Austria was the family seat of the ancestors of the Gander family of Albany, herein considered. They were of the village of Brad, province of Innsbruck. Casper Gander, a descendant of the German family, was born in that town and province of Alsace after it had passed under the control of France. He was a farmer there all his life, which ended about 1854. The family from time immemorial have been faithful communicants of the Catholic church. He married, late in life, Francisca Ratt, a native of Alsace, of German parentage, who was the mother of his seven children and survived him. After becoming a widow she came to the United States, dying in Lyons county, Kansas, at the age of sixty-nine years. Children, all born in Austria:
- Mary, married and settled in the state of Kansas, where she died without issue.
- Anton, see forward.
- John, came to the United States in 1870, settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he died in 1878, unmarried.
- Louis, came to the United States in 1871, located in Albany, New York, where he died at the age of thirty-nine years; Josephine, his wife, died in Albany, leaving children, since deceased.
- Joseph, born in 1852; came to the United States in 1869 with his mother; settled in West Hoboken, New Jersey; married Mary Bove; children: Francis, Joseph and Minnie.
- Frances, born 1853; came to the United States with the family in 1869; married Adam Zenzen; children: Louis, John, Antoine and Francisca. Adam Zenzen married (second) ————; children: Anna and Catherine.
- Casper (2), born 1854, was an infant of less than a year old when his father died; he was brought to the United States with the family in 1869, located in Albany, where he was engaged in cigar manufacturing until his death; he left a wife and two children, now residents of Sparta, Wisconsin.
(II) Anton, second child and eldest son of Caspar and Francisca (Ratt) Gander, was born June 11, 1849. He attended the schools of his native town, and worked there until 1871, when in company with his brother Louis he sailed from Bremen on the steamship "Minnesota," May 20, 1871, landed at Castle Garden, New York, June 1, of that year. He continued directly to Albany. He learned the carpenter's trade, at which he worked as journeyman and foreman until 1893, when he began contracting the erection of buildings. He has been successful in his business and is a reliable contractor and builder. He has constructed many of the houses of South Albany, where his services are in constant demand. He married, in Albany, in 1877, Veronica Bove, born in that city in 1855, daughter of John P. and Annie C. Bove, who settled in Albany in 1853 and where they both died. They had two other daughters: Eliza, died unmarried, and Annie C. Children of Anton and Veronica (Bove) Gander:
- Anton (2), born August 31, 1882; learned the trade of carpenter with his father and is now associated with him in the building business; married Frances Hoffman.
- Joseph, born September 27, 1884; an architect of New York City.
- Casper, born October 14, 1886; a carpenter, engaged with Anton Gander & Sons, contractors and builders; unmarried.
- Adam, born October 15, 1888; an electrician of Albany.
- Conrad, December 7, 1890; a draughtsman and studying architecture.
- John B., born July 31, 1892.
Three children, John, Louis and George, died young. The family attend the Roman Catholic church, and father and sons are Democratic in politics.