[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 16 (Tuesday, February 6, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E112]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     100TH ANNIVERSARY OF ANSON IMPLEMENT, CO., OF HIGGINSVILLE, MO

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. IKE SKELTON

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 6, 2001

  Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, let me take this means to congratulate the 
Anson family and my friends at Anson Implement, Co., of Higginsville, 
Missouri, who recently celebrated the company's 100th anniversary as a 
John Deere dealership.
  The Anson family has contributed to the betterment of Lafayette 
County, MO, since they migrated from Kentucky and Tennessee in the 
1830s. Born Moses Anson and later named ``Mode'', the great grandfather 
of current co-owner Joe Anson cherished all aspects of farming. Mode 
recognized the need for a country store that would benefit those who 
worked on farms and other businesses in rural Missouri. In 1897, he 
opened a lumber, hardware, and building materials business in 
Aullville, MO, to assist these individuals. Four years later, in 1901, 
the Anson family, still committed to farming, opened a John Deere 
dealership that moved to Higginsville, MO, in 1917.
  Through the years, Anson Implement, Co., has become an important part 
of the history of Higginsville. Established by Mode Anson, the 
implement dealership eventually passed into the hands of his son, 
Leslie Anson, then to his son, M.L. Anson. Both Leslie and M.L. worked 
in and learned the family business from a young age. In 1979, current 
co-owner Joe Anson began operating the implement company after 
attending Westminster College and working for six years at the Kansas 
City John Deere branch.
  Indeed, through their commitments to farming, to their community, and 
to their country, four generations of Ansons have positively impacted 
the lives of many rural Missourians. As the residents of Lafayette 
County share in Anson Implement's 100th anniversary, I am certain that 
all Members of the House will join me in paying tribute to this 
establishment and to the Anson family, Mary Lou Anson, Joe Anson, Jill 
Sutherland, Jan Weycker, and Jenny Gockel.

                          ____________________