then married on Oct 6, 1872 in Linn County, Oregon, where they purchased farmland in Tangent, which is just South of Albany, in Linn Co., Oregon. Annie was the last child, b. Nov 1879. Prior to that, an older sister, Imogene Hulda, was b. Aug 1873, a twin to Ella Imogene (also b. Aug 1873), then an older brother, William Austin, who was b. Oct 1874, and, finally, David Solomon, who was b. Oct 1875. All were born while the family was living at their farm in Tangent, Linn County, Oregon. Annie's mother died in 1886 at the age of 33 years. Her devastated family buried her at the cemetery in Halsey, now known as the Halsey Pioneer Cemetery. Her bereaved husband would never remarry. He continued to farm the land in Tangent until he became sick and died from TB on Jan 27, 1906. He was also buried at the Pioneer Cemetery in Halsey, Linn County, Oregon.
Annie married Howard Pennington Alderson, in Oregon, in 1907. In 1910, Howard and Anna had been married three years and were living in Center, Linn Co., Oregon. They had an 8 month old son whom they'd named Cecil L. Alderman. Howard was farming. A niece named Jessie Kuthe, age 5, an Oregon native and daughter of Imogene Hulda Kuthe, (who had died Aug 1907) was also living with them. Her father, George W. Kuthe, remarried a number of times and moved his children a number of times, per censuses, marriage and divorce decrees from the 20th century. By 1920, the Howard Alderson family had moved into town and were living in Albany, Linn County, where Howard was now working as a machinist for the railroad. They now had two sons and a daughter. Little Cecil would be 11 yrs. old that year. Daughter Irene G. would be 8 years old on Jan 24th, and other son Clair Howard would be 4 yrs. old on July 23rd. The census was taken Jan 2nd and 3rd, 1920. On Apr 14, 1930, when the 1930 Census was taken, Howard was still working as a machinist for the railroad, working in the roundhouse. Cecil was no longer living at home. Irene had married Ove P. McCrary (b.1906, Wisconsin), and they had a newborn son, Donald McCrary, who had been born Apr 1930. Ove was a laborer who did odd jobs. Howard died on Oct 26, 1934 at the age of 55 yrs. from heart problems, just as his father had, some 36 yrs. earlier when he (Thomas Alderson) was 58 yrs. of age. He was buried at Riverside Cemetery in Albany with his mother (Anna McLeod Alderson). In 1940, Anna was living with her son Clair in West Salem, at 1589 Elm St., West Salem, Polk County, Oregon. However, when she died from a cerebral hemorrhage on June 28th, 1945, her address was 570 N. Winter St. in Salem, Marion County, Oregon, across the river from West Salem. Mrs. Cecil Hobbs was listed on her death certificate as the informant. Anna was buried with her husband at Riverside Cemetery in Albany, Linn County, Oregon. May she Rest in Peace in Paradise with her Loved Ones.
***A special Thank You to Diana Grebs for obtaining her death certificate for me so I could fill in the missing places in her life.**