ANNIE
HERTZLER ANDERSON
(A Vintage
Vignette by John P. Rankin, September 18, 2011)
Annie Rachael Hertzler was born on August 2, 1860, in the
Springfield Township of Clark County, Ohio.
Her father was Dr. John Huber Hertzler, a son of Jacob Hertzler of
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. At
about the age of nine she came to Madison, Alabama, with her family around
1869. At the age of 27 on January 17,
1888, in Mount Joy, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, she married Matthew Harvey
Anderson. In 1858 Harvey was likewise
born in Springfield Township, Clark County, Ohio. Harvey's father was John Brown Anderson. He was born in Pennsylvania but lived in Ohio
before coming to Alabama in late 1867 or early 1868. It is likely that the two families knew each
other in Ohio before their respective moves to Alabama. The marriage of Annie to Harvey linked two of
the most prominent families of Madison at the time. A detailed description of their out-of-state
wedding was found in Pennsylvania newspapers of the day and in the book “Jacob
Hertzler and His Descendants” by Katharine D. Anderson (1975). The following account was summarized from
those sources.
A January 1888 Lancaster newspaper reported that, “The
bride was beautifully attired in an elegant costume of white cassimere with
white point lace bodice over dress, with sparkling diamond pin and ear-bobs,
while the groom was donned in conventional black with white kids and tie.” Only a few immediate relatives and friends of
the bride were invited. Among them were
“...Miss Mollie and Mr. John Hertzler Jr., sister and brother of the bride;
Grandfather John (Jacob?) Hertzler of near Maytown; Mr. and Mrs. John S.
Nissley; Mrs. Snyder and Mrs. Eli Nissley, of near Mt. Joy; Mr. and Mrs. Amos
Zeigler of Stackstown; Major J. C. Redsecker and son; (and) Dr. and Mrs.
S. R. Nissley of Elizabethtown. Upon the
approach of the bridal party the guests rose and formed a semicircle. The Reverend Mr. Roeder performed the
ceremony. Miss Lizzie E. Hertzler
rendered the music of an elegant wedding march for the occasion. After the ceremony, the guests were invited
into the dining room where a sumptuous collation was spread and awaited them.”
“The bridal party left on Wednesday morning for
Philadelphia, where they intend to remain a short time and upon their return
they expect to spend several weeks, visiting the extensive relationship of the
bride in Lancaster County. After which
they will visit some of the relatives of the groom in Ohio, and on their
homeward trip will spend several days at Washington, D. C. before going to
Madison, Alabama, where they will reside in the near future.”
It is interesting to note that the newspaper article
identified Miss Annie Hertzler as “one of Huntsville, Alabama's fairest
young ladies”, while Matthew H. Anderson was listed as “ a young and
prosperous merchant of Madison, of the same state”. It is highly improbable that the Pennsylvania
writer had surveyed the town of Huntsville to determine which were the
“fairest” of the young ladies of the town.
Furthermore, Annie lived in her father's “town” house at the
intersection of College and Church Streets in Madison. She also resided in his “farm” house on land
that is now Redstone Arsenal's northwestern corner, much nearer Madison than
Huntsville of those days. Of course, the
Pennsylvania writer could know nothing of such things other than what the bride
and groom or the family members may have related.
After their return to Madison, Harvey remained a prosperous
merchant, became President of the Bank of Madison, and owned extensive
acreage. Around 1897 Harvey constructed
the large house at 17 Front Street. The
house was recently renovated by Tony and Cindy Sensenberger, at today's
intersection with Sullivan Street. The
Andersons lived there until 1926. Harvey
“retired”, and they moved to Locust Street in Huntsville. Harvey died in Huntsville in 1934 and was
buried in Maple Hill Cemetery. Annie
lived in their house on Locust Street until she broke her hip in 1953, at which
time she left to live with her daughter Annie Anderson McKinney in Nashville,
Tennessee. She died in 1958 and is also
buried in Huntsville's Maple Hill Cemetery.
