A Saturday with the Mattson Photo Album. 1975/76. Spearfish, South Dakota

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

It's a stormy day in Utah Valley.  Lightening, followed by the nearly forgotten sound of thunder,  kept me company as I scanned the following photographs from Aunt Bev's photo album.  Nearly forgotten sound of thunder because of our abnormally dry summer.

The storm has moved over the eastern mountains behind the Fortress.  The valley below is awash in color.  The air is clear!  The haze of multiple fires is gone.  It's the kind of day you're glad to be alive.

Today I'll share more photographs from Aunt Bev's photo album.  These photos were taken between 1975 and 1976.  Most were taken at the Mattson home in Spearfish, South Dakota.  A few were taken in Denver and a couple at Story Book Island in Rapid City, South Dakota.

The scanner's screen isn't wide enough to get the photos and all of Bev's handwritten descriptions.  What you see is usually enough to understand the snapshot.  I'll add captions to the photos missing her explanations.

Enjoy and thanks for reading!

Simply,
Victor
 

A great photo of Joseph and his daddy.

Grandma Mattson is standing in the background.  This photo was taken at Spearfish Park

Those pants shout the 1970's.  They might pass for fashionable today if worn as shorts.

Don't know where and don't know when.  

John and Bev bought Grandma and Grandpa's Mattson home in Spearfish.  That house has a special place in our hearts.  We visited Grandma and Grandpa often.  Kim and I would spend a week in that house in the summer.  Memories come flooding back when I see these pictures.  For instance, the glass in the window behind the Christmas Tree is wavy.  Grandma told me its because of age.  Its little things like that you remember.

Angie, Kirk, Gina and Joseph.  December 29, 1975

Bev's parents visiting.

I can remember many an hour spent in that kitchen talking to Grandma as she washed the dishes

Angie's 3rd Birthday

Joseph getting into the cake.  Kirk was not a happy camper.

Joseph with a mouthful of Angie's cake

Kirk's 7th birthday.  May 18, 1976

Joseph and his Daddy at Kirk's Birthday

Joseph, Angie and Baron, the best dog in the universe.

I like this picture.  Kirk with his prized catch from a Montana lake.  May 1976.

Storybook Island was near our house in Rapid City, South Dakota.  It was a small fairy tale land operated by the Rotary Club.

Angie pushed by Grandma Mattson at Storybook Island

More from Aunt Bev's Photo Album. 1974 / 75

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
Today, more photos from Aunt Bev's photo album of the early Mattsons in Spearfish, South Dakota in the mid 1970's.  Aren't they the cutest?

Simply,
Victor

Add caption

Cousin Andrew Williamson Reports from Afganistan

Cousin Andrew Williamson in Afganistan

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello Williamsons!

Did you know we have a member of our extended Williamson family on active duty in Afghanistan?  Andrew Williamson is on his second deployment and sent the following email.  Before you read his update from the front, let's first place Andrew in the family tree for reference.

As far as I know, Andrew is the only member of our extended family currently on active duty in a war zone.  Please correct me if I'm wrong.  I would like to highlight all members of our family on active duty.  The good news, Andrew's deployment is nearly over.

I emailed Andrew a month or so ago and asked him to send a quick update from the front.  Andrew responded with the following email and photos.  

Andrew and his Platoon on patrol

Well this is my second tour in Afghanistan, the first was from April 2007 to July 2008 in Nuristan Province which is in the north eastern part of the country. This tour started in March 0f this year and we will be home before the 1st of September. It seems like this tour was almost as long as the first one but in reality it is almost a year shorter. I'm pretty sure it is because I have a family of my own now and I miss them like crazy. 

Our mission during this deployment was to prepare the Afghan National Army to take over and do everything on there own instead of NATO forces running the show. We spent a little more than half of our time doing patrols with ANA to villages in the area. The rest of the time we supported a Route Clearance Package, which went up and down the main roads clearing all the IEDs. Sometimes we did this on our own which was a little scary. 

Our Platoon was very fortunate not to lose any of our guys. We had a few guys get injured but all are doing fine now. We are also very successful during our time here. The ANA we worked with are a completely different group, a complete night and day difference. We also found many caches of weapons and IED material, along with about 15 IEDs on the roads. 

All in all this was a good deployment. We didn't lose anybody and we were successful in our mission. Its definitely time to go home though. The guys are ready to get out of here and see there families and get back to normal life. I cant wait to see the family and the new house. 

i hope that works for you Victor, I will try to send some pics later on but It might have to wait till we get home. The Internet is not so hot here. 

 Another of Andrew's photos.  Afghanistan resembles Utah in may ways.
Strange to think such a beautiful place could be in such a mess!

We are all proud of Andrew and the service he is giving our country.  Andrew's email is 

 andrew.williamson2@us.army.mil  If you'd like to drop him a line.

Simply,

Victor