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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.

Sunday, November 16, 2014

The Williamson's of 38th Street Continues. Lisa, Annette, and Shocking Discoveries. Janice, We're On to You!

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
In today's digital family gathering we step back once again to the late 1970's and very early 1980's to see the Williamson's of 38th Street doing their best to eke out a middle class living on a shoestring budget in Rapid City, South Dakota.  These photos are taken fresh off the photo album vine, scanned and posted as is without regard to date, time or sequence.  As I've said before, I'll leave the organization of this family history to a yet unknown family member, who at some point in the future, will take my work in this blog and organize it into a sequential chaptered read for all to enjoy. Whoever you are, I'm thanking you from the past for finishing what I started.


The Williamsons of 38th Street Continued......  1970's to Early 1980's.



     This is Lisa Williamson taking the sun in our front yard at 2214 38th Street.  Judging by the condition of the lawn, I'd say this photo was taken in the fall or spring of the late 1970's.  Come to think of it, our lawn usually looked this ill even in the middle of summer, so who knows exactly when she sat for this portrait.  The chain fastened to the tree was either attached to Frosty, our dog with matted hair, or baby Annette - to keep her from trying to informally resign from the Williamson clan by darting into the street in front of a passing car.
     

     We didn't have a lot of money in those days so Christmas was reserved for the older siblings who had the mental capacity and holiday awareness to recognize and differentiate between a 'good' and 'bad' Christmas present.  As you can see from her expression in the photo above, Baby Annette was completely clueless regarding her plight due to her young age and overall cheery demeanor.
    To what am I inferring you ask?  Notice Baby Annette is holding her Christmas present for that year.  Who else but Annette would be so happy with a salt shaker?  Bless her heart, thanks to Annette's naivety, we all had a better Christmas.
     You're a sweetheart Annette - and don't even think of guilting our aging parents into making amends this upcoming Christmas by showering you with gifts of Christmas's past.  We all had our salt shaker time just like you.  It was all part of growing up a Williamson, so live with it :)    



     This is Jon Williamson's high school graduation photo (1980).  Jon was the sibling we kept locked up in the basement most of the time he was growing up.  You'll notice his gaunt appearance and 13 inch waist reflect his care.  Ma and Pa would let him out from time to time as long as one of us took responsibility and made sure he was found and secured before day's end.



     This is Janice Williamson's official 1980 Homecoming photo with her date for the evening, Don Christiansen.  Don is in the blue suit; Janice in the blue and white.  Janice claims she spent her entire high school years dateless, a premature spinster without prospects.  The photo above disproves her claim.  In fact, I'm sure that if I do a bit more digging, I may come up with a long list of broken hearts trailing in her wake from her time at Stevens High School. Perhaps her stories of spending weekends sorting socks while her friends partied are all fabrications to illicit sympathy. Perhaps it is Janice, not Kim, who holds the record of most successful basement window escapes from our home on 38th Street. 
     Janice, we're on to you, you little minx.

Simply,
Victor