Emily Anderson (Lakewitz) was born on February 28, 1875, in Riga, Latvia. At the age of 15, she immigrated to Boston in 1890, traveling with friends of the Anderson family and bringing a large white travel trunk.
On April 13, 1898, at the age of 23, Emily married Fred Rein Lakewitz at Ruggles Street Baptist Church in Roxbury, Boston. Before their marriage, Fred transitioned from working as a ship rigger to large building construction and shipbuilding, as Emily felt that working at sea was too dangerous.
Emily and Fred maintained the residences in Boston that well owed the rest of the Anderson family as they came to the US from Latvia
Emily and Fred established their home in Holbrook, Massachusetts, where Emily remained for decades. She did not leave the farm until 1963, at the age of 88, when living alone became too challenging.
Emily passed away on June 23, 1965, at the age of 90 in her son’s home at 116 Hayward Street, Braintree, Massachusetts. She died peacefully in her rocking chair in her granddaughter’s upstairs bedroom, with her Bible open on her lap.