Our 8th Great Grandparents. Rebels with a Cause! (Williamson Side)

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello Williamsons,
Many of you remember me saying at our last family get together at Kim's home in Highland, that many of our ancestors seemed to be very stubborn, pig headed and down right rebellious when it came to religion and authority. We laughed as we talked, realizing that those same traits of stubbornness seasoned with a healthy dose of pig headedness seemed to have travelled through the gene pool and across generations into many of us!

Tonight, in our digital family reunion, we take a moment to once again talk about our 8th Great Grandparents, Henry Willis and Mary Pease. Let us begin with the all too familiar Relationship Chart.

Henry Willis and Mary Pease
to
John Willis and Ester Brinton
to
Henry Willis and Mary Rachel Underwood
to
John Willis and Phebe Bennett
to
Bennett Willis and Katherine Nosseman
to
Jonathan Willis and Anabella Phlegar
to
Margaret Ann Willis and George Matthew Williamson
to
William J. Williamson and Effie Helen Victor
to
Vennie, Ima Della, Inez, Lillie Ethel, Josie, Emmett, Walt, Charles, Maurice.
to
Charles Williamson and Luella Mattson
to
Kim, Victor, Kevin, Janice, Jon, Jilane, Lisa and Annette

The following information was taken Information taken from Friends Intelligencer. March 2, 1872. Please remember that Quakers refer to themselves as Friends.

In my research I learned that the earliest mention of Quaker meetings in Westbury, New York (sometimes called Woodedge and Plainedge) was March 23, 1671. Friends (Quakers) met at the houses of Henry Willis and Edmund Titus, two prominent Friends who “soon felt the strong arm of the law”. On August 15, 1678, George Masters, a tailor from New York became engaged to marry Mary Willis. Their plans were brought to the Friends meeting. The Friends appointed Samuel Spicer, John Tilton, Mary Willis and Martha Titus to “inquire of their clearness of all other persons”.

On September 9, 1678 Mary Willis and George Masters were married in the home of Henry Willis during the Quaker meeting. This action was in violation of the law. The Court of Sessions fined Henry Willis 10 pounds. Henry Willis refused to pay. The Court demanded an “execution issued forth” and Joseph Lee, under sheriff, seized Henry’s barn of corn.

Henry Willis appealed to the Governor on May 4, 1680 for redress.

In 1687 a new Presbyterian minister, Jeremiah Hobart, was appointed for the village of Hempstead. According to the law, the villagers were required to ‘provide’ for the new minister. It appears Henry Willis, along with other Quakers, refused. There are records that the constables demanded Henry pay 34 shillings toward the building of the priest’s home. Upon his refusal one cow worth 4 pounds 10 shillings was taken.

On December 30th of the same year the constables demanded Henry pay 2 pounds 17 shillings for the priest’s wages. Henry refused, upon which eight sheep worth 4 pounds 14 shillings were taken.

On November 29, 1687 Henry Willis and Edmund Titus petitioned the Governor for relief saying,

“They have already suffered in the spoil of their goods for the setting up and upholding a worship in the town of Hempstead, which in their conscience they believe to be not the true worship of God; and are again threatened to have a part of their effects taken from them toward the maintenance of Jeremiah Hobart whom in conscience they cannot maintain, knowing him to be no minister of Christ; and so are no way concerned with any agreement made with him. The taking of our goods is contrary to the laws which give liberty of conscience to all persuasions.”

It appears the minister was at last forced to leave by reason of numbers of his congregation turning Quakers and many others being so irreligious that they wouldn’t contribute to the support of the church.

Quaker records report that on November 7, 1714 Henry Willis, aged 86 died.

“He received the Truth [ joined the Quakers ] soon after its breaking forth in these latter days, and in very early life suffered much mocking, stoning, beating, bruising and imprisoning in old England.”

As you can see, life in pre Constitutional America was quite different. In these posts we are beginning to sense the growing frustrations in the colonists for basic rights, such as the freedom of religion.

As they say in Australia
"Good On Ya Gramps!"


And Now, A Side Note

Before closing this reunion, I'd like to show you two Willis properties that are on the National Historic Register. Both were built by William Willis, our first cousin 7 times removed. William was the Great Grandson of Henry Willis.

The Willis House (135 Willis Road) was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
The William Willis House built by William Willis in 1762 is significant for its associations with the early brick industry and the English Quaker Willis family who was influential in 18th and 19th century York.

The York Quaker Meetinghouse was originally constructed in 1766 as a one and one-half story brick building, two bays in width, with a gable roof and side chimney.
The York Meetinghouse, originally constructed in 1766, is the oldest religious building in the City of York. The York Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, once one of the largest religious bodies in the city, still holds weekly worship services for its nine members.

William Willis completed the masonry work in 1766. He was also one of the major financial contributors for buying the land and erecting the meetinghouse. Betty Willis was buried in the meeting's graveyard in 1769. William Willis was appointed overseer of the York meeting in 1768 and was listed as an elder when he died in 1801, at age seventy-four.

Simply,
Victor

A Deep Memory of Our Past.

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

We start this bonny July morning with another one of this blog's cultural posts. This music by Enya, sung in Gaelic, evokes such a powerful sense of elder times and powerful wistfulness for the land of our Celtic ancestors. Relax, enjoy a morning cup of tea in the true British sense and listen as Enya pulls from you an inherited memory of this land and people from whom we've descended.

And, in my opinion, Enya is magic embodied.



Simply,
Victor

Our 3rd Great Grandfather and Grandmother, Elijah and Unicy Victor.

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello to All,
Once again I'm at the computer and happy to introduce you to more of our ancestors. Tonight's information for our digital reunion comes from Brent Heeren of Toledo, Iowa, a cousin on the Victor side of our family. Brent and I have been in contact as we both try to push the boundary and learn more about the Victor family. Brent received the information below from another cousin, Rob Livingston. This information presented tonight comes from the the Bible of Elijah Victor Sr. The rest of the information came from census records and the death index. Thanks to both gentlemen.

First, the Relationship Chart.
We begin tonight by meeting our 4th Great Grandfather, Magor Victor. I'm amused by his first name. Have you ever heard of anyone named Magor? Perhaps you'd like to name a member of your family after him. Yes, I doubt that will happen. You know, odd names like Magor can help in the search for family, so it has its advantages.

According the Victor family bible, our 3rd Great Grandfather, Elijah Victor was born to Magor and his wife on January 6, 1785. Elijah had the following brothers and sisters:

• September 6, 1789, William G. Victor son of Magor is born. William married Marth(a) February 15, 1835. William died July 8, 1841.
• September 17, 1787, Henry Victor, son of Magor is born. Henry died April 8, 1808.
• March 22, 1791, Sarah Victor daughter of Magor is born. Sarah died February 27, (1811?), From the Holy Bible of Elijah Sr.: Sarah Victor married John Grure April 30, 1846.
  
• April 18, 1820 Magor died at age 64

The following information concerns our 3rd Great Grandfather Elijah.
In the 1820 Census: Elijah Victor lived at the following location: Township: North West Fork Hundred, County: Sussex, State: Delaware.

• January 6, 1785, Elijah Victor, son of Magor is born.
• February 21, 1811, Elijah Victor married Unicy.
• July 30, 1812, Nancy Victor daughter of Elijah and Unicy is born. Nancy died July 21 1820.
• July 29, 1814, Daniel Victor is born, Daniel died: November 5, 1815.
• February 6, 1817, Mary Victor is born. Mary married Peter Snider December 17, 1835. Mary died April 5, 1852.
• February 18, 1819, Whitty Victor is born. Whitty was married November 6, 1845. Married Nancy Morris November 6, 1846.
• October 8, 1821, William Victor is born. William married Sila Jones July 14, 1847.
• July 6, 1823, Elvara Victor is born. Elvara married William Brown September 2, 1845.
• June 5, 1825, Unicy Victor is born. Unicy died November 25, 1826.
• February 24, 1826, Marriage of Elijah Victor to Elizabeth Hollis (Elijah’s second wife) in Sussex, Delaware.

Note that our 2nd Great Grandfather, Whitty (Whitley) was Elijah and Unicy's fourth child. Whitty married our Great Grandmother Nancy Morris on November 6, 1846.

According to the Family History Library, microfilm reference number: 0006422.
Elizabeth Hollis married Elijah Victor a carpenter and widower who then took the family to Shelby, Indiana. Elizabeth’s previous husband, Eli Hollis of Sussex County, Delaware, died in some mishap with his son, possibly killed by Indians. Elizabeth died in Shelby County and Elijah remarried to Mary Young, his third wife. This date is in question with the following date taken from the Victor Family Bible: Elijah Victor and Eliza (Elizabeth), his second wife, married February 24, 1828. Now there is a bit of a problem with the information given. According to the records, Elijah married Elizabeth while Unicy was alive. Unicy Victor died on 22 October 1827. This is after Elijay marries his second wife Elizabeth.

In the 1830 Census we find Elizah “Elijah” Victor living in Township: Sugar Creek, County: Shelby, State: Indiana.

Now, more dates of interest. Elizabeth (Elijah's second wife) died on April 23, 1836

April 27, 1837, Elijah Victor married Mary Young (Elijah’s third wife), in Johnson County. Their Marriage ended in divorce in 1846. Mary might have died in 1858. Our 3rd Great Grandfather Elijah married for the forth time to Sarah Newton in 1859.

It appears the divorce was not a good one. In a court document dated February 23, 1846, Filed, with the State of Indiana we have a suit (The State of Indiana v. Elijah Victor). According to the documents, Elijah Victor late of Hendricks Township has deserted, abandoned, and separated himself from Mary Victor. In doing so, she has been left in a destitute situation and without the means of Support and & maintenance.

In the 1850 Census we find Elijah Victor, Age: 65 living in Shelbyville, Shelby, Indiana.

It appears Grandpa Elijah was a fit man. On August 10, 1854 there is a report that

Elijah Victor of Shelbyville was involved in an altercation with three Germans at a brickyard east of town in which one German was killed and one wounded.” *Note: Elijah would have been 69 years old at the time.

November 10, 1859, Elijah Victor married Sarah Newton (Elijah’s fourth wife) in Shelby County, Indiana *Indiana Marriage Collection 1800-1941. Notes: He is listed as age 75, and is living with his fourth wife, Sarah, in Shelbyville on the 1860 census.

And that's it for tonight. I'd love to learn more about that altercation with three Germans in the brickyard. There is a story there. Perhaps it may be found in a newspaper from that time. I'll keep looking.

Simply,
Victor

Join Me in Welcoming the Newest Member of our Extended Family!

Canon Doxey

Son of Amber and Brock, Grandson of Kim and John, Great Grandson of Charles and Luella, Great Great Grandson of Charles and Elda Williamson and Violet and Walter Mattson.

From the Fortress of Solitude

Pleasant Grove

Hello Everyone,

Actually I'm writing this from my desk at the Space Education Center. We are in the throws of a 3 day Space Camp. I've got students in all five of our simulators. The action and EdVenture can get noisy so I do my work wearing noise cancelling headphones.

They really help 'cancel' the hussle of 24 employees and volunteers running this way and that around my desk (my desk sits right at the crossroads of everything - a nice way to monitor the Center. Down side is the noise).

Tonight I'd like to introduce you to the newest member of our extended family. Yes, this post is a birth announcment introducing newborn Canon Doxey to his cousins from coast to coast. Canon was born at 2:00 A.M. on July 13 in the American Fork, Utah Hospital. He weighed 6 pounds 12 ounces. Mother and baby are doing fine.

Amber and Brock

Canon is the fourth child of Amber and Brock Doxey. Amber is the eldest daughter of Kim and John Delgrosso. Canon is the 16th Great Grandchild of Charles and Luella Williamson.

Relationship Chart

Welcome to our family Canon. You have a proud heritage and and are now the newest member of our American Dynasty.

Simply,
Victor

Our 6th Great Grandparents Cross the Atlantic. This is Their Story. (Williamson Line)

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello Williamsons,
Tonight we learn more about our German Goodykoontz (Goodykunzt) family. This is something you must find the time to read. Pick a time when you have no distractions and learn about the Atlantic crossing our 6th Great Grandparents endured.
First, the family relationship chart.

Click to Enlarge

Emigration from Germany
Emigration from Germany started as early as the mid 1700s. As mentioned above we find Gutekunsts as early as 1750 in Pennsylvania.

Hans Georg Gutekunst arrived in America (Pennsylvania) on Sept. 29, 1750, having boarded the ship "Osgood" in Rotterdam that sailed to the New World under Captain William Wilkie. With him are Barbara (Braun) his wife, Phillipp Jacob age 20, Barbara age 19, and Paul age 17.
Probably in order to have his name not mispronounced or misspelled all the time, he changed the "Gutekunst" - which would be pronouced "Gutikanst" in American English - into "Goodykoontz" which is exactly how the name was pronounced in his native tongue of the Swabian Black Forest region.

This branch of the Gutekunst family comes from the village of Haiterbach, Germany where the Gutekunsts constituted the largest family through all ages. In the transcribed church records that list all individuals born, baptized, married and burried in the city from the late 1500s to 1900, the family covers 20 pages (pp. 69-88). For Gutekunsts originating from Haiterbach these church book transcripts are a Gold Mine. Since all individuals are linked with page references, it is so easy to establish a family tree with all branches way back to 1550.

Tonight we have a real treat. What you are about to read is a vivid first hand account of the Atlantic crossing our great grandparents made on the ship Osgood. The account was written by fellow passenger and immigrant Gottlieb Mittelberger. The Osgood left the Netherlands and arrived in Philadelphia in 1750. The passenger list includes the names of our ancestors shown below.


And now, the Journal writings of Gottlieb Mittelberger about the Osgood’s Crossing that September in 1750.

"Both in Rotterdam and in Amsterdam the people are packed densely, like herrings so to say, in the large sea-vessels. One person receives a place of scarcely 2 feet width and 6 feet length in the bedstead, while many a ship carries four to six hundred souls; not to mention the innumerable implements, tools, provisions, water-barrels and other things which likewise occupy such space.
On account of contrary winds it takes the ships sometimes 2, 3, and 4 weeks to make the trip from Holland to . . England. But when the wind is good, they get there in 8 days or even sooner. Everything is examined there and the custom-duties paid, whence it comes that the ships ride there 8, 10 or 14 days and even longer at anchor, till they have taken in their full cargoes. During that time every one is compelled to spend his last remaining money and to consume his little stock of provisions which had been reserved for the sea; so that most passengers, finding themselves on the ocean where they would be in greater need of them, must greatly suffer from hunger and want. Many suffer want already on the water between Holland and Old England. When the ships have for the last time weighed their anchors near the city of Kaupp [Cowes] in Old England, the real misery begins with the long voyage. For from there the ships, unless they have good wind, must often sail 8, 9, 10 to 12 weeks before they reach Philadelphia. But even with the best wind the voyage lasts 7 weeks.
But during the voyage there is on board these ships terrible misery, stench, fumes, horror, vomiting, many kinds of sea-sickness, fever, dysentery, headache, heat, constipation, boils, scurvy, cancer, mouth rot, and the like, all of which come from old and sharply salted food and meat, also from very bad and foul water, so that many die miserably.
Add to this want of provisions, hunger, thirst, frost, heat, dampness, anxiety, want, afflictions and lamentations, together with other trouble, as . . . the lice abound so frightfully, especially on sick people, that they can be scraped off the body. The misery reaches the climax when a gale rages for 2 or 3 nights and days, so that every one believes that the ship will go to the bottom with all human beings on board. In such a visitation the people cry and pray most piteously. Children from 1 to 7 years rarely survive the voyage. I witnessed . . . misery in no less than 32 children in our ship, all of whom were thrown into the sea. The parents grieve all the more since their children find no resting-place in the earth, but are devoured by the monsters of the sea.
That most of the people get sick is not surprising, because, in addition to all other trials and hardships, warm food is served only three times a week, the rations being very poor and very little. Such meals can hardly be eaten, on account of being so unclean. The water which is served out of the ships is often very black, thick and full of worms, so that one cannot drink it without loathing, even with the greatest thirst. Toward the end we were compelled to eat the ship's biscuit which had been spoiled long ago; though in a whole biscuit there was scarcely a piece the size of a dollar that had not been full of red worms and spiders' nests. . .
At length, when, after a long and tedious voyage, the ships come in sight of land, so that the promontories can be seen, which the people were so eager and anxious to see, all creep from below on deck to see the land from afar, and they weep for joy, and pray and sing, thanking and praising God. The sight of the land makes the people on board the ship, especially the sick and the half dead, alive again, so that their hearts leap within them; they shout and rejoice, and are content to bear their misery in patience, in the hope that they may soon reach the land in safety. But alas!
When the ships have landed at Philadelphia after their long voyage, no one is permitted to leave them except those who pay for their passage or can give good security; the others, who cannot pay, must remain on board the ships till they are purchased, and are released from the ships by their purchasers. The sick always fare the worst, for the healthy are naturally preferred and purchased first; and so the sick and wretched must often remain on board in front of the city for 2 or 3 weeks, and frequently die, whereas many a one, if he could pay his debt and were permitted to leave the ship immediately, might recover and remain alive.
The sale of human beings in the market on board the ship is carried out thus: Every day Englishmen, Dutchmen and High-German people come from the city of Philadelphia and other places, in part from a great distance, say 20, 30, or 40 hours away, and go on board the newly arrived ship that has brought and offers for sale passengers from Europe, and select among the healthy persons such as they deem suitable for their business, and bargain with them how long they will serve for their passage money, which most of them are still in debt for. When they have come to an agreement, it happens that adult persons bind themselves in writing to serve 3, 4, 5 or 6 years for the amount due by them, according to their age and strength. But very young people, from 10 to 15 years, must serve till they are 21 years old.
Many parents must sell and trade away their children like so many head of cattle; for if their children take the debt upon themselves, the parents can leave the ship free and unrestrained; but as the parents often do not know where and to what people their children are going, it often happens that such parents and children, after leaving the ship, do not see each other again for many years, perhaps no more in all their lives. . . .
It often happens that whole families, husband, wife and children, are separated by being sold to different purchasers, especially when they have not paid any part of their passage money. When a husband or wife has died a sea, when the ship has made more than half of her trip, the survivor must pay or serve not only for himself or herself but also for the deceased. When both parents have died over half-way at sea, their children, especially when they are young and have nothing to pawn or pay, must stand for their own and their parents' passage, and serve till they are 21 years old. When one has served his or her term, he or she is entitled to a new suit of clothes at parting; and if it has been so stipulated, a man gets in addition a horse, a woman, a cow. When a serf has an opportunity to marry in this country, he or she must pay for each year which he or she would have yet to serve, 5 or 6 pounds.}

From Gottlieb Mittleberger, Journey to Pennsylvania in the Year 1750 and Return to Germany in the Year 1754, trans. Carl Theo Eben (Philadelphia: John Jos. McVey, n.d.).

Simply,
Victor

Our 37th Great Grandfather, Louis the Pious (Williamson Line)

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
Today we take a moment to learn about our 37th Great Grandfather Louis I. Let's begin with the relationship chart.

RELATIONSHIP CHART

37th Great Grandparent, Louis I Holy Roman Emperor married Emengarde Princess of Hesbave
to
Louis II Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire married Engelberga, Empress of Germany
to
Emengarde Princess of the HRE. married Dux Boso de Provence
to
Kunigunde, Princess of Provence married Sigebert De Verdun
to
Wigerich Count of Trier and Ardennes married Kunigunde, Countess.
to
Ralph Comte de Bayeux married Hedwig Von Nordgau
to
Frederic I, Count of Luxemburg married Miss Gleiberg
to
Ogive of Luxembourg married Baldwin IV Count of Flanders
to
Baudouin V Count of Flanders married Adaele Princess of France
to
Matilda married to William the Conqueror of England
to
Henry I King of England married Sibylia Corbet
to
Princess of England Elizabeth Beauclerc married Lord Fergus Galloway
to
Uchtred of Galloway married Gunhild De Dunbar
to
Alan Lord of Galloway married Helen de I’Lsle
to
Helen McDonald of Galloway married Roger de Quincy
to
Elizabeth de Quincy married Alexander Comyn, Earl of Bucan
to
Elizabeth Comyn married G Umfreville Earl of Angus
to
Robert De Umfreville married Lucy De Kyme
to
Eleanor De Umfaville married Gilbert Boroughdon
to
Baroness Eleanor Boroughdon married Henry Talboys
to
Sir Wlater Talboys, Sheriff of Lincolnshire married Margaret Deincourt
to
Lord Waiter Tailboys married Alice Stafford
to
Dorothy Tailboys married Sir Hugh Tylney
to
Anges, Duchess of Norfolk married Sir Thomas Howard
to
Dorothy Howard married Edward Stanley, Earl of Derby
to
Jane Stanley married Edward Sutton, Baron of Dudley
to
Edward Sutton married Elizabeth Tomlinson
to
Ann Sutton married John Bagley
to
Edward Bagley married Ann Gregorie
to
Ann Bagley married William Brinton
to
John Willis married Ester Brinton
to
Henry Willis married Mary Rachel Underwood
to
John Willis - Phebe Bennett
to
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 Married Luella to Kim, Victor, Kevin, Janice, Jon, Jilane, Lisa and Annette

Known as Louis the Pious or Louis the Debonair (in French, Louis le Pieux, or Louis le Débonnaire; in German, Ludwig der Fromme; known to contemporaries by the Latin Hludovicus or Chlodovicus), Louis was the son of Charlemagne, and the only designated heir to survive his father.

Charlemagne crowning Louis as co-emperor.

In 781 Louis was appointed king of Aquitaine, one of the "sub-kingdoms" of the Carolingian Empire, and though he was only three years old at the time he would acquire great experience managing the kingdom as he matured. In 813 he became co-emperor with his father, then, when Charlemagne died a year later, he inherited the empire -- though not the title Roman Emperor.

The empire was a conglomerate of several different ethnic groups, including Franks, Saxons, Lombards, Jews, Byzantines and many others across a great span of territory. Charlemagne had handled the many differences and the large size of his realm by dividing it up into "sub-kingdoms," but Louis represented himself not as a ruler of different ethnic groups, but as a leader of Christians in a unified land.

Our 37th Great Grandfather's face on a coin of the period.

As emperor, Louis initiated reforms and redefined the relationship between the Frankish empire and the papacy. He carefully structured a system whereby various territories could be assigned to his three grown sons while the empire remained intact. He took swift action in quashing challenges to his authority and even sent his half-brothers into monasteries to prevent any future dynastic conflicts. Louis also performed voluntary penance for his sins, a display that deeply impressed contemporary chroniclers.

Louis performing penance for his sins

The birth of a fourth son (Charles) in 823 to Louis and his second wife, Judith, triggered a dynastic crisis. Louis's elder sons, Pippin, Lothair and Louis the German, had maintained a delicate if uneasy balance, and when Louis attempted to reorganize the empire to include little Charles, resentment raised its ugly head. There was a palace revolt in 830, and in 833 when Louis agreed to meet Lothair to settle their differences (at what became known as the "Field of Lies," in Alsace), he was instead confronted by all his sons and a coalition of their supporters, who forced him to abdicate.

But within a year Louis had been released from confinement and was back in power. He continued to rule energetically and decisively until his death in 840.

Simply,
Victor

Scenes from the Mattson Ranch

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
Today we spend some time on the Mattson Ranch in Montana.

This is the old Mattson Ranch House seen from the side. The front door faced the small grove of willow trees. The old garage sits closest to us. You can see the front gate. The family well sat in the grove of trees. Yes, I said a well. The Mattson home didn't have indoor plumbing. They used an outhouse and fetched water from the well. It is hard to believe isn't it. It was the 1940's and people in the United States still lived without electricity or indoor plumbing.

The water well was the only well that didn't go dry during the dust bowl and drought of the 30' and 40's. Luella remembers the neighbors coming to the house to draw water from their well.

Grandma Mattson was a fan of the willow trees. They supplied the switches she used to spank the Mattson children when then were naughty. Of course she'd make them fetch their own willow switch for their spanking. How very kind of her.

Luella remembers one year they had a bull snake living under their front porch. They didn't bother it because it had its use. The snake was good for killing mice. One day though the snake got into one of the trees in the front yard. It was after the eggs in the bird's nests.
"We heard the birds going crazy in the trees," Luella remembered. "We ran outside with Grandpa (John Albert Mattson) to see what was wrong. We saw the bull snake was in the branches after the eggs. Grandpa got the can of DDT and sprayed the tree to try to get the snake to come down. Can you believe it. We all stood under the tree letting the DDT rain down on top of us!" Luella remembered.

"My grandparents were the hardest working people I've ever known," Luella said. "They worked from sun up to sun down. Even at night they had something in their hands they were working on. Grandma Ida said the mark of a lazy woman was a woman sitting with nothing in her hands. If you had time to sit you had time to sew, or mend, or clean the kerosene lamps."
Great Grandpa John Albert could repair just about anything. Luella said he fixed all their shoes from his work bench. "He loved to work," she said.

John Albert and Ida spoke Swedish to each other and broken English when the rest of the family was around.


Luella was three or four year old when this picture was taken. She is showing off her new robe given to her on her birthday. Luella had many dolls because, as she says, she was adored by everyone and always was given gifts. She told me that everyone adored her - her parents, grandparents and neighbors. "They adored me because I always acted like a grown up. I never gave anyone trouble."
Luella at two years old in the front yard of the ranch house. She is wearing her dad's cowboy hat. Luella's mother Violet and grandmother (Ida) made the pants. Luella refused to wear the pants for quiet awhile. Her reasoning made sense. Her grandmother Ida never wore pants, no not once. And if Grandmother didn't wear pants then why should Luella? Eventually Luella was talked into putting them on (as seen in the photo above).

Luella remembers being a picky dresser. She once refused to wear a nice new nightgown sewn by her mother and grandmother because she thought it had a stain on the front. The stain was actullay an iron on transfer of a little Dutch Girl.

Luella was born with dark hair that turned blond. She remembers wanting blue black hair like her mother's. She would pray at night for her hair to change color to match her mother'. Her prayers were answered when her hair started to change color as she grew older.


Luella (born in 1939) and her younger sister Linda (born in 1941). Linda had a rough start in life. For some reason Grandma Mattson couldn't nurse her so they tried to give her cow's milk. The milk upset her stomach, causing her to scream for her first year. Grandpa Mattson (Walter) was the only one that could put Linda to sleep at night. He'd lay her on his chest to calm her down. Today, Linda says she'd like to be buried over her dad because of the close bond they had with each other. Her illness was eventually cured when the family bought a goat and gave her goat's milk instead.

Linda was the first baby born after baby Walter Albert died, Walter and Violet's second born child right after Luella. She came out a fighter and tough cookie and remains one to this day.
Branding time on the Ranch. Alec, the hired hand, is the one branding. Walter Mattson is holding down the calf. The neighbors always came to help on branding day (Densen's, Rosencraz's and the Cambells). The men branding the cows and the women worked in the house preparing a large meal for everyone. It was like a community barn raising. Everyone pitched in and helped. There was a real spirit of community in Easter Montana.


Simply,
Victor

A Night's Journey in Search of Ancestors. Why I do What I'm Doing.

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

I'm glad you've come along. Tonight, in our virtual quest for family, we journey back in time to search for our Mattson ancestors in Sweden. It is the mid 1800's. Our journey has taken us through field and forest in search of a great great grandparent. We travel on a sleigh forged from imagination. The snow cracks loudly beneath us as we pass through the frigid Scandinavian night air.


Wool blankets and coal warmers shield us from the worst of the mid winter cold. The horse's breath makes white clouds. He breathes heavily as our driver urges him onward, deeper into the forest in search of our family, nearly forgotten by time.

The stars are good companions, peering down through curtains of green light swaying in an unseen celestial wind. I glance at my watch. It is 4:00 P.M. yet completely dark. The shy Swedish sun peers briefly over the horizon during winter's months, then disappears, leaving us to our own good company.


We forge ahead.

Through the ancient pines I see the lamp lights of a small cottage. The horse knows the way and turns instinctively. My nose is quick to discern the smoke from a warm fire. Perhaps tonight we find the people who, until now, have been remembered as names written on the frail pages of a an old family bible.

If not, we will continue. The night is still young and our blankets warm.

The notes of a piano accent the sound of the sleigh. We have arrived. I recognize the melody, an old Lutheran hymn. Shall we knock and introduce ourselves?

I remove my mitten and knock on the wooden door. The singing stops. A bolt is undone and the door opens to a family sitting around a fire looking curiously to see what the night has brought.
I clear my voice and speak, hoping my poor Swedish will carry my intent, "God kväll. Är du, av en slump, det Mattson familjen?"

"Ya," comes the curious reply. I feel a burden released. I've found them. The search was long and never easy, but to see them for the first time, together, has rewarded my purpose and intent.

This is why I search, to meet the people who made 'us' possible. I want to tell you their stories.


Simply,
Victor

Our 11th Great Aunt Anne Dudley Bradstreet, the First Published American Poet.

Anne Dudley Bradstreet

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello Family,
We enjoyed the holiday here at the Fortress with family. Part of the day was spent at Lindon Park. The evening found us on the Fortress’ decks overlooking Utah Valley. Marshmallows were roasted and Smores made as we waited for Pleasant Grove’s Fireworks show. The Fortress overlooks the school where the fireworks were launched giving everyone a fantastic viewing.

Today we want to celebrate the life of our 11th Great Aunt Anne Dudley Bradstreet, the first published American poet.

Relationship Chart

10th Great Grandfather. Thomas Dudley (1554-1635)
His Daughter and our 11th Great Aunt Anne Dudley Bradstreet
to
Samuel Dudley
to
Stephan Dudley
to
Nichlos Dudley
to
Betsey Dudley
to
Betsey Hill
to
Deborah Dearborn
to
Almira Swift
to
Isabel Deanora Helgerson McCrilles
to
Vesta Dennis
to
Violet Pierce and Walter Mattson
to
Luella, Linda, John, and Marvin
to
US

Anne Dudley Bradstreet (1612 – September 16, 1672) was an English-American writer, the first published American poet and the first woman to be published in Colonial America. Her work was very influential to Puritans in her time.


Bradstreet was born Anne Dudley in Northampton , England in 1612. She was the daughter of Thomas Dudley and Dorothy Yorke. Due to her family's position she grew up in cultured circumstances and was a well-educated woman for her time, being tutored in history, several languages, and literature. At the age of sixteen she married Simon Bradstreet. Both Anne's father and husband were later to serve as governors of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Anne and Simon, along with Anne's parents, immigrated to America aboard the Arbella as part of the Winthorp Fleet of Puritan emigrants in 1630.

Both Anne's father and her husband were instrumental in the founding of Harvard in 1636. Two of her sons were graduates, Samuel (Class of 1653) and Simon (Class of 1660). In October of 1997, the Harvard community dedicated a gate beside Canaday Hall in memory of America's first published poet.
Despite poor health, she had eight children and achieved a comfortable social standing. Having previously been afflicted with smallpox, Anne would once again fall prey to illness as paralysis took over her joints.
On July 10, 1666, the Bradstreet home burned down in a fire that left the family homeless and without personal belongings for a time. By then, Anne Bradstreet's health was slowly failing. She suffered from tuberculosis and had to deal with the loss of her daughter Dorothy to illness as well, losing her son shortly afterwards. But her will remained strong, and perhaps, as a reflection of her religious devotion and her knowledge of Biblical scriptures, she found peace in the firm belief that her daughter was in heaven.

Anne Bradstreet died on September 16, 1672 in North Andover, Massachusetts at the age of 60. North Andover is the original Andover Parish founded by the Stevens, Barker and Bradstreet families plus others in the 1640s. The precise location of Anne's grave is uncertain as she may either have been buried next to her husband in "the Old Burying Point" in Salem, or in "the Old Burying Ground" on Academy Road in North Andover. This area is now known as the The Valley of Poets.

A marker in the North Andover cemetery commemorates the 350th anniversary (2000) of the publishing of the poetry of Anne Dudley Bradstreet in London in 1650. This may be the only site honoring her memory in America. Her words and work have been largely obscure for nearly 400 years.

In 1647 Bradstreet's brother-in-law, Rev. John Woodbridge, sailed to England, carrying her manuscript of poetry without her knowledge. Anne's first work was published in London as "The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America, by a Gentlewoman of those Parts".

In 1678 her self-revised "Several Poems Compiled with Great Variety of Wit and Learning" was posthumously published in America, and included one of her most famous poems, "To My Dear and Loving Husband".
This volume is owned by the Stevens Memorial Library of North Andover and resides in the Houghton Library vault at Harvard.

A quotation from Bradstreet can be found on a plaque at the Bradstreet Gate in Harvard Yard:

"I came into this Country, where I found a new World and new manners at which my heart rose."

Unfortunately the plaque seems to be based on a misinterpretation of the text; the following sentence is "But after I was convinced it was the way of God, I submitted to it and joined to the church at Boston." This suggests that her heart rose up in protest rather than in joy.

Bradstreet's education gave her advantages to write with authority about politics, history, medicine, and theology. Her personal library of books was said to have numbered over 800, before many were destroyed when her home burned down. This event itself inspired a poem entitled "Upon the Burning of Our House July 10th, 1666". She rejects the anger and grief that this worldly tragedy has caused her and instead looks toward God and the assurance of heaven as consolation, saying:

Verses upon the Burning of our House, July 18th, 1666
Upon the Burning of Our House
by Anne Bradstreet

In silent night when rest I took,

For sorrow near I did not look,

I waken'd was with thundring nois

And Piteous shreiks of dreadfull voice
.
That fearfull sound of fire and fire,

Let no man know is my Desire.

I, starting up, the light did spye,

And to my God my heart did cry

To strengthen me in my Distresse

And not to leave me succourlesse.

Then coming out beheld a space,

The flame consume my dwelling place.
And, when I could no longer look,

I blest his Name that gave and took,

That layd my goods now in the dust:

Yea so it was, and so 'twas just.

It was his own: it was not mine;

Far be it that I should repine.

He might of All justly bereft,

But yet sufficient for us left.

When by the Ruines oft I past,

My sorrowing eyes aside did cast,

And here and there the places spye

Where oft I sate, and long did lye.
Here stood that Trunk, and there that chest;

There lay that store I counted best:

My pleasant things in ashes lye,

And them behold no more shall I.

Under thy roof no guest shall sitt,

Nor at thy Table eat a bitt.

No pleasant tale shall 'ere be told,

Nor things recounted done of old.

No Candle 'ere shall shine in Thee,

Nor bridegroom's voice ere heard shall bee.

In silence ever shalt thou lye;

Adieu, Adeiu; All's vanity.

Then streight I gin my heart to chide,

And didst thy wealth on earth abide?

Didst fix thy hope on mouldring dust,

The arm of flesh didst make thy trust?

Raise up thy thoughts above the skye

That dunghill mists away may flie.

Thou hast an house on high erect

Fram'd by that mighty Architect,

With glory richly furnished,

Stands permanent tho' this bee fled.

It's purchased, and paid for too

By him who hath enough to doe.
A Prise so vast as is unknown,

Yet, by his Gift, is made thine own.

Ther's wealth enough, I need no more;

Farewell my Pelf, farewell my Store.

The world no longer let me Love,

My hope and Treasure lyes Above.

The following is another example of her work:

To My Dear and Loving Husband
by Anne Bradstreet
Upon the Burning of Our House→

If ever two were one, then surely we.

If ever man were lov'd by wife, then thee;

If ever wife was happy in a man,

Compare with me ye women if you can.



I prize thy love more than whole Mines of Gold,

Or all the riches that the East doth hold.

My love is such that Rivers cannot quench,

Nor ought but love from thee, give recompence.



Thy love is such I can no way repay,

The heavens reward thee manifold I pray.

Then while we live, in love lets so persevere,

That when we live no more, we may live ever.

The Lessons Learned from our Mayflower Ancestors

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove.

Dear Clan,
In earlier posts we discussed our 10th Great Grandfather (my generation) Francis Cooke and his son, our Great Uncle John through Great Grandma Vesta's line (Grandma Mattson's Mother). Both were passengers on the Mayflower! Yes, we are the proud descents of one of the 102 passengers of that famous ship. We come from good, down to Earth Pilgrim stock don't we? I'm hoping you appreciate your Pilgrim roots through these many discoveries of our early American ancestors.

I'd like to share an edited talk about our family's Mayflower ancestors given by Dr. Stephen Charles Ainley, President of Union College. It is a talk urging us to adopt the Pilgrim's Principles. It is long but well worth the read to truly appreciate our Great Grandfather Francis and Great Uncle John.

Simply,
Victor

RELATIONSHIP CHART

Francis Cooke / Hester Mahieu Mayflower (10th Great Grandparents)
to
Mary Cooke
to
Elizabeth Thompson
to
Ebenezer Swift
to
Ebenezer Swift Jr.
to
Juda Swift
to
Phinas Swift
to
Almira Swift
to
Isabel Deanora Helgerson McCrilles
to
Vesta Althea Dennis
to
Violet and her Brother Walter
to
Luella, Linda, John and Marvin Mattson
to
Us

One cannot help but be astonished and amazed by the account of the voyage of the Mayflower in 1620. One-hundred-two people ultimately made the 65-day voyage across the Atlantic. One-hundred-two people, intent on establishing a new life in a new world, squeezed themselves into what was called the “tween deck.” Philbrick describes the tween deck as a crawlspace located between the upper deck and the hold of the ship. He goes on to describe the space as “dank and airless” and estimates it to have been less than five feet high and about 75 feet long. Claustrophobic space, to be sure, and made worse by the leaking salt water that steadily fell on their heads throughout the voyage. Due to delays resulting from the lengthy search for an appropriate vessel, repairs that needed to be made before leaving, and disagreements with sponsors, the voyage of the Mayflower took place far later in the year than planned. This resulted in a much longer and rougher crossing. From the moment the Mayflower left the shores of England, many passengers experienced seasickness – undoubtedly making the already uncomfortable space nearly insufferable. The travelers to the New World were frequently ridiculed by the crew of the Mayflower. And, long before their journey was completed, they were chilled to the bone and reached the bottom of their water casks, leaving them to drink the “slimy” remains. Indeed, the passengers of the Mayflower began to display the unsettling signs of scurvy. The Mayflower encountered steady headwinds and westerly gales. One such gale was so severe that the crew had to furl the sails and basically surrender the ship to the elements. In mid-ocean, the ship encountered such rough water that a structural timber cracked, nearly forcing them to abandon their journey.
The wild seas, the illness, the ridicule the passengers endured must have been compounded by uncertainty about what was ahead of them. Other than Jamestown, every other attempt to settle on the North American continent had failed. And, the Jamestown experience – well known to the sick, hungry, and cold passengers on the ‘tween deck of the Mayflower – was hardly encouraging. After all, during the first year of the Jamestown settlement, 70 of the 108 settlers had died. They couldn’t have found much hope or consolation in that example. All this led the Mayflower’s Captain, Christopher Jones, to deviate from the original plan to drop his passengers near the mouth of the Hudson River, on shores near today’s New York City. He instead made for the nearer coastline of Cape Cod. One can imagine the relief that those on the Mayflower felt when they neared land. Their first morning off the coast of the North American continent revealed a beautiful day, brilliant autumn colors, and a clear blue sky. They must have been profoundly thankful and, as William Bradford who chronicled the trip said, more than a little joyful. But the Mayflower captain found little time to celebrate, and his priority was clear: to get the passengers to their destination and ashore as quickly as possible. So they sailed south toward the mouth of the Hudson. Initially, things went very well. They were on an easy “reach” — sailor’s language for a gentle and steady wind coming over the side of the ship — and the passengers were crowded on the now sun-filled upper deck of the Mayflower, taking in views of the new world. However, as they moved beyond the “elbow” of Cape Cod, near today’s Chatham, Massachusetts, they encountered a new set of challenges. Sailing amidst roaring breakers, the water depth dropped dramatically as did the wind, leaving the Mayflower vulnerable to the shoals of what is known as Pollock Rip. The Boston Cruising Guide still warns today’s sailors that the Rip can “generate conditions that range from merely disorienting to completely treacherous,” and Philbrick reports that half of all the ships that wrecked along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States are believed to have gone down in this same area. Just when it seemed that the Mayflower might share a similar fate, the wind shifted, coming from the South, and it strengthened. The decision was made to turn the ship north and let the wind drive them to the coast of New England where they ultimately established the settlement in Plymouth. The rest, as they say, is history. Now what lessons does this 17th century saga hold for us in these early days of the 21st century? While I recognize that the passengers on the Mayflower were hardly models of perfection, and I know that their descendents did things that were downright shameful, I believe that they continue to offer us important lessons on living. Theirs is certainly a story of human courage. Years after the ordeal of crossing the Atlantic, William Bradford observed, “all great and honorable actions are accompanied with great difficulties and must be overcome with answerable courages.” For Bradford and the other passengers on the Mayflower, they knew that there would be risk in the crossing and in the establishment of a settlement. They all knew – just as those who set off for destinations like Jerusalem, Rome, Santiago, or Canterbury knew – that the pilgrim path was marked with discouragements and danger. Indeed, John Ure, in his book Pilgrimages, notes that for a pilgrim to leave home was to enter a world full of hidden dangers, some real, like robbers and wolves, and some imagined, like demons and dragons. The passengers on the Mayflower understood this and faced it with courage. “They knew,” wrote Bradford, that “they were pilgrims.” The Pilgrim story is not only a story of courage; it is a story of perseverance. As rough as the voyage of the Mayflower was, it is even more amazing when you consider that it came after two false starts. The initial plan had called for two companion ships, the Mayflower and the Speedwell, to cross the Atlantic together. The Speedwell, however, had been rigged for the voyage with extra large masts, which resulted in leaks in the hull that debilitated the vessel. Twice the Mayflower and the Speedwell had set out together only to return to port. On the first occasion, they left Southampton and got as far as the Isle of Wright before having to return to port in Dartmouth. On the second occasion, they got 200 miles west of the southwestern-most tip of England, at Land’s End, before having to return to port in Plymouth, England. It was after that second failed attempt to cross with the Speedwell that the decision was made to load all the passengers on the Mayflower and cross the Atlantic in a single vessel. The Pilgrim story is also a story of discernment. Discernment is, in part, a matter of making decisions. But in the Christian tradition, it also carries the quality of determining God’s will in one’s life. When the Pilgrims decided to press on after two failed starts in overcrowded conditions, knowing full well that it meant that they would encounter more turbulent seas, they did so through a process of discernment. When they decided to wait out the gales in the Atlantic, it was through a process of discernment. And, when they decided to discontinue their voyage south in the face of shifting winds and the treacherous waters of Pollock Rip, they did so through a process of discernment. The Pilgrims discerned, in other words, when to push ahead when common sense said to turn back, when to furl the sails and wait, and when to change directions, letting the wind push them along to their ultimate destination.
 
The lesson of the Pilgrim journey is that life often demands courage, perseverance, and discernment. The lesson we can all find in the Pilgrim experience is that those challenges – the “headwinds” and “shoals” of life – should be confronted with courage, perseverance, and discernment. The Pilgrim experience also gives us clues about the sources of these qualities. Their courage, their willingness to persevere, and their ability to discern stemmed from deeply held convictions, enduring bonds to one another, and an abiding belief in God’s active presence in their lives. I urge you to never lose your deeply held convictions, to find fellow travelers who you can trust and who will affirm you, and to constantly nourish your faith in God. Do not fear or flee from the challenges ahead of you. The world needs you. Have courage! Persevere! Discern what is right and good! To me, this is what it means to have a “Pilgrim’s mind.” Godspeed fellow pilgrims!