Andreas Andersen blev født den 28. januar 1885 i Græsvænge lidt uden for Marstal på Ærø. Han var 5. barn i en søskendeflok på mindst seks børn. Ifølge datteren Virginia var der seks søskende og to plejebørn, men det har jeg ikke fundet dokumentation for.

Faderen var smed og havde værksted bag huset og den unge Andreas lærte håndværket af sin far.

Som nittenårig udvandrede han til USA. I første omgang kom han til Newman i Californien, hvor han arbejdede som smed for forskellige arbejdsgivere.

Efter at have arbejdet som smed en årrække, købte han en grund i Gustine og åbnede en smedje og forretning med landbrugsredskaber. I 1912 solgte han halvdelen af smedjen til en Peter Petersen og rejste hjem til Marstal for at besøge sin familie. Her har han formentlig lært Valborg Petersen at kende. Om hun i forvejen havde planer om at rejse til USA eller han har overtalt hende må stå hen i det uvisse, men under alle omstændigheder rejste de sammen tilbage til USA og blev gift i 1914 i Fresno, Californien. Valborg er barnebarn af møllebyggeren Christen Lauritzen Eriksen fra Vrå

Som sagt blev Andrew og Valborg gift i 1914. Familiehistorien fortæller, at Valborgs far var bekymret for at lade hende rejse alene til USA, og da Andreas var hjemme på besøg, blev han bedt om at ledsage og hjælpe hende på rejsen. Undervejs fandt de behag i hinandens selskab og blev senere forlovet. Om det er hele sandheden er nok tvivlsomt. Valborgs ældre bror Kristen rejste sammen med hende til USA, så mon ikke Andreas og Valborg har kendt hinanden godt inden de rejste? Og hvor fik Valborg idéen til at rejse til USA fra?

De fik tre børn Jayne(1916 - 1983), Richard(1918 - 1988) og Virginia(1920 - 1997)

John Outcalt: History of MercedCounty, p. 645

Andrew Andersen
Notwithstanding hardships and discouragements, of which he has experienced not a few, Andrew Andersen, by persistency of purpose and perserving industry, has risen to a position of influence among the business men of Gustine, where for the past twelve years he has been the agent of the Buick automobile and in connection therewith operates a modern garage with a good stock of accessories.
He was born at Marstal, Denmark, January 28, 1885, a son of Hans R. and Agnes (Christensen) Andersen, both natives of the same country. The father, Hans R. Andersen, is a blacksmith by trade and with his wife is still living in Denmark.

Andrew Andersen received his education in the public schools of Denmark and learned the blacksmith's trade with his father. At the age of nineteen he left home and came to California, locating at Newman, StanislausCounty, where he worked on ranches for Simon Newman & Company for two and a half years; he then worked for about six months in the blacksmith shop owned by Mr. Jefferson in Newman. Following this he engaged in the blacksmith business for himself in Gustine, where he had bought a lot and built a shop on it. In 1912 he sold a half interest in the business to Peter E. Petersen. Mr. Andersen then made an extended trip to his home in Denmark and upon his return to California in 1914, built a modern garage building and became the distributor for the Buick automobiles, the firm being Andersen and Petersen. In 1919, Gilbert Kerr bought Mr. Petersen's interest in the garage and the firm is now Andersen and Kerr. 

In 1923 Mr. Andersen sold the blacksmith business to Mr. Petersen. In 1924 he made another trip back to his old home, taking his wife and children, to attend the golden wedding anniversary of his parents' marriage.
At Fresno, Cal., on October 6, 1914, Mr. Andersen was married to Miss Volberg C. Petersen, also born in Denmark, daughter of Rasmus Petersen. Mr. and Mrs. Andersen are the parents of three children: Jane, Richard, and Virginia. In 1910 Mr. Andersen received his United States citizenship papers and since that time has voted the Democratic ticket; he has served as deputy constable of Gustine and also as trustee of the city. Fraternally, he is affiliated with the Dania Lodge and Romero Lodge No. 413, I. O. O. F., of Gustine.