The Culture of Our Great Great Grandmother's Finland

Our Great Great Aunt Josephina and the Mattson's of Sweden

Carl Lidman and our Great Great Aunt Josefina (Walter Mattson's Aunt)

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello Mattsons,
A short post today with additional information on the family of our Great Grandfather, John Albert Mattson (or Albert John Mattson. He changed it to Albert John when he immigrated, saying there were too many Johns in this country). I thought it might be prudent to discuss our other Swedish family (the Mattsons), considering the recent posts on the Tornbergs.

Let's begin with the Relationship Chart (Click to Enlarge)

As you can see, our Great Grandfather Mattson had nine brothers and sisters. You'll also notice two Carl's. The second born Carl died in San Fransico in 1883. The youngest Carl was born in Sweden in 1884 and named for his brother who died the year before.

The eldest child was Josefina. She came to America first and worked to help her siblings immigrate. According to Luella, all the brothers and sisters came to the United States except for Walfrid. He died in Sweden in 1945.

Our Great Great Aunt Josefina married Carl Lidman in Lead South Dakota. They had one child, Carl Jr. Carl Jr. married a woman named Rose. Together they had seven children. Luella knows the two youngest, they are both alive, one living in Montana and the other in Colorado.

Simply,
Victor

The Williamson Family Picnic, 2010

Williamson First Cousins

Del Williamson and Kids

Second Cousins

The Gathering,

I think we had a good turnout considering it was well over 90 degrees. I don't have the actual count with me, but I think were were between 35 and 40 there. It was a good day for the youngsters to play in the creek.

For me, the best part of the day was seeing Kriss Williamson Seidel and Kathy Mauch Kinsall, both healthy after their cancer treatments. They were both blessed with a lot of prayers.

Another highlight for the day was the "guest book" from the old family reunions. My Mom and Dad had a guest book she started in 1958, everyone signed the book every year. Before my Mom passed away, she turned the book over to our cousin Teresa. When Teresa died, I thought the book was probably gone, but Teresa' son, Lee Madison had the book and made sure it got to the picnic. Everyone had fun looking through the old names.

It was a great day catching up and enjoying our family. Hope to do it again next year.

Corlis

A Post on the Williamson Family Reunion 2010?

A Real Time snapshot from the deck of the Fortress. A Storm is Looming.
I Must Type Fast.

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello Williamsons,
My parents and sister tell me the Williamson family reunion was delightful. Sadly I wasn't able to attend. As I keep reminding my family "Some of us have to work for a living" (Said with tongue in cheek). I was neck deep in Space Campers between the ages of 10 and 14, not to mention a staff of teens and young adults - all needing attention and direction.

That is all done. The Center is closed until August 20th. I have three blessed weeks of vacation. I don't want to hear space, talk space, think space, eat space, or breath space during this time (yes, even if it were discovered a large asteroid was hurtling toward Earth capable of wiping out all mankind and we had two weeks to live. Even then, I DON'T WANT TO KNOW).

I'm hoping someone out there took pictures at the reunion and is willing to share them with us. I asked my parents, but trusting either of them to master the art of click and shoot would be too much to ask. You must understand that they both suffer from technophobia and find anything with a blinking light terrifying. You should see the way Luella controls her digital TV and Dish Network Satellite Receiver. She understands "On" and "Off". She comprehends "Volume" and the "Up and Down Channel Arrows". She is clueless about everything else and relies on multiple phone calls and visits to fix her reception when she accidentally pushes one of the other 100 buttons on the remote and suddenly finds herself watching the Chinese Broadcasting Network instead of her beloved CSPAN.

In addition to the pictures I'm hoping someone would be willing to write something postable about the gathering for the rest of the family to enjoy. Remember this blog is rated PG so leave out the pictures of Charles flipping the bird in two photo shoots. God bless him - he is in his 70's you know and has trouble remembering the difference between flipping someone off and giving someone the Thumbs Up!

Wow, close lightening strike. Wait for it......... YES, the thunder rattled the windows. I'd better seek shelter indoors. Standby.......

OK safe and secure inside the Fortress.

Also, it was mentioned at the reunion that many are enjoying the blog. I'm grateful for your kind words and encouragement. It was also mentioned that many Williamson's (me included) have an interest in the family's current events. Granted what happened 1000 years ago may be interesting but learning how our little cousin saved the life of his Grandma was awesome. I'm wanting to post current family news. That's where YOU COME IN. I need at least one person from each branch of the family to send me your current family news: Weddings, funerals, bar mitzvahs, arrests, trials, graduations, honor rolls, and other items of general interest. I've asked for family trivia in the past and got nothing but an empty email box.

So, I'm asking once again. Please send current family news. Let's keep in touch with each other so when we have our next gathering we won't all be such strangers to each other.

I'll sleep tonight knowing that you'll have something waiting for me in my email IN box in the morning :)

Simply,
Victor

The Tornberg Family and the Sami, the People of the North

The Sami, People of the North
(Lapland. Great Grandmother Ida's Home)

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
Today we spend more time with our Great Grandmother, Ida Tornberg. You remember that Ida was the wife of John Albert Mattson. Walter Mattson was their only child. In the previous post a few days ago we found her hometown in Sweden. Today have more information on her family thanks to cousin Angie Mattson Berntsen.

After several hours of research, Angie located the Swedish Census of 1900. I have the translated pages below:

This entry is for Ida's father Isak. (Click to Enlarge)

This entry is for Ida's Mother Maria (Click to Enlarge)

This Entry is for Ida's Brother Levi (Click to Enlarge)

This Entry is for Ida

This Entry is for Ida's Sister Anna

The picture above (Click to Enlarge) is the application Ida made for life insurance in 1926. In it we learn more about her family.

• She was a store clerk in Sweden before coming to America.
• She lists delivering Grandpa Walter Mattson as her only disease :) and that it occurred 16 years ago. She goes on to say that it took 10 days to recover.
  
• Her health was perfect. She said she hadn't been to a doctor in the previous 5 years.
  
• She says she has not used any form of wine or spirits. In other words, according to this document Ida never used liquor.
  
• She lists her father deceased due to an accident.
  
• She lists her brother Levi deceased due to accidental drowning when he was 18 years old.
• She lists her mother alive and 70 years old and in good health.
• She lists her sister in good health and 30 years old.

Great Grandma Ida holding Luella (Summer 1940)
Great Grandma Vesta (Violet's mother) is on the right. Ida loved the name Christina
and called Luella "Stina" for a nickname.

Roxie Jacobson, Luella, and Great Grandmother Ida. Roxie was once a neighbor of the Mattsons in Montana. She moved to Belle Fourche and ran a boarding house. The Mattson family were regular visitors.

I asked Luella for one story about Great Grandma Ida to accompany this post.

Grandma Ida was the one that always called us in for supper and bed when we were children on the ranch. Our fist stop was the wash basin that sat on top of the buffet (a piece of furniture that held the fine dishes, linens and silverware) . I remember a picture of the gleaners hanging over the buffet the whole time we lived on the ranch.

Grandma Ida had us wash our hands and faces before we ate or went to bed. I remember that while we washed Grandma would lean on the buffet, resting her head on her right hand. She always had her eyes closed. I thought she closed her eyes because she was so tired. She worked from the moment she was up until she went to bed.

After she died I remember telling Grandpa about her leaning on the buffet with her eyes closed while we washed. He told me that she wasn't resting when she had her eyes closed. She used that moment every day to pray for each of her grandchildren individually.

And, to finish this post:

• Two pieces of traditional music from Lapland - Ida's home in Sweden, taken from the film "Pathfinder", a story told by the people of the north for over 1000 years.
• And the Flag of the Sami (Lapland).
  

From the film's opening credits. The Music of the North

This is the Sami Flag (Flag of the Association of the Sami People). The Sami (also called Lapps, although they consider this word derogatory) inhabit Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of northern Sweden, Norway, Finland and the Kola Peninsula of Russia but also the border area between south and middle Sweden and Norway.



And again, from the film's closing credits. The hauntingly beautiful music of the Sami.

Simply,
Victor

General Henry Dearborn, Our 6th Great Uncle and United States Secretary of War

General Henry Dearborn. Painted When He Served as
United States Secretary of War (Today's Defense Secretary)

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Dear Clan,
This evening I’m delighted to introduce you to our 6th Great Uncle, Henry Dearborn (February 23, 1751 – June 6, 1829), a prominent man in American history. First, the Relationship Chart (Click to enlarge).

Trying to encapsulate the life of this great American in prose would take volumns. Instead, I’ve decided to list the main points of his life in a way easy to read. Here we go:

• Henry Dearborn was a doctor.
• He was a veteran of the Revolutionary War
• He was a veteran of the War of 1812.
• He organized a local militia troop of 60 men and fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill as a Captain.
• He volunteered to serve under the traitor Benedict Arnold during the American Expedition to Quebec.
• He was captured on Dec. 31, 1775 during the Battle of Quebec
• He joined George Washington at Valley Forge as a Lt. Colonel.
• He fought at the battles of Monmouth.
• He was on the Sullivan Expedition against the Iroquois.
• He joined Gen. George Washington’s Staff in 1781 as Deputy Quartermaster General with the rank of colonel.
• He was present when the British Gen. Cornwallis surrendered after the Battle of Yorktown and the Revolutionary War ended.
• He worked as a U.S. Marshal for Maine.
• He was elected to Congress (1793-97)
• In 1801 President Thomas Jefferson appointed him to his Cabinet as Secretary of War. He held this job for eight years. During this time he helped plan the removal of Indians beyond the Mississippi River.
• He was appointed collector of the port of Boston by Pres. James Madison.
• He was appointed senior Major General in the U.S. Army in command of the Northeast Sector from the Niagara River to the New England Coast.
• During the war of 1812 he prepared plans for the attacks on Montreal, Kingston and Detroit.
• President James Madison nominated Dearborn for reappointment as Secretary of War but the Senate rejected the nomination.
• He was later appointed Ambassador to Portugal by Pres. James Monroe

Lewis and Clark named the Dearborn River in west central Montana after our uncle. Dearborn County Indiana, Dearborn Michigan and Dearborn Missouri were also named for him as was Fort Dearborn in Chicago. His son was a congressman in 1831-33.

Simply,
Victor

A Video Tour of Great Grandmother Ida's Home of Haparanda, Sweden (On the Border with Finland)

Hello All,
A short video showing the village of Haparanda, Sweden - the hometown of our Great Grandmother Ida Tornberg (mother of Grandpa Walter Mattson).

Simply,
Victor

The Life of our 3rd Great Grandmother, Almira McCrillis (Grandma Violet's Line)

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello Everyone,
The long arduous march of summer space camps is behind me. The season started the first week of June and ended on July 29th. I’ve averaged 100 hours per week and today find myself enjoying nearly three restful, peaceful weeks of vacation before the start of the 2010-2011 school year.

Perhaps with extra time on my hands I’ll be able to write a bit more and continue sleuthing our family history.

Today I’d like to share the obituary of our Great Great Great Grandmother, Almira McCrillis taken from The Hot Springs Star on April 3, 1903. She was born Almira Swift on January 6, 1809 in Corinth, Vermont, the daughter of Phinas Swift and Deborah Dearborn.

Peacefully on the morning of March 16, 1903, Grandma McCrillis sank into her last sleep - asleep in Jesus with the bright hope of a part in the first resurrection. Words of comfort were spoken at the home by Mr. Fassett from Psalms 91.

Ninety-five long years had she lived and weary with age she welcomed the rest that awaits us all.

The British Uniforms during the War of 1812

The Vermont Militia's Uniforms of 1812

Grandma was born in Corrinth, Vermont, January 6, 1809. Her father, Captain Phineas Swift, fought in the War of 1812. Grandma remembered quite distinctly seeing the British soldiers as they endeavoured to drive cattle across the line and our soldiers standing ready to turn them back.



Grandma was one of the passengers on board the first railroad train making its first trip between Boston and Providence RI. The train consisted of an engine and three crude coaches made after the fashion of our stage coaches of today.

I have listened many times to the interesting remembrances of those days which Grandma could remember and relate so well.

In 1837 she was married in Providence, R.I. to Joseph E. McCrillis. To them were born two sons and three daughters. When the youngest child was three years of age, the father decided to try the west, and they moved from old New England to the wilds of Wisconsin. One by one the children grew to manhood and womanhood and were scattered to homes of their own.

In 1888 the two daughters, Mrs. J.M. Dennis and Mrs. H.E. Whaley of Hot Springs, S.D. were rejoiced to have the dear father and mother with them again to feel the old home ties renewed.

In 1890 the dear old father died, leaving Grandma to silently mourn his going and long for the time when the Master would permit her to join the companion with whom she had spent over fifty happy years.

For the last several years, Grandma has resided in the home of her daughter, Mrs. Whaley, of Cascade Springs, where she received loving care and gave in return only smiles and cheery words leavened with manifest acts of kindness.

She leaves two sons and two daughters to mourn her departure, also many grand children, great grandchildren and a host of friends.

Relationship Chart

Phinas Swift and Deborah Dearborn
to
3rd Great Grandparents, Almira Swift and Joseph E. McCrillis
to
Isabel Deanora Helgerson McCrilles and John Mayberry Dennis
to
Vesta Althea Dennis and Walter Edwin Pierce
to
Violet Mae Pierce and Walter Albert Mattson
to
Luella, Linda, John and Marvin
to
Us.

Additional Information.
Phineas Swift, our 4th Great Grandfather and father of Almira, was a captain in the Vermont Militia in the war of 1812. His wife, Deborah Dearborn, was a niece of the Secretary of War, Henry Dearborn.

Vermonters reluctantly supported the War of 1812. The federal trade embargoes stopped all legal trade with Canada, stunting Vermont’s commerce. War with Great Britain made Vermont a battle zone, with the Champlain Valley a familiar battlefield. Political parties again were split, with Jeffersonian Republicans in favor of war, and Federalists in opposition.
Vermont’s governor, Federalist Martin Chittenden, Thomas’s son, caused a stir when he recalled the Vermont militia from New York in 1813, where it was supporting federal troops. He believed the militia was needed in Vermont. The militia officers refused Chittenden’s order to return immediately, stating that they were needed to defend the Union, and criticized Chittenden for playing politics. The Vermont militia returned to New York in 1814 and played a key role in America’s victory at the Battle of Plattsburgh. Chittenden lost his bid for reelection.

Simply,
Victor

Our Finnish and Lapland Family Ties. Great Grandmother Ida Tornberg, Walter Mattson's Mother

The Tornberg Family Coat of Arms

Sweden

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello Family,
Do you remember Mom (Luella) telling us we had family that originated in the very north of Sweden? We’re talking Lapland here. Today I wanted to track that down and discover for myself if her memory was correct. This post is the result of several hours searching (most of Sunday to be exact). Remember, most records are in Swedish. Thank goodness Google offers a web page translation system or we’d all be up the frozen Swedish creek!

First, I know that the Mattson family came from the south of Sweden, across the straits from Denmark. That branch of our family couldn’t be the ones telling the tale of the far north.

That left Luella’s Grandmother Ida Josefina Tornberg. Her records show that she was born on January 1, 1886 in Karl Gustafs, Norrbotten, Sweden.

Great Grandmother Ida Tornberg (seated) holding her son, Walter Mattson.

That place was problematic. Only after an hour or so of searching did I realize that she was actually born in the Karl Gustafs Parish in the County of Norrbotten Sweden. With that understanding I was able to proceed.

The Karl Gustafs Church in Haparanda, Sweden

Church of Karl Gustav

The Parish of Karl Gustav was founded in 1782. Until that it had been Alatornio Parish Chapel. The church was taken into use in 1796. There is a recorded guidance in Swedish, Finnish, English and German in the church.

Karungi, Haparanda.
Tel. +46 (0)922 292 90

Haparanda, Sweden

Haparanda Sweden sits opposite the city of Tornio, Finland with the Tornio River flowing between them. The Tornio River is the border between Sweden and Finland.

When Sweden lost Finland in 1809, the border was drawn along the Rivers Tornio and Muonio. The town of Tornio, located on the island Suensaari in the river delta became part of the Grand Duchy of Finland within the Russian Empire as czar Alexander I insisted. (Finland declared independence in 1917).

At that time the town of Tornio was dominated by Swedish-speaking merchants and crafters, forming a linguistic island surrounded by Finns on the country side. After the war many of the Swedes started to develop the small village Haaparanta across the border instead, eventually leaving Tornio unilingually Finnish. Haparanda was made a market town (köping) in 1821 and received its city charter in 1842.

The Location of our Great Grandmothers Birth

Norrbotten County, Sweden (the most northern of Sweden's counties).
Haparanda is the County Seat and Home to Karl Gustaf Parish

Lapland?
So now we come to the question of Lapland. Did Great Grandmother Ida come from the region called Lapland? Well, let's let the map below answer that for us.

You see, the answer is yes. Great Grandmother Ida lived in the very most southern point of the regions commonly referred to as Lapland.

Another document of interest. This is the certificate awarded to Great Grandmother Ida from an agricultual school in Sweden. Of course, I can't read Swedish. Google Translation helped with some of it but the handwriting is difficult to read.

Update (August 4, 2010) A possible family contact in Sweden / Finland responded to an email and was kind enough to offer a translation of the above document.

Examination Certificate

For dairy student of state Ida Josefina Tornberg who has partaken of a year long education under rules for governmental dairy stations at Vojakala dairy station and an additional year here at the local dairy station.

The student who born on January 2nd 1886 in Karunki village in Lower Tornio municipality in Norrbotten province has at completion of the study course achieved the following marks in:

universal base of dairy economy accepted
accounting honorably accepted
preparing butter with satisfaction accepted
fat rich cheese accepted
half fat cheese accepted
skimmed milk cheese with satisfaction accepted
ability to estimate milk, cream and butter with satisfaction accepted
ability to take care of separator honorably accepted
to take care of steam engine with satisfaction accepted

And while staying at the dairy station, Ida Josefina Tornberg has fulfilled all working activities properly and with good cleanliness and diligence and has behaved very well, so she has proved her suitability for her future profession.

Antnäs on Oct. 12th.1906

N. E. Nilsson
Director of the station

Certified by
Anna Gustafsson

In the dairies of the station, the following operations have been executed:
Milk has been skimmed by separator and (ice method?)
Cream has been churned (???)
Following cheese sorts have been prepared: 1/1 fat (??? Ireland method?), 1/2 fat (mansion method?), as well as cheese of skimmed milk.

The Translation was provided by

Pertti Ervasti
pertti.ervasti@gmail.com

Thank you!


The Tornberg Family Association

In 2005 the Tornberg Family Association held a family reunion in Finland. Family members from many locations gathered. Many in attendance were from Haparanda, birthplace of our Great Grandmother. In fact, if you visit the reunions web site below, you'll see many pictures from the reunion. If you read the picture's captions you'll see Tornbergs from Haparanda.

http://suvut.genealogia.fi/tornberg/eng/oulu2005.htm

Considering Haparanda has a population of 4,778 inhabitants (2005) then I must assume we are related to this branch of the Tornberg family.

Well, enough for today. We will continue this search in a future post.

Simply,
Victor

Cultural Post. Scotland (Mattson - McCrillis Line)

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
Scotland is the home to many of our ancestors on Grandmother Violet's line through the McCrillis family. This line takes us directly into the heart of Scotland.

Today we listen to a more contempory song about Somerled, a Scot King that fought to free Scotland from the Norsemen. I believe this song carries the spirit of the land and its people.

Through an age of fighting men
When sword was mightier than pen
There lived a clansman bold and true
The very one our name came through
Born of blood line dating from
The hundred battles warrior Conn
Gaelic viking in his veins
Testify his battle fame
For three hundred and fifty years
The western highlands lived in fear
Fighting to regain the Isles
Down to Islay and Argyle
From the Dalriadan line
Through the centuries there we find
A Scotsman born with Viking name Born to rule through love and pain
Hail to ye sons of Somerled Hail to ye sons of Somerled
Ruling from the Isle of Man
lslay was the place they'd ...make their stand
After almost twenty years
He rid the Isles of Norsemen
..then and there
Hail to ye sons of Somerled
Hail to ye sons of Somerled
Through the timeless history,
Fighting for their destiny
Images fly through my head,
Images of Somerled... chorus
The warrior kings lived by the sword
From hill to loch and dark fjord
Battling 'til his life he shed
Leaving the throne
To the sons of Somerled