Yes, What Looks Like a Baby Girl in the Picture is Actually Grandpa Mattson

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello Family,
I'm walking to the other end of the campsite to sit down with the Mattsons. How is everyone doing? I've spent the last several posts with the Williamson side of our family and thought it best to post something on the Mattson's. Remember, I'm slowly working my way through all of Mom and Dad's pictures and documents.

The Queen Mother (Luella) is enjoying her life of leisure. She reads, watches TV, reads, drives her mobile living room around town (her Lincoln Town Car) eats, reads, goes out with her friends, eats, reads, plays sudoku, reads and talks to the TV and claps when she likes what she sees. With all this free time you'd think I could get her to sit down and write something.......

(Interruption: I was about to say that Mom has all the time in the world to write family history so I can post it but getting her to do it is something else. Well she just came upstairs with a file full of family history documents on the Mattson side. Mind you, she just dumped them into my lap but at least I can claim PROGRESS!)

OK. Today's Picture above.

This is a picture of Grandpa Mattson (Mom's Dad) sitting on the lap of his mother Ida. The woman standing behind them is Josephine Mattson Lidman, Albert Mattson's sister. The relationship follows:

Albert Mattson and Ida Thornberg
Josephine was Albert Mattson's Sister. That makes her our Great Great Aunt. She came over from Sweden before Albert, found work and helped to bring the rest of the family over.
to
Walter Mattson - Violet Pierce
to
Luella
to
Us

The picture was taken in Lead, South Dakota where the family lived at the time. The picture was taken in April 1912 to celebrate Grandpa Mattson's Baptism into the Lutheran Church.


Now, I don't speak Swedish and I don't know anyone that does, but I believe this is Grandpa Walter Mattson's Baptismal Certificate. It is religious and it is dated in April. Grandpa would have been three months old at the time. Lutheran's baptise babies so, put it all together and you get a baptism and a picture (although I think Grandpa may look older than a 3 month old baby. I'll let you moms out there correct me on that one).

This is the Marriage Certificate for Albert Mattson and Ida Thornberg

These are the signatures of the witnesses to the wedding.

OK, Have I done my bit for God and Country? I think so. I pronounce enough for today. There is so much to post and write about this American Dynasty it will take more than one life time. I'm hoping others out there will catch the spirit and start writing family history (I know some of you are doing it now). If you have written history (photos awesome too) please send it along so I can post it. I'm happy to type it into the computer if all you have are handwritten documents. I've got a computer scanner so if you send pictures or documents I'll scan them and return them.

Simply,
Victor