.

Here, gathered in our beloved South Dakota, are a few members of our Williamson / Mattson Clan. Charles and Luella are to be blamed (be kind, they didn't know what they were doing). We're generally a happy bunch and somewhat intelligent (notwithstanding our tenuous grasp on reality). I'm also proud to say that most of us still have our teeth.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Tonight We Travel Back to Spearfish South Dakota. Spring time 1958.

From the Fortress of Solitude
Overlooking the Valley of the Pleasant Grove

Tonight's Family Reunion,

Once again we all gather around our computers for our evening Family Reunion. Its as if we step through the looking glass into a time nearly forgotten except for fading photographs and fading memories. As always I thank you for stopping by and sharing these family treasures with me.

Tonight we venture back to Spearfish South Dakota. It is the Spring of 1958. We're gathering at the home of Walt and Violet Mattson with their children John, Linda and Marvin on 5th Avenue. Luella married two years earlier to Charles.

Our first picture is of Violet and Elda (Dad's mom). Kim is the young lass. Not one yet.

This is the young Charles Williamson family. Luella is pregnant with me. Mom and dad lived in Sturgis at this time on Lazell Street. These pictures were taken just before the family moved to Sidney, Montana in June of 1958. Mom is 19 years old in this picture. Dad is 22. Kim isn't one yet. Mom and dad are new converts to the church. They join the church in December 1957.

Luella is enjoying the sun on the front porch. I remember Grandma's house well. I remember that rickety old mail box near the door.

Here we see Kim in the back yard with her teddy bear. She's enjoying life as an only child. Her joy is soon to be shattered with my birth.

This is a picture of Aunt Linda with the family dog Baron. Linda was 17 years old in this picture.
Mom says Baron was a good dog except he had a real problem with the mailman. He could never get close to the mailbox. It was a never ending struggle.

And one final picture of Linda on the slide at Spearfish Park, just below the family home. The building in the background was a large dance hall. Every Friday night Spearfish hosted a dance in the pavilion. Mom and her girlfriends attended most of the dances. Mom and dad knew each other as children and renewed their friendship at the dances. Mom remembers her great love of dancing and singing. Thanks to the dances they got together again - which resulted in all of us!

And so we close tonight's reunion in Spearfish South Dakota in the Spring of 1958.

Simply,
Victor