.

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.

Monday, June 18, 2012

Over the River and Through the Snow to Grandmother's House We Go....

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
We have visitors at the Fortress tonight.  Uncle John and Aunt Bev have ascended the mountain bringing pictures of our 1971 trip to Grandma and Grandpa Mattson's home in 1971.  While I type, Uncle John, Aunt Bev, Luella, Jilane and Lisa sit in the Great Room talking.  Uncle John is extolling the vertures of owning a mule over a horse.  The conversation then moved from mules to near death experiences while on horses.

These horse stories, while riveting and well worthy of a post all to themselves, must wait while I post these pictures and deliver them back to Aunt Bev.

Thanks Aunt Bev for finding these gems and bringing them up for scanning and posting.  Remember, I'm always looking for older pictures of our family.  If you can trace your linage to Grandma and Grandpa Mattson and / or  Grandma and Grandpa Williamson, then please look for old pictures and arrange a trip to the Fortress so I can get them scanned before time and light bleed the color away.   

To Grandma's House.  Harbor City, California

In March 1971, Uncle John and Aunt Bev decided to visit John's mother and father in California.  They invited Luella Mattson Williamson (John's sister) to go with them along with her two eldest children, my sister Kim and I to go along.  

This last week Aunt Bev sent me an email saying she had found several old pictures of the trip.  Tonight in our family digital gathering,  Bev and I will share these pictures with you.
  


Kim, Luella and I on "Its a Small World"



Kim and I on the Tea Cups.  I remember being sicker than a dog afterwords




Grandpa Mattson, Luella, Kim, Great Grandma Vesta, me, Grandma Mattson, 
Uncle John holding Kirk.



Same as the picture above, except John and Kirk are in the picture :)
(Bev took the picture. We could have suggested she take a step back to get everyone in the first time, but her way of solving the 'group is too large to fit on the picture' worked fine :)

Uncle John handing his eldest son Kirk to his Grandmother Vesta



Grandma and Grandpa Mattson.  1969

Luella, Bev holding Kirk, Great Uncle Walter (Violet's brother) behind Kirk, Violet, Kim, me, Great Grandma Vesta and Grandpa Mattson.

Great Grandma Vesta (Violet's mother) with baby Gina and Grandma Violet Mattson

Great Grandma Vesta with her two eldest great grandchildren Kim and Victor

Grandma and Grandpa Mattson's home in Harbor City, California

Great Grandma Vesta holding Gina

Grandma Mattson with her mother Vesta and brother Walter

Uncle John with Great Grandma Vesta, Gina and Grandma Mattson


Aunt Bev with Great Grandma Vesta holding Gina and Grandma Mattson.