The Mattsons and Lidmans. Then and Now.

Uncle John and Luella with the descendants of Josefina Mattson Lidman

Helen Lidman Rosencranz, John Mattson, Lenora Lidman Starling,  Luella,  Carlene Moss Rosencranz, (her mother was Emily Lucille Lidman) and Francis Rosencranz .  Lenora, Clara and Helen are still alive.

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
Today we learn about our Lidman relatives (on the Mattson side).  We begin with a Relationship Chart.

Lidman Relationship Chart

The Carl Lidman Family.

1940 Federal Census

John Albert was our Great Grandfather.  His sister Josefina was our Great Grand Aunt.  They were both born in Sweden.

Josefina married Charles Lidman.  The family lived in Lead, South Dakota.  Josefina visited her brother John Albert on the Mattson ranch several times.  Today I'd like to share photographs of the Mattson and Lidman families.     

 Great Grandpa John Albert is having a button reattached to his trousers by his Grand niece Helen on the Montana Ranch.  The ranch garage (tractor and car) is behind.

 Grandpa Walter Mattson on his tractor

Raymond Lidman with his Great Uncle John Albert and Great Aunt Ida.

Raymond Lidman died in 1999.  He was my 2nd cousin once removed.   

 The Mattsons and the Lidmans in the early 1940's. 

Left to right.  Great Grandpa John Albert,   Rose Lidman,  Raymond Lidman,  Great Grandma Ida,  Ed Lidman, Lenora Lidman and Helen Lidman

Great Grandpa John Albert.  Early 1940's

Great Grandpa John Albert with (L to R) little Luella, Helen Lidman, Great Grandpa John Albert, Lenora Lidman.

The Lidmans visit the Mattsons.  1942

Top Row (L to R)  Rose Lidman, Ernest Rosencranz, Helen Lidman, Edward Lidman, Great Grandma Ida, Lucille Lidman.  Bottom Row (L to R):  Lenora Lidman, Luella Mattson, Ed Moss holding daughter Carlene, Walter Mattson holding daughter Linda.

A Lidman and Mattson Reunion.  2008.

L to R:  Wife of Ronnie Rosencranz, Rose Starling (her mother is Lenora Lidman), Helen Lidman, Aunt Bev, Uncle John,  Lenora Lidman, Luella, Charles, Carlene Moss Rosencranz, Francis Rosencranz.

And Just When you Thought It Was Safe To Return - MORE MATTSON PHOTOS!

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
Just in time for Camille's wedding this weekend.  Just when you thought it was safe to return to the blog, I zing you with MORE MATTSON PHOTOS!  Yes folks,  I discovered a few more photos from Aunt Bev's photo album I had to include in our family history.  Time to sit back and enjoy,

Simply,
Victor

Aunt Bev

Grandpa Walter Mattson.  Grandma Violet Pierce Mattson

Taken Shortly Before Grandpa's death

 John Mattson

Missionary Photo

John and Bev

John and Bev, as the years pass.

  

Joseph and Jake Mattson

 

Camille and Angie Mattson

The Mattson Men

John with sons Kirk, Joe and Jake

The Mattson Women

Bev with Daughters Gina, Angie Camille and Candace.

 Camille, Jake and Joe

Black Hills  1983

J

John and Violet Mattson and the Dennis Grave in Hot Springs.  1983

Kirk and Jake on the old Mattson Ranch in Eastern Montana.  1983

 And now, a series of photos of Ma and Pa Mattson of Brodus Montana and their offspring

 in their Goin to Town finest.  This photo was takin right after Sunday Meetin.

The family gathered outside the saloon to have their photo took.  Ma Mattson wanted the photo took

at the photo salon by the Methodist Church but the boys wouldn't oblige, bein' neck deep in cards an drink you see.  Besides, daughters Angie and Camille (front left end) weren't  neighborly with most of the town's women folk.  Seeins how they knew most of their husbands......

Ma Mattson finally got 'em to settle down for their photo.

"Ma, its a hot as a whorehouse on nickle night," Kirk complained while pulling on his scarf.

"Kirk Mattson, don't you put a spoke in the wheel.  I ain't gonna have my photo took on a lick and a promise, no suree.  You boys ain't gonna beat the devil around the stump all afternoon.  We gonna get this done by hook or by crook.  Am I clear on that?"  Ma Mattson shouted while waving a pistol haphazardly in the air.  "Now Fetch those whiskey crates, set yerselfs down and let's getter done." 

"Yes ma'am," Pa Mattson replied as he cut the swell and struck a pose.   

Finally, the Mattson Boys with a friend sittin Simon pure for their photo to be took.  Shortly after the photo they robbed the Bank of Missoula.
Kirk is the leader of the gang. He's so mean he'd steal a fly from a blind spider.  They say he'd make an ordinary fight look like a prayer meetin.  The last man to tangle with him got beat up so bad there wasn't enough of him left to snore.

Behind Kirk is Jacob.  You know him by his teeth.  They are so crooked he could eat corn on the cob through a picket fence.

Beside Kirk is Joe.  Looks ain't Joe's strong suite.  They say he's so ugly he looks like the hindquarters of bad luck.
"His face looks like a dime's worth of dog food," one woman said who saw him recently.

The last boy in the photo is new to the gang.  I don't right recall his name but I remember what they say 'bout him.  He couldn't teach a hen to cluck.  He didn't have nothin under his hat but hair.

Keep an eye out for the Mattson Gang.  Specially if you have a bank in yer town heavy in coin.

Slavery in our Family History (Williamson Line)

 From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello Williamsons,
Tonight in our digital family gathering I'll introduce you to some of the slaves in our Williamson family history.

For years I remember being told an old family tale of a distant ancestor who supposedly sold a slave to Thomas Jefferson.  I doubt this can be proved.  One thing I can prove is that our family did indeed own slaves; several of them.  Our Williamson ancestors were farmers in Virginia and Virginia was a slave state.   Owning slaves would be expected if they had sizable farms.

The slave chapter in our family history is detailed in the Wills of a few of our direct ancestors.  Let me begin by posting a section of our Williamson family tree.

George Mathew Williamson (our common GG Grandfather through his son, our common Great Grandfather William Jonathan Williamson) was the son of Mathew Williamson and Selina D. Jeffries.

The Wills from the records of Charlotte County, Virginia.

We begin with the will of our  5th Great Grandfather,  John White.  You can trace him to us through the family tree above.
Grandfather White's will mentioned several slaves (15 by my count).  Their names were:

Bob: A negro boy
Mary: A negro girl
Milley: A negro girl given as a slave to our 3rd Great Grand Uncle Charles Williamson, son of his daughter Susanna White Williamson married to Cuthbert Williamson Junior. 
Sarah:
Saul:
Nancy:
Bartlet
Bett
Jane:
Hannah:
Dick:
Yellow Dick:
Lucy:  A wench
Luce:
Aggie:  The will mentions that Dick, Yellow Dick, Luce and Aggie are to be divided to his daughters at the time of his wife's death.  Therefore our 4th Great Grandmother Susanna White Williamson would have received one slave from her father.

This is the will of our 4th Great Grandfather Cuthbert Williamson Jr.   According to his will, each of his children were to be given one slave at his death and when they reach the lawful age.  Our 3rd Great Grandfather Mathew is mentioned to receive one slave.   The will states that the remainder of his slaves stay with his beloved wife Susannah.  Upon her death, the remaining slaves (which would include their dependents) would be divided among his children - again our Grandfather Mathew is mentioned.

It is my opinion that slavery ended along the Williamson line with Mathew.  We know that George Mathew Williamson left the south for Illinois shortly after his marriage to Margaret Willis.  Illinois was a free state.

Victor
 

Sunday's Assortment of Windows to the Past: 1950's to the 1980's.

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,

I've got a few interesting and fun old photos for you today.   It's a smorgasbord from several decades and I make no apology about it.  I wouldn't keep writing this blog if I felt I had to organize these stories and photos in some kind of chronological order.  It would take too much time and effort.  Time and effort make for good New Year's resolutions, but have little prolonged sticking power.  I keep this history blog believing that sometime in the future, someone in our family will organize these posts into a logical series of events in a chronological order.  I'm trusting you.  Make me proud - whoever you are.

My sister Jilane called yesterday afternoon asking if I'd help her set up her daughter Brooklynn's 16th Birthday Party dance set to a 1980's theme at the Vibe Dance Studio.

"Meet us there at 5:00 P.M.," she ordered.

At 5:00 P.M. I sat in the Battlestar at what I thought was The Vibe.  The parking lot was empty.  The Vibe signage was removed from the door and canopy.  Then I remembered the studio moved locations several months earlier.  I fumbled for my cell phone, lost amidst the junk I keep in my arm rest storage unit.  The phone powered up, then immediately shuta down.  I rarely use it so I keep forgetting to charge it.  The phone was bought for emergencies only.  Well, this was an emergency and the phone wasn't charged; hence my reason for paying the $12.00 a month for my 30 minutes of peak time was meaningless.  I drove to a nearby convenience store to use a pay phone.  There were none to be found.  Pay phones are extinct - soon to become the next exhibits in science and industry museums.   I drove back home, called Jilane, and got the address.

 Brooklyn Bodily

Sweet 16 and Driving.

Keep your pets indoors for at least a few months.

Brooklynn had a great party.  I take partial credit.  I provided cookies and ice for snow cones (a small contribution from a loving uncle).   Jilane looked like 700,000 dollar's (a million bucks in 1980's money).  I'd swear she stepped out of a 1985 Sears Roebuck Catalog.  She spent much of the dance encouraging the reluctant boys to the dance floor.  I sat back in the semishadows away from the spinning lights from the disco ball with Annette, Kevin and Chaz.  Chaz was in charge of the music.  He did a good job, WHILE he watched a football game on his computer.    It was classic Chaz.

At 9:30 P.M. I decided to call it a night.  It was approching my bed time.  I'm a creature of habit.  It would take something more than a 16th birthday party to get me to change my routine :)  I wound my through the writhing bodies on the dance floor to get to  the refreshment table .  I loaded up on chips, cookies, candy and popcorn to take home and wished everyone "Good Luck".

Happy Birthday Brooklynn.

And now, today's photos....

Great Grandmother Ida Tornberg Mattson (right) with a friend holding her granddaughter Luella.  Luella was 21 months old.  October 1941.  Montana.  

Great Grandmother Ida Tornberg Mattson with Granddaughter Luella.  October 1941.



Luella Mattson with bunny.   Easter, early 1940s on the Mattson Ranch in eastern Montana.

Our Great Uncle Walter, brother to Grandma Violet Pierce Mattson.  Luella's uncle. 

Grandma Elda Vercellino Liessman, mother to Charles Williamson, in the Black Hills.  1950s. 

A Valentine's Day card sent to Grandma Elda from Luella.  Valentine's Day 1965.  Read the dedication in Luella's handwriting.  Can you guess who "?" turned out to be?  Yes, Jilane.
Jilane was born a month after the card was mailed.  



Lisa's second birthday perhaps.  July 5, 1973.  Karen Holtz is there from next door with her two sons Glenn and David.  Jonathan Williamson is standing behind Karen.

   
 An unknown person sitting in our living room at 2214 38th Street, Rapid City.  One of my siblings must recognize her.  Let me know.  I'm guessing it was taken in 1973 about the same time as Lisa's birthday.  You can also tell that its the early 1970's by the dress she's wearing.  



Lisa's 4th Birthday.  July 5, 1976.  Gina and Angie Mattson are with her.


 This is either Forest or Brandon DelGrosso taken on our front lawn in Rapid City.  I'm thinking its Brandon because Forest was scrawny kid.   

August 19, 1979.  Uncle Ed and Aunt Iris Vercillio at their 40th wedding anniversay in Belle Fourche.  Uncle Ed was Grandma Elda's little brother.   He and Iris rand the 5th Street Market in Belle Fourche.  He was a kind, quiet man.

Uncle Ed and Aunt Iris's family.  I remember Karen (standing beside Iris).  She was their eldest daughter. 
 

Janice and Luella sitting in Grandma Mattson's trailer in Rapid Valley.  The blonde coffee table use to belong to us.  I remember it from our house on Signal Drive.  I used to play under it as a child.  

And finally, Lisa Williamson during her high school days.

She will need to tell the story that goes with this picture.

 Thanks for reading.

Victor