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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.

Monday, December 21, 2015

Pictures from the Mattson Ranch Near Hammond, Montana. 1939-1942

The Walter Mattson Family, Montana 1939.
Violet, Luella, Walter

Hello!
     I'm on Christmas vacation for two weeks. Without the work of 70 sixth graders to keep me busy, I've got time to do a few family history posts in my long neglected blog. 
     In today's virtual family gathering, we'll be travelling back to the old Mattson ranch near Hammond, Montana. The years are 1939 to 1943ish.  Hammond lies nearly halfway between Broadus, Montana and Belle Fourche, South Dakota. The Mattsons lost the ranch in the mid 1950's and moved to Belle Fourche, South Dakota. 



     This is Hammond, Montana.  Not much there today - about the same back in the day.  The one room schoolhouse where the Mattson siblings attended school is still standing though no longer in use.


The one room schoolhouse (right)


This is Luella Mattson at age three or four.  All the pictures in today's post come from Grandma Mattson's ranch photo album.  These are the last pictures to be posted from the album.  The others were posted in previous entries.  


Luella with her doll and cowboy boots.



Luella standing in the doorway.  She is the last of our family to have lived a portion of her life without electricity or indoor plumbing.  


These are the only pictures we have of baby Walter Mattson.  He was born in October 1940 and died of pneumonia in December of that same year.  



Luella holding her younger brother Walter shortly before his death in 1940.



Violet Mattson holding her daughter Luella




Luella with her two grandmothers. Grandma Vesta on the left and Grandma Ida on the right. 





Grandma Vesta with granddaughter Luella.



Luella on a cold Montana winter day.



Luella with her father Walter on the ranch.



Grandma Vesta, mother of Violet, grandmother to Luella.



    Grandma Violet holding her firstborn Luella outside the ranch house in Montana. Walter Mattson's parents are standing in the background.  Both John Albert Mattson and Ida Tornberg immigrated from Sweden in their early years. 
    Our family sprang from very humble origins.   


 


Violet Mattson with Luella




 Violet Mattson and Luella




 Violet Mattson with the family pets


Luella with Grandma Vesta.



Luella Mattson



Luella held by her father Walter Mattson.




1 comment:

  1. I am doing my Williamson genealogy. I'm trying to find out if there is a connection. My grandfather's brother, Philomon Wesley Williamson purchased a farm and moved to SD around 1910. He had sold his farm in IA.
    Wesley and wife, Henrietta RYSDAM, had a very large family.
    The old farm is still near Vail, SD.
    Richard Williamson

    ReplyDelete