Nyborg family
Gunder, Iowa

Andrew (aka Anders) Nyborg – b.8/4/1854 Nordenhau Prestegjed, Norway; d 6/31/1939 obituary
Julia (aka Guro) (Jacobson) Nyborg – b.7/27/1865 Hallingdal, Norway; d.1/20/1935

Andrew and Julia were married 10/18/1886. They are buried in Marion Lutheran Church Cemetery R05,S3,P045, L1&L2.

Anders O. Nyborg emigrated from Norway, where he learned the blacksmithing trade at an early age. In the late 1890’s Andrew had a blacksmith shop across the road from his farm, located at the top of what became known as the "“Reierson Hill"” (13746 Agate Rd., Sec. 10, Marion Twp). Later, Kenneth and Selma Kjosa owned this farm for many years. Present owners are Michael and Shirleen (Larson) Reinhardt. In 1889, Mr Nyborg built a new blacksmith shop in Gunder on the north side of Main Street. It was east of the service station. Andrew was highly skilled at blacksmithing, wagon making and shoeing horses. He expanded his business over the years and offered a wide variety of merchandise for sale ranging from light hardware to farm machinery. The two-story building was taken down in the 1950s. Andrew walked one and a half miles across the fields to his shop in Gunder ever working day for many ears. Hans Amundson’s first job was working for Andrew Nyborg. He helped make wagon wheels. Andrew Nyborg was a well known Blacksmith. Local legend tells when a road crew was working in the area, some of the fellows, hearing about his talent and thinking they could stump him, challenged his skill b asking him to build them a “sky hook.:”. Mr. Nyborg’s response was, “you draw me the patten and I will make it!”. The fellows never came back with a pattern. Andrew showed a great deal of wit in handling the situation. Andrew’s motto was “O.V.B” – We do our very best.

Postville Herald October 11, 1928 - Andrew Nyborg Still Shoeing Horses - Record of Eighty-Two in One Day
Seventy-four years old and still shoeing horses is the record of A.O. Nyborg of Gunder. Mr. Nyborg started to learn the trade of blacksmith when 13 years old and while still in Norway. When 19 years of age he came to America and settled at Postville. For a while he worked at his trade in North and South Dakota, Minnesota, Missouri, and Illinois. For the last thirty years, he has lived at Gunder. He still works daily at his anvil and forge. In 1882, while at Postville, and when he was young and unusually active, he made a record of setting eighty-two shoes between 7 o’clock in the morning and 8 o’clock in the evening.

August 1934- Postville Herald - Gunder Blacksmith Has Eightieth Birthday
Andrew Nyborg, the Gunder blacksmith, celebrated his eightieth birthday Saturday, August 4, and he celebrated in an unusual manner for an eighty-year-old. He walked a mile and a half to his shop in the morning, worked steadily there all day, and again walked to his home in the evening, the same as he has been doing every working day throughout the year. Mr. Nyborg’s vitality and pep are remarkable as he caries his eighty years without seeming effort. In fact he goes about his work like a man half his age and his neighbors wonder how he can do it. It is sixty-one years since Mr. Nyborg started working as a blacksmith and wagonmaker, and thirty-five of these years he has spent at Gunder. He came to this country at the age of nineteen and it may be said that he saw very few idle days since. (Reprinted form the Elgin Echo)

Children of Andrew & Julia:

Oscar – b.7/27/1887 d.10/15/1970 obituary
(follow the link at the bottom of this page for more info. on Oscar Nyberg)
Henry – b.5/21/1892 d.10/2/1974
Melvin b.1896 d.12/23/1930
Gena (Mrs. Gilman Knutson) b.1889
Alma (Mrs. Elmer Osmundson) b.1900

Gena & Alma Nyberg

Henry & Melvin Nyberg
WWI