ANDREW PATERSON son of John and Jane Patterson of Kirtlehead, Dumfriesshire, Scotland was born January 14, 1822.
His early years were spent on his father's farm. At the age of 16, he went to Manchester where he served a five years' apprenticeship at carpentry. In 1854, accompanied by Uncle Adam Thomson and his wife, our Aunt Mary, (sister of Andrew) they sailed from their native land. When the ship was just about a day out from land they ran onto a rock and had to unload part of the cargo in small boats so that the ship would raise up and slide off the rock, after which they proceeded on their way. They were blown far from their course and landed up on the Canadian coast. there they built a small shelter for themselves and stayed for a time. They arrived in East Wheatland, Will County, Illinois, in June, 1854.
For several years father and Uncle Adam followed their chosen trade of carpentry. When they landed in Wheatland they built a small building on what proved later to be the Daniel Patterson farm. Aunt Mary kept house for them. Uncle Dan must have done the farm work, for Uncle Adam and father did carpenter work. They built a church for the United Presbyterians. Uncle Adam's name was on the contract for the building of the church, shown the day they celebrated their Centennial.
Father's twin brother, Thomas Patterson had recently arrived from Scotland. He decided to walk over to the church to see how the work was progressing. Being a stranger in the neighborhood, he lost his way and stopped at the Watson home, north of the church, to enquire it's location. Mrs Watson thinking he was Andrew said, "Ye ken reicht weel where the church is, and I'll no tell ye". It is a family tradition the twin brothers were almost exact replicas of each other.
Not so long after this time, Adam Thomson and Andrew Patterson bought a farm one mile north of where Sterling Patterson now lives. It is owned at present by Frank Keller. They named the farm Spring Brook. Here Adam Thomson's family were born and raised. Annie Armstrong came from her Uncle's home in Rockford to live with them. Later on, my father and Annie Armstrong were married. The date of their wedding was March 23, 1869 and they moved to the old Carpenter place, about a mile from Uncle Adam and Aunt Mary's home.
In 1882 father decided to sell his farm and move to Iowa. Eighty acres of the farm were sold to Charlie Heise for $72.00 an acre. Having sold the Wheatland farm father bought land in Rock Township, Cherokee County, Iowa. Uncle Adam had moved to Cherokee some little time before this. No doubt he helped father to make the arrangement in regard to buying the farm and building a house on it. Again the farm in Cherokee was located about a mile from the Thomson home. We spent the last week in Wheatland at the Daniel Paterson home.
In October, 1882 father, mother, Aunt Betty and six children besides all our goods and chattels boarded a train and the new adventure had begun. It was a long, hard trip, especially for mother and Aunt Betty. We older children enjoyed it immensely. The twins, however w'ere the center of attraction with everyone helping to care for them. We reached Cherokee at last and Uncle Adam was there to meet us. He took us home with him where we stayed for several weeks as our new house was not quite finished. We moved into the new house in November, 1882.
Father longed to go back to Scotland and visit the scenes of his childhood, but it never seemed convenient to leave us and he resided in the Rock Township home until the time of his death, July 4, 1897. The funeral was from the home with the Rev. Thomson of the Presbyterian Church of which he was a member officiating, and he was laid to rest in beautiful Oak Hill Cemetery. Andrew Patterson was a man of sterling character, universally respected by all who knew him. Our mother, affectionately called 'Aunt Ann' passed away October 12, 1898.
Our parents were earnest God fearing people. During his early life father did active Christian work. In Wheatland, he joined the United Presbyterian Church. Later on both he and Mother joined the Du Page Church. When we moved to Cherokee, they joined Memorial Presbyterian Church in 1883. They left a family of eight children whom I shall mention briefly.
Descendants of Andrew Paterson
1 Andrew Paterson Born: 14 January 1822 in Kirtlehead, Dumfriesshire, Scotland Died: 4 July 1897 in Rock Township, Cherokee County, Iowa Occupation: Carpenter
..+Aunt Ann Born: Unknown Died: 12 October 1898 in Rock Township, Cherokee County, Iowa
....2 Sara J. Paterson Born: Unknown in Wheatland, Will County, Illinois, USA Died: 22 April 1961 Occupation: Government Employee
....2 Mary E. Paterson Born: Unknown in Wheatland, Will County, Illinois, USA Died: 29 September 1959 Occupation: Social Worker
....2 John W. Paterson Born: 9 August 1876 Died: 12 September 1938 Occupation: Farmer
.........+Nellie Rogers Born: 19 December 1874 Died: 6 March 1958
...........3 Roger Paterson Born: 11 December 1908 Died: 20 December 1908
...........3 Irene Paterson Born: 24 December 1910
................+Joe Aldis Born: 25 August 1906 Died: 9 January 1957
..................4 Jeanne Aldis Born: 2 December 1928 Died: 19 June 1977
.......................+Le Roy Ford Born: 11 March 1926
.........................5 Thomas Michael Ford Born: 12 December 1955
..............................+Zoger Melton Born: 11 September 1959
................................6 Laurie J. Ford Born: Unknown
.....................................+Roger Melton Born: Unknown
.......................................7 Jeromy Melton Born: 7 July 1976
................................6 Jeromy Ford Born: 7 July 1976
..................4 John Donald Aldis Born: 11 January 1930
.......................+Madeline Schudel Born: 25 December 1928
.........................5 Cathleen Ann Aldis Born: 26 February 1954
..............................+Joseph Shine Born: Unknown
.........................5 Jacklyn Sue Aldis Born: 7 February 1956
..............................+Douglas Lennox Born: Unknown
.........................5 Mark Aldis Born: 3 October 1958 Died: 26 November 1976
..................4 Robert Lauder Aldis Born: 8 May 1933
.......................+Christine Lewis Born: 27 June 1931
.........................5 Debbie Lynn Aldis Born: 2 July 1956
..............................+John McDermott Born: Unknown
.........................5 Linda Jean Aldis Born: 25 December 1958
.........................5 Joseph Bob Aldis Born: 27 February 1961
...........*2nd Husband of Irene Paterson:
................+Walter Agnew Born: 1 August 1905
...........3 Donald Paterson Born: 25 August 1912
................+Marjorie Bellinger Born: Unknown Died: Unknown
..................4 Donald Paterson Born: 26 October 1945
.......................+Karen Eichorn Born: 5 October 1944
.........................5 Amanda Jeanne Paterson Born: 18 August 1978
...........3 Stanley Paterson Born: 22 November 1917
................+Marjorie Lucille Walker Born: 29 October 1918
..................4 Patricia Lucille Paterson Born: 23 July 1944
.......................+Robert Hibbs Born: Unknown
.........................5 Gary Wayne Hibbs Born: 19 February 1963
..................*2nd Husband of Patricia Lucille Paterson:
.......................+Jos Gonzalez Born: Unknown
.........................5 Lisa Leaune Gonzalez Born: 6 March 1967
....2 Thomas J. Paterson Born: Unknown Died: 2 June 1950
.........+Hazel Fairweather Born: Unknown Died: 23 September 1970
...........3 Marjorie Paterson Born: 30 July 1908
................+Robert Salts Born: Unknown
...........3 Dorothy Paterson Born: 27 June 1912
................+Vernon Fessler Born: 9 April 1914 Occupation: Farmer
...........3 Thomas Paterson Born: 5 June 1916 Occupation: Farmer
................+Helen Bloomberg Born: Unknown
..................4 Gary Thomas Paterson Born: 18 December 1945 Occupation: Manager of Circle 6 Motels
....2 Anna U. Paterson Born: Unknown Died: 14 March 1965
.........+Lohn Law Born: Unknown Died: 6 January 1948
...........3 Helen Myrne Law Born: 1906 Died: 1910
...........3 Lucille Elizabeth Law Born: 26 February 1913
................+Lester E. Vance Born: 31 May 1911
..................4 John D. Vance Born: 2 June 1938
.......................+Elizabeth McDermott Born: 15 August 1936
.........................5 Deanna Lynn Vance Born: 17 April 1967
.........................5 Bruce Vance Born: 22 June 1970
..................4 Thomas Vance Born: 3 February 1945
...........3 John W. Law Born: 27 September 1918
................+Verla Larson Born: 6 March 1924
..................4 John Craig Law Born: 26 September 1950
..................4 James David Law Born: 13 February 1952
..................4 Joanne Elizabeth Law Born: 24 January 1955
..................4 Kathleen Law Born: 9 October 1958
....2 Andrew F. Paterson Born: Unknown Died: 22 February 1956
.........+Mary Eischen Born: 17 September 1895 Died: 8 September 1981
...........3 Mary Laverne Paterson Born: 27 November 1916 Died: 28 April 1981
................+Gordon Heaney Born: Unknown
...........3 Richard Francis Paterson Born: 21 October 1918 Occupation: Farmer
...........3 John Merrick Paterson Born: 15 March 1920 Occupation: Farmer
................+Mildred Cave Born: 11 April 1914
..................4 Jean Mildred Paterson Born: 30 December 1947
.......................+Don Kruse Born: 5 December 1947
..................4 Jane Ann Paterson Born: 29 August 1951
.......................+Darrel Bartling Born: 11 January 1948
.........................5 Katy Allison Bartling Born: 10 November 1974
.........................5 Jamie Christine Bartling Born: 29 August 1977
....2 David A. Paterson Born: Unknown Died: 30 June 1958
.........+Ethel Laubach Born: 24 March 1894 Died: 9 March 1968
...........3 David A. Paterson Born: 18 July 1922
....2 Emma U. Paterson Born: Unknown Died: 10 February 1960
.........+Clarence Jenkins Born: 1886 Died: 1970
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