More on our GG Grandparents, John Dennis and Isabella McCrillus and the Mormon Tabernacle

John Dennis and Isabella McCrillus

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello Family,
I just complete my first three day Space Camp for the summer season. Exhausted is a good descriptive word for my current state. I'm about to head back to the school for another one night camp. Crazy, but this is the time the Center makes much of its operating budget for the year so its "All Hands on Deck!"

I was fortunate to locate a relative of ours, Sara Abramowitz-Hill, a descendant of Levi Dennis and his first wife - Sarah Crippen. She had more information on our Great Great Grandfather and was happy to send it along for our history. Thank you Sara!

First, the relationship chart

This is the new information we have on John Dennis and his family, including John Dennis' work on the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City.

Simply,
Victor

John Dennis

Dennis Family History

We first fine the Dennis family in Knoxville, Tennessee. Levi Dennis met a young Lady, Sarah Crippen, who had been born in that city in 1816. Sarah was 26 years old when she and Levi were married in 1842. They had two sons, Jon and Edward. In 1846 the Dennis family moved to Sullivan County, Missouri. Levi died three weeks after they arrived in Missouri. In 1847 Sarah remarried Samuel Bingham.

The family lived in Missouri about 18 years. Sarah and Samuel had five more children, Mathew, Tom Jesse, Eliza and Barbara. Samuel served as Justice of the Peace.

In 1864, Edward joined the Confederate Army. After the war he moved to Montana. His descendants were lost to the family until 1957 when a letter was received from an Alic Irwin, a daughter of Edward.

John Dennis met Julia Spurlock in Missouri and he was married to her when he was 18 years old. They had six children, Sarah Martha, Nancy Jane, Minnie, Annie, Allie and John Jr. The oldest was Sarah Martha who was born in Union, Missouri in 1863.

When Sarah Martha was one years old the family left Missouri. They traveled in a covered wagon drawn by oxen and were part of a freight train. They headed for California but ended up in Utah and Wyoming. Nancy Jane and Annie were born at Fr. Bridger, Wyoming. During that time John Dennis worked in Salt Lake City helping to build the Mormon Tabernacle. They lived in the area six years.

The family moved to Ft. Collins, Colorado. John and Julia had three more children born in Colorado, Minnie, Allie and John Jr. On January 10, 1873, their son John Jr. was born. Julia died eleven days later and the little baby, John Jr. died in September of that same year. They were buried there in Bingham Hill Cemetery. Also buried there was Barbara, Samuel and Sarah’s youngest daughter. She died at the age of 19 from a nosebleed just before her planned wedding.

In 1878, John and his three oldest daughters, Mattie, Nancy and Annie left Colorado.. They traveled by train to a tie-camp in Wyoming. John left his two youngest girls, Minnie and Allie with relatives in Colorado.

From Wyoming, John and his three oldest daughters journeyed to Custer or Hill City in the Black Hills of South Dakota. They lived in that area for awhile while John worked in the mines. Then he became interested in Hot Springs and the family moved farther south.

Annie Tallent, who was the first white woman in the Black Hills, mentioned John Dennis in her writings. It seems that Col. Thornby and Professor Jennie, both prominent in the Hill’s History, had explored the area where Hot Springs would soon be. On their way back to Deadwood they stopped in Hill City and met a George Trimmer and a John Dennis who became the first settlers in Hot Springs.

John arrived at Hot Springs in 1880 and is considered to be the third settler in that valley. The 1880 census lists 28 people, among them John, his oldest three daughters and Thomas Bingham, who would be John’s half brother.

In 1883, John married our Great Great Grandmother, Mrs. Belle Helgerson who had a daughter Myra from a previous marriage. John and Belle had five more children, Joseph, Vesta, Raymond, Emma and John. At some time, John also became reunited with his other two younger daughters, Minnie and Allie. Belle was the first school teacher in the Hot Springs area.

John’s mother, Sarah, her husband and their family were also in Hot Springs at that time. Their oldest son, Matthew, played the fiddle and was said to make music for many dances in the town. Matthew’s son Fred, was married to Edna, Sarah and Samuel’s next son Tom, discovered Wind Cave in 1881 when he was out hunting. Their sister, Eliza was married and remained in Colorado.

John and Belle had a wonderful garden in Hot Springs. It was reported that he harvested 24000 pounds of onions and he must have cultivated quite an area ash he also had ten foot high corn and harvested grain. He also promised a July picnic for which he would furnish the watermelon. It was said that it would be for “Everybody and his dog!” During that time he made many trips back to Custer to sell his produce.

In 1880, John, Belle and family moved to a ranch near Cascade. One account said that he traded his property in Hot Springs for the ranch which his son-in-law George Turner, had owned. His third Great Grandson, Alan Hill, now owns that property.

The Dennis family lived at the Cascade ranch for about seven years. During that time they had many tragedies. In 1891, their six year old son, John, died. John’s mother, Sarah Bingham, died at their three year old son, Raymond, drowned in the Cheyenne River. That same year, John’s daughter, Annie, from his first marriage, died - leaving a three month old baby who also died in January of 1892. Then in February of 1892, John and Belle’s little five year old daughter, Emma, also died.

Our Great Great Grandmother Belle died in 1896 after which John just lived a few months over a year. He had pneumonia and Charles Row, his son-in-law, moved him to Hot Springs in a closed carriage to be nearer the doctor but he died in April 1897. He was only 53 years old. He had led such an interesting life and been so many different places in such a short life. It is simply amazing to contemplate. John was a member of the 7th Day Adventist Church.

John wrote a will stating that if he died before his children, James and Vesta, that they should be cared for by his daughter, Nancy Roe.

Our Persecuted 8th Great Grandparents. Devoted Quakers. (Williamson Line)

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Today we read about our 8th Great Grandparents, Francis and Grace Standfield (along the Williamson Family Line - See Relationship Chart Below). Needless to say I'm humbled by the hardships our Williamson ancestors suffered because of their Quaker religion and desire to worship God according to the dictates of their own conscious. This religious stubbornness and determination is a reoccurring theme throughout our family's early history along many lines.

As a Williamson family, lets not forget the sacrifices made by our ancestors in the establishment of this "one nation, under God with liberty and justice for all." Let's especially remember their hardships as the July 4th holiday approaches. Perhaps a short discussion of our family's history would be appropriate during your celebrations. It would make an interesting discussion around the barbecue.

And now, please take a moment and read about our Great Grandparents, Francis and Grace Standfield.

Simply,
Victor

The Story of Francis and Grace Standfield

Francis Standfield, a Quaker, was a (farmer) who brought his family to Pennsylvania from Cheshire, England in 1683. They arrived July 29, 1683, aboard the ship “Endeavor” of Liverpool, George Thorpe, Master. The Endeavor was one of the ships that brought many of the original Quaker settlers to the Pennsylvania Province beginning in 1682. William Penn made at least one voyage on the Endeavor, when he returned to England in 1684.

Francis and his wife, Grace, brought with them five children, James, Mary, Sarah, Elizabeth, Grace and Hannah; and eight servants, Daniel Browne, Thomas Marsey, Isa. Brookesby, Robert Sidbotham, John Smith, Robert Bryan, William Rudway and Thomas Sidbotham. A sixth child, Deborah, was born after the arrival in Pennsylvania. At the time of the the Standfields’ arrival, there were less than 80 houses in Philadelphia, and less than 400 farms in Pennsylvania. William Penn had arrived aboard the “Welcome” only a few months previously to found his new colony, offering religious tolerance and openly welcoming members of the Society of Friends (Quakers).

Quaker Persecution

Francis Standfield had good reason to join Penn in the new colony. When George Fox started the Quaker movement soon after 1650, it spread rapidly in the northern counties of England. The Standfields had been in Yorkshire for generations, and were among the first to embrace the Quaker religion. They were persecuted, their property was siezed, and had other sufferings along with their Quaker brethren. Abraham Standfield, son of James Stansfield of Brighouse and possibly a brother of Francis, died with wife Lydia in 1669, while imprisoned in York Castle.

In 1670, our Grandfather Francis was arrested for attending a Quaker meeting at Cartop (Carthorpe), and had property seized for tithes. Like many other Quakers, Francis moved his family from place to place attempting to escape persecution, which varied by locality and changing times. It was probably about 1670 when Francis and Grace moved into Cheshire. They lived first at Marthall, on the southwest side of Manchester near Knutsford. Daughter Grace was born at nearby Marple, and the family was at Gorton (central Manchester) just prior to the emigration.

By 1683, Francis and Grace made the decision to emigrate. They knew that ship travel in 1683 was a deplorable and dangerous experience. Passengers were forced to take their own provisions aboard, and the ship’s drinking water was vile and unsanitary. Many ships arrived in the colonies with a high percentage of the passengers either ill or dead. The “Brittannia” once arrived in Pennsylvania with so many passenger losses and orphaned children, it was long called the “sick ship.” Nevertheless, Francis and Grace Standfield were desperate enough to brave the journey with five children. The family was lucky to escape England with considerable assets. In some localities, affluent Quakers were commonly fined up to a third of their assets upon being arrested. Even though Francis is known to have suffered some seizure of property, he was able to bring his wife, five children, and eight indentured servants, and still be able to purchase a large parcel of land in Chester County, Pennsylvania, for his initial estate.

Survey maps of 1683 show a 600-acre lot in Marple, on the west side of Philadelphia, for Francis Standfield. The lot was bounded by Crum Creek on the west, and by two lots on the east which extended to Darby Creek. A 1687 map shows joint ownership of the lot with son James.

The Stanfields were among the earliest settlers of Marple. They may have been instrumental in naming the town, after their former village of Marple in Cheshire. The parents seem to have been about 40 years old at the time of coming to this country. In that formative period, consequent upon the settlement of a new country, religious meetings were held at private houses, until some one place had been determined upon. During this period one or more meetings were held at the house of Francis Stanfield.

Although he called himself a farmer upon arrival, he and son James quickly built up a thriving trading business. They had a two-masted ship, the Brigantine “Betsy,” and apparently were involved in the Barbados sugar and rum trade. They had major business dealings with the family of John Fisher of Philadelphia and Sussex County, who may have come with Penn on the “Welcome.” They also did business with James Logan, private secretary to William Penn.

Relationship Chart

Francis Stanfield b. 1642 England. married Grace Achelly b. 1646 England.
to
Sarah Stansfield b. ? England. married Edward Bennett b. 1656. England
to
Joseph Bennet b. 1704 Pennsylvania. married Rebecca Fincher b. 1704.
to
Phebe Bennett. married John Willis
to
Bennett Willis married Katherine Nosseman
to
Jonathan Willis married Anabella Phlegar
to
Margaret Ann Willis married George Matthew Williamson
to
William J. Williamson married Effie Helen Victor
to
Vennie, Ima Della, Inez, Lillie Ethel, Josie, Emmett, Walt, Charles married Elda, Maurice.
to
Charles Williamson married Luella Mattson
to
Kim, Victor, Kevin, Jon, Janice, Jilane, Lisa, Annette.

Our Family Heritage. Sweden

Från Fästningen i Ensamhet
Trevlig Lund

Yes, you're correct. The above reads, "From the Fortress of Solitude, Pleasant Grove".
Our family has strong Swedish roots through the Mattson line. Our Great Grandparents emigrated from Sweden at the turn of the Century meaning we still have family in Sweden that may remember us. It would be good (but never easy) to find them.

Today, we enjoy a bit of Swedish culture with this popular Swedish folk song. Enjoy the melody and pay attention to the language. Its the language our Great Grandparents spoke to each other.



And of course, there are Swedish Folk Dances.........



helt enkelt
Victor

Our 13th Great Grandfather, Edward Stanley. A Major Figure During the Reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth I.

Edward Stanley, 3rd Earl of Derby.

Our 13th Great Grandfather (Williamson Line)

Our 13th Great Grandfather was Edward Stanley, the 3rd Earl of Derby. He was born on May 10, 1509. When he was 13 years old he was given all the the titles and estates of his father, the 2nd Earl of Derby. The following are highlights from his life:

Cardinal Thomas Wolsey

• King Henry VIII took responsibility for raising Edward until he was of age.
• Cardinal Thomas Wolsey was appointed Edward's guardian.
  
• In 1528 he accompanied the Cardinal on a mission to France.
• In 1530 he was one of the leaders of the delegation that gave Pope Clement VII the declaration regarding Henry VIII’s divorce from Catherine of Aragon.
• In 1530 he married the Duke of Norfolk’s half sister. She died a few weeks later of the plague. Later he married the Dukes other half sister, our Great Grandmother Dorothy.
• In 1532 Edward accompanied Henry VIII on a visit to France to meet with King Francis I. Afterwords, Edward became a Knight of the Bath.
• A few years later Edward played a major role in crushing the Pilgrimage of Grace, a large mainly church related rebellion which started in Lincolnshire and spread into North England

  The Pilgrimage of Grace in 1536 was a rising of Roman Catholics in N England. It was a protest against the government's abolition of papal supremacy (1534) and confiscation (1536) of the smaller monastic properties, intensified by grievances against inclosures and high rents and taxes. The Catholics protested their loyalty to Henry VIII, citing as their “great grudge” the position and influence of Thomas Cromwell. In Oct., 1536, several thousand men occupied the city of Lincoln, but dispersed after receiving a sharp rebuke from the king. Almost immediately, another rally occurred in Yorkshire. The movement, which rapidly gathered strength in N England, was led by Robert Aske, a Yorkshire lawyer. Aske and his followers occupied York and then moved on to Doncaster. Thomas Howard, 3d duke of Norfolk, promised from the king a general pardon and a Parliament to be held at York within a year. The men dispersed. Aske was well received by the king in London. In Jan., 1537, Sir Francis Bigod of Settrington, Yorkshire, led an uprising at Beverley. Although Aske and other leaders of the Pilgrimage of Grace tried to prevent this new disorder, they were arrested, tried in London, and executed in June, 1537. The northern counties were placed under martial law, and many people were hanged on mere suspicion of disaffection. The repression in N England after the Pilgrimage of Grace put an end to open opposition to the government's religious policy.

  
  
  The Banner of the Plgrimage of Grace
• In 1542 Edward accompanied the Duke of Norfolk on a raid into Scotland.
• Edward became a Knight of the Garter when Henry VIII’s son Edward VI ascended to the throne in 1547.
• In 1550 Edward was one of the peers who were present at the peace proceedings with Scotland and France.
• He was appointed Lord High Steward and became of member of Queen Mary’s Privy Council.
• He was a commissioner of Lady Jane Grey’s trail and was frequently present during the trials of accused heretics.

  Lady Jane Grey (1536/1537 – 12 February 1554) was a claimant to the Kingdom of England and Kingdom of Ireland, having been the eldest granddaughter of Mary Tudor, Queen of France, making her the great-niece of Henry VIII. She was de facto monarch of England after the death of Edward VI for just over a week in July 1553. Residing in the Tower of London during her short reign, she never left the premises again. Her execution in February 1554 was caused by her father's involvement in Wyatt's rebellion against the rule of Queen Mary. Lady Jane Grey's rule of less than two weeks is the shortest rule of England in its history. Those historians that consider her a monarch have taken either the day of her proclamation as queen, 10 July, or that of her predecessor's death, 6 July, as the beginning. Hence her popular names of "The Nine Days' Queen" or, less commonly, "The Thirteen Days' Queen".
  

  • 

• Queen Elizabeth I appointed him to her Privy Council. The Queen appointed him Chamberlain of Chester.
• He died on October 24, 1572 at the age of 63.

Relationship Chart

Edward Stanley

Dorothy Howard married Edward Stanley, Earl of Derby
to
Jane Stanley married Edward Sutton, Baron of Dudley
to
Edward Sutton's mistress was Elizabeth Tomlinson
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Ann Sutton married John Bagley
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Edward Bagley married Ann Gregorie
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Ann Bagley married William Brinton
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John Willis married Ester Brinton
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Henry Willis married Mary Rachel Underwood
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John Willis - Phebe Bennett
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Bennett Willis - Katherine Nosseman
to
Jonathan Willis - Anabella Phlegar
to
Margaret Ann Willis - George Matthew Williamson
to
William J. Williamson - Effie Helen Victor
to
Vennie, Ima Della, Inez, Lillie Ethel, Josie, Emmett, Walt, Charles, Maurice.
to
Charles and Luella (my parents)
to
Us

And Again, More from Edge of Civilization in Montana.

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

I walked to school today. It was a beautiful morning. The mountains were green and the air smelt of lilac and freshly cut grass. My walk home this evening was just as pleasant. Gray rolling clouds were settling over Mt. Timpanogoes and the air convinced me rain was close at hand. I feared I'd be caught up in torrents before reaching the Fortress. My fear was unfounded. If it had rained, then it evaporated before hitting the ground.

Tonight I'd like to share a few more pictures from the Mattson Ranch in Montana in the 1940's.

Would you like to venture a guess on the identity of this wee lad? He is the fourth born of Walter and Violet Mattson. His name is John Edward Mattson. Grandma Violet's handwriting in the photo album says he is 3 and 1/2 months old.

This wee lass should be easy to name if you know your Mattson history. Walter and Violet had five children, three boys and two daughters. One boy died as an infant. If Luella is the oldest child that leaves Linda as the only other girl. Linda Mattson is pictured here at 11 months old. I wonder what she's holding. Perhaps a shoe. I'm sure they had to quickly snap this picture before the shoe went straight into the mouth.

And here they all are a wee bit older. Marvin is the only one missing.
And now a special treat....... We step into our magical time machine, push a few buttons and suddenly the world goes from black and white to color.


Luella and John are older still. Ancient no, but older yes. Can you see the family resemblance?
I know what you thought first. Sticking right out for the world to see are two Mattson noses. How many of us were luckily enough to inherit such well defined genetic landmarks?

This picture was taken in 1999 at a wedding reception. They've come a long way since the days of kerosene lamps and an outhouse one stone's throw from their little home on the Montana prairie and Oh, the stories they tell of snow drifts so high you could reach out and touch the moon and winter nights so cold they'd have to find their frozen pets every morning and thaw them back to life in front of the fire. Stories that need to be told and recorded, and then, only then, can we read them and wonder how any of them survived those many years on the frontier of civilization.

Simply,
Victor

Orginial Documents for the Mattson Family Ranch in Montana

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Everything and Anything pertaining to our family history is fair game for this blog. Let no stone be unturned, no story untold and no document not displayed and archived. Tonight I'd like to show you three documents from our family's ranch near Piniele Montana.

This first document (click to enlarge) is the filing for the homestead. I believe the date is October 13, 1916. This gives the physical location of the ranch along with the fees for the land and the filing. The document is signed by Albert Mattson, my GGGrandfather.

The second document is a letter from the State of Montana recording the brands for the Mattson Ranch to be used on cattle and horses.

The last document illustrates where the brands were to be placed on the animals.

So there you have it. The family brand. I'm guessing it is still legal, meaning if you wanted to mark your children as yours you could always use the Mattson brand. Mind you, I wouldn't use the branding iron - you'd be run in for abuse. I suggest a tattoo right on the forehead. That will do the trick with a minimum amount of fuss and bother.

Simply,
Victor

Gaelic song - Ar Éirinn Ní Neosfainn Cé Hí

Our family descends from many regions of Europe. Ireland is one of them. As I done in previous posts, I'd like us to enjoy something from this homeland of our ancestors, sung in their native Gaelic.
Please enjoy this moment with Ireland.

John Dennis and Isabella McCrillus, Our Great Great Grandparents and Their Hardships.

John Dennis and Isabella McCrillus, Our Great Great Grandparents.

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello Family,
And what a find Memorial Day it is. This is the day we remember our dead and therefore a fitting day to write another post honoring the memory of our ancestors that went before us. Today I'd like to tell you more about our Great Great Grandparents John Dennis and Isabelle McCrillus. Today I'd like to share information taken from the Hot Springs Star about the Dennis family.
We begin as always with the Relationship Chart. Below you'll find two charts. The first is for John Dennis' first marriage to Julia Mary Spurlock.

The second chart below is the Relationship Chart for his second wife, our Great Great Grandmother Isabella McCrillus.

The following information is taken directly as written from the local newspaper in Hot Springs, The Hot Springs Star. The dates are given. This reads as a string of tragedies. Put yourself into the mind of our Great Great Grandparents as you read about the last six years of their lives in Hot Springs South Dakota.

September 18, 1891.

Edward, the three year old child of John and Bella Dennis near Cascade, drowned Friday. La Fluche and Colvert, the undertakers, have charge. Burial at Evergreen Cemetery.
The three year old child of John and Bella Dennis, who reside on a ranch south of Cascade, near the Cheyenne River, fell into the river and was drowned on Friday. Full particulars have not been learned, but it is supposed that while playing near it, and before help could arrive, the little one was at last overcome in the water of the Cheyenne. Mr. and Mrs. Dennis had had his heart full of sorrow the past few months we understand, having had sickness in the family for several weeks.
The funeral of the Edward Dennis occurred today from their home at Cascade and was attended by a large number of friends. The remains were interred in the Hot Springs Cemetery.

October 16, 1891

Died in this city on Wednesday, October 14, Mrs. Annie Powell, wife of A.A. Powell. Annie was the daughter of John Dennis and his first wife Julia Spurlock and was born on September 21, 1867. Married 1884. 3 children, 2 of whom have died and a baby of 3 months survives. Funeral was from residence of George Turner. She has been seriously sick for about two weeks.

January 29, 1892.

Died. Infant son of A.A. Powell and Grandson of John Dennis, Wednesday.

February 19, 1891

Died on Saturday, February 14, 1891 at residence of G.A.Turner, Johnny. 2nd son of Mr. and Mrs. Dennis. Age 5 years, 8 months and 23 days.

February 23, 1891

Mrs.Sarah Bingham, mother of John Dennis, aged about 75 died at the residents of Charles E Roe whose wife is her granddaughter. Buried the 23rd. Died of pneumonia, Born near Knoxville, Tennessee in 1816. In 1842 married Levi Dennis. Two boys John and Edward were born. In 1846 immigrated to Sullivan Co. Mo. Levi Dennis died three weeks after arrival. There she married Samuel Bingham - 2 girls and 3 boys were born. In 1864 they went to Utah and back to Colorado. Then to Hot Springs in 1880. Mr. Dennis’ family has been singularly afflicted this year, he having lost his mother, Mr. Bingham; his daughter, Mrs. Powell; two younger children and now his grandchild, son of his late daughter who died four months earlier.

January 26, 1896

The wife of John Dennis, Isabel Deanora Helgerson McCrillus dies in Hot Springs.

September 18, 1896

John Dennis, one of Cascade’s most energetic and successful grangers, spent a few days in Hot Springs during the past weeks. Mr. Dennis is suffering considerably from bronchial afflictions and expected to spend the winter in the south for the benefit of his health. The Star sincerely hopes that he will secure relief.

February 19, 1897

Dr. Holmes was called to Cascade Tuesday to attend John Dennis who is seriously ill with pneumonia.

April 16, 1897

Charley Roe came in from Cascade Wednesday for a closed carriage in which to bring John Dennis to Hot Springs in order that he may be nearer his physician. He is suffering from pleurisy and lung affliction and is in a critical condition.

April 28, 1897

John Dennis died in Hot Springs.

Nancy Jane Dennis Roe

After the death of her parents, our Great Grandmother Vesta (then 5 years old) and her 14 year old brother James L. Dennis moved into the home of her 1/2 sister Nancy Jane Dennis and her husband Charles Roe. They lived near Hot Springs along the Cheyenne River in South Dakota.

Vesta Dennis Age 3. Taken at Hot Springs South Dakota in 1895.
Her mother died one year later. Her father died two years after this picture was taken.

Her full brother Joseph L. Dennis appears in the 1920 census living in San Francisco California, living in a lodging house, age 36 and single.

I’m still looking for more information Great Grandmother Vesta’s siblings and their descendants.

Simply,
Victor

The Hunt for our Great Great Uncles and Aunts. Williamson Line.

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello Williamsons,
Once again I'm on the hunt for the families of my Great Great Aunts and Uncles, the brothers and sisters of our common ancestor William Jonathan Williamson. Today I focused on our Great Great Aunt Bertha May Williamson.

Click to Enlarge

This is what I know so far:

Bertha May Williamson
Born May 13, 1875. Adams Iowa
Death July 18, 1959. Lead, South Dakota

Married Joseph Price Hines in 1897.

Children of Bertha Williamson and Joseph Hines:

1. Lula Hines: Born abt. 1899
2. Ralph Hines:

• Born Sept. 22, 1900 Rapid City SD.
• Died: March 28, 1966 Lead SD.
• Married: Irene Gertrude Hawken on March 25, 1897 in Sundance Wyo.
• Children: 1 known. Patricia Maud Hines b. July 3, 1923 in Gillette Wyo.

3. Jenn Hines: Born abt. 1901
4. Glenn Hines:

• Born abt. 1903
• Married: Hazel Marie Mills, 1923 in SD.
• Children: Jean Hines. South Dakota. Died 1984.

5. Dorris Hines:

• Born January 8, 1904. Nemo SD.
• Died: October 25, 2000 in Clarkson Mtn. View Rapid City. SD. Buried
• Black Hills National Cemetary. Sturgis SD.
• Married: Albert Herman “Snoozer” Hausle on July 6, 1926 in Deadwood SD.
• Children: Earl A. Hausle. Born. January 1, 1927. Died abt. 1945.

6. Charles Hines: Born abt. 1905
7. Chelsie Hines: Born abt. 1907
8. Hazel Hines: Born abt. 1908
9. Donald Hines: Born abt. 1909

Of course this means we have cousins living in the Black Hills descended from Bertha with the last names of Hines and Hausle. Does anyone know of them? Perhaps some of you in South Dakota might have some time to try to track some of them down (phone book etc). All help in locating this family line would be appreciated!

Simply,
Victor

Comment from Lee Madison:

Hello again Victor

I just read your blog and remembered my Father Gene Madison worked at Moskee Wyo. in the Homestake lumber camp in the lates thirties. I kept an old newspaper article from the Rapid City Journal from some years back and found a picture of my father with several other lumber jacks. Two of these lumber jacks in the picture were Chelsey and Glenn (Bozy) Hines. It's a small world for this picture was taken in 1938 before my Father met my Mother. My Mother Teresa Martin never mentioned she was related to the Hines boys but often mentioned them in conversations. Lee

A Collection From the Mattson Albums.

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

It's a quiet Sunday on the hillside. Bright skies will bring warmer temperatures and the first hint of summer's heat arrives at the end of this week.

The school year is over. It's sobering to think of the number of years I've spent in school. I started Kindergarten in September 1963. That means I've spent 45 years of my life in some form of school from elementary to junior and senior high to university right into teaching (minus two years of missionary service). The rhythm of the school year is firmly rooted into my psyche. There is a beginning to every year and an end. It is my cycle of life - always beginning and always ending. At the end students leave and at the beginning students arrive. The realization of this cycle strikes unexpectedly at the start of the school year when one of your new boys or girls walks up to you and says, "You were my mom's teacher!"
That's when you ask for a chair and a cold glass of water.

Today for our virtual family gathering I'd like to show you several pictures of Grandma Violet and her family. Each picture reminds me of how lucky we are to have what we have. Each picture shows how quickly life passes, which is a reminder to us all to enjoy every moment we have with friends and loved ones.

This is one of my favorite pictures of Grandma Violet taken in 1933. She is fifteen years old . So many of Grandma's physical traits can be seen in the faces of her descendants. Think of everyone you know in the extended family that resembles her in some way.

Walter and Violet's wedding picture taken on June 12, 1938 in Pomona, California. Walter was 26 years old. Violet was 20. This marriage was lucky to have happened at all. Walter was schedule to travel to South America to work, but discovered the ship was gone when he arrived in San Diego. With no plans, Walter headed north for Montana with plans to make a quick stop in LA to visit his friend Walter, Violet's brother. And as they say, the rest is history and here we all are.

A young couple enjoying an afternoon together. I'm guessing this was taken in California around the time of their wedding.

The young Mattson family sat for their first family portrait in Belle Fourche in 1939. My mother Luella, was their fist child born on January 14, 1939. This was originally a black and white picture until Violet colored it by hand, something she enjoyed doing as a hobby. This picture was taken at the start of World War II, shortly after Germany's invasion of Poland.

Luella is older now. This picture was taken around 1942.

A picture of Violet taken in May, 1938 in Ganesha Park, Pomona CA.

And another picture of Violet in her fairly skimpy summer wear! This was taken on the Montana ranch. It must have been a good day to catch a bit of sun. Nice pose Grandma. I'm wondering if you were going for the "Calendar Girl" look common from the magazines of the day. This is the kind of picture I think Grandpa would have carried around in his wallet and produced with pride whenever the boys would get together for a drink and someone would ask to see a picture of his wife.
"Wow, what a looker!" I'm sure he heard many times.

Luella's school pictures. First or second grade I think. The picture on the right is my favorite. It gives mom that dignified, well refined appearance befitting a Montana princess.

OK, compare the earlier picture of Luella with this one above. What happened to the well bred Montana Princess? I'm guessing the reality of ranch life got the best of her. Luella is standing on the left with her younger sister Linda. Can you see and hear them running and jumping across those dusty Montana fields in the heat of the summer's day. It must have been a magical place to grow up.

The Mattson children on what appears to be an early version of a 4 wheeler. From left to right we have Linda, John, Marvin and Luella in the driver's seat.

Another shot of the Mattson children on the ranch. The seasons changed and now its the dead of winter. This is their detached garage. You can see the car behind that towering snow drift. I'm thinking that digging the car out of the garage was the plan, right after the picture was taken of course.

Two pictures of Luella taken in 1950. She's only 11 years old. Mom always said she was the tallest in her class. Kind of strange to think of mom on a horse, isn't it?

Grandma Violet in September 1960 sitting in her brother's living room in San Bernardino, CA. The bird belong to her brother Walter. She was vising from South Dakota. She was visiting when Diane had surgery to remove a ruptured kidney.

Grandma is older now. In this photograph we see her with her mother Vesta and brother, Walter. On her right is Diane's Uncle Forrest. Violet and her mother are holding hands. It's a touching reminder of the loving bond shared between a mother and her only daughter. The photo was taken in the Mondier home in Riverside, CA. It was taken following the funeral of Grandma Vesta's 3rd husband, Jim Logan on May 4, 1968.

Grandma spent much of her last years living alone in a trailer park in Rapid City. She visited us often at 2214 38th Street and we included her in our family activities. Grandpa Walter died some years earlier leaving Grandma little money except a small pension from social security. She watched her money closely and had Uncle John there to help whenever she got into a pinch.

The trailer was a good place for her. It was affordable and she didn't have stairs to navigate. This picture shows her in her trailer's kitchen. She was a great cook. Her fried chicken and gravy was to die for.

I was happy when she was accepted into an assisted living apartment building closer to our home on Jackson Blvd. She had others her age to associate with and there were care givers in the facility that came whenever she pushed the "Call" button near her front door. She still had her independence and car so she could visited her family and friends.

Grandma died shortly after the above photo was taken. She'd returned from buying groceries at Safeway and put the unemptied bags on the kitchen counter to sit down in her chair for a moment to "catch her breath" as she always said. That's where they found her the next morning, grocery bags still full on the counter.

Simply,
Victor