He played the "fiddle," playing for neighborhood dances, and wrotepoem s but never published them, writing one poem a week in his latteryears , finishing the last one only 3 days before his death. At age60 he to ok up wood carving, making statues of animals, roses, inlayon trays, e tc, giving each piece away as he finished it. He lovedgardening, was p roud of the gladiolas he raised, and enjoyed readingbooks and daily ne wspapers.
Residences & events:
6/4/1873 Shelby Co, IL. He was put in the county almshouse alongwith h is mother and sisters, Sarah and Elizabeth.
6/13/1873 He was discharged and "taken by P (unreadable) (PhillipKnel ler) to raise."
The following agreement was made between his father and the Knellers:
"This agreement made and entered into this 10th day of January A.D.187 6 by and between Jesse K Spurgeon of the first part and PhillipKneller o f Shelby county Illinois of the second part--witeness thisJesse k Spur geon father of Andrew Nelson Spurgeon according with theStatute in suc h case named and provided does here by bind said AndrewNelson Spurgin h is son of the age of two years eight months andtwenty days who now res ides with said Phillip Kneller in the town ofRichland in the county of S helby and State of Illinois to serve thesaid Phillip Kneller in the tr ade and occupation of a farmer whichthe said Phillip Kneller now follo ws in said county to be taught insaid trade and occupation and to live w ith and continue with to servethe said Phillip Kneller as a apprentice f rom the day of the date ofthis indenture with the full term of Eleven y ears three months andtwelve days or until he shall become of the age o f sixteen years thesaid Andrew Nelson Spurgin is to mull (?) and faith fully serve thesaid Phillip Kneller during said term and obey his comm ands and thesaid Phillip Kneller on his part in consideration of said s ervice dohereby covenant and agree to provide for the said apprintice i nsickness and helth and supply him with suitable food and clothing during the entire term aforesaid to endeavor faithfully to instruct orcau se him to be instructed and taught to read and write and theground rul es of Arithmetic and to teach him the trade and occupationof farming a nd also at the expiration of said term of service that hewill give sai d apprintice a new Bible and two complete suits ofwearing apparrel sui table to his condition in life and twenty Dollarsin money. It is also h ereby agreed by said Phillip Kneller that ifthe said Andrew Nelson Spu rgin shall stay with him and serve himuntil he shall become of the age o f twenty one years that he willthen pay to the said Andrew Nelson Spur geon the full sum of FiveHundred Dollars in addition to all other thin gs herein beforespecifide and that if the said Andrew Nelson Spurgeon s hould stay anylength of time after he shall arrive at the age of sixte en that thensaid Phillip Kneller shall pay him at the rate of one Hund red Dollarsin every year that he remains."
Four years after Andrew moved in, Mrs Kneller died but the 2nd MrsKnel ler arrived in 1880 to care for him.
1880 At census time he was living with John and Philip Kneller.
He learned the carpenter trade, rather than farming, and built severalh omes and barns in the area before moving west, after the age of 21,to b e with the rest of his biological family, living and workingthroughout t he frontier.
1898 Strasburg, IL. He returned to settle down on the old Knellerfar m, married and had a family of 2 daughters and 2 sons.
1920 Stetsonville, WI. They moved there for health reasons,remaining t he rest of his days.
