Our Great Grandfather Matthew Williamson, A Mystery to Behold

The Search for Family Continues........

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

I'm not a happy camper tonight as I sit by my front window and write this post. Two of our ancestors are really challenging me. I'm speaking of the father and mother of our common Great Grandfather George Matthew Williamson, born in Charlotte County Virginia in 1834. According to all family sources his father was Matthew Williamson. His mother was Selina Dandridge Jeffries.

Matthew and Selina are the mystery. Where did they come from? From all sources it appears they just dropped from the sky and landed in Charlotte County Virginia only long enough to produce a son then vanished into thin air.

Now, I enjoy a good challenge and this has been one, but are we are to the point of having to draw some conclusions about this hurdle, this missing link, in the family line to be able to continue our journey past 1800?

Here is an example of what I've discovered.

1. I always assumed there were large populations of Williamsons in Charlotte County Virginia. I was wrong. Let's begin with the tax records of 1782 as illustrated below:


As you can see, there were only two Williamson families living in Charlotte County Virginia paying taxes in 1782.

2. Now I present the following information from the 1810 Federal Census.


as you can see, these are the only two Williamson's listed in Charlotte County in 1810. There is a strong family Genealogy through Cuthbert (spelled Cutbirth on this document) tracing back to England, but is this our line? Where are all the other Williamsons? I'm finding the name is, as I thought, still rather rare.

3. This is the Federal Census for 1830, four years before George Matthew Williamson was born in, Charlotte County Virginia. Again, you'll find two Willamson families and I'd bet my house they are related. Yet, no Matthew Williamson.



So, in conclusion I am coming closer to the feeling that our Williamson line is tied to the Cuthbert line in some way. Were Matthew and Cuthbert cousins? I'm thinking they must have been considering so few Williamsons lived in Charlotte County.

Tis a mystery.

Simply,
Victor

Travel Journal to Old Williamson Country

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
Pat Biggs has a hand written travel log written by Josie Williamson Good detailing a trip she took with others to Virginia in the summer of 1968. Family stories are mixed with the description of events.

I want to thank Pat for transcribing the document for posting to this blog. It will be posted in sections due to the document's length.

It's good to have everyone's information posted so the rich history of the family can be enjoyed by all those interested.

Simply,
Victor


Post 1: The Trip Back East.
Written by Josie (Williamson) Good - Summer of 1968

We, (Ethel (Williamson) Ogden, her husband, Roger Ogden, their daughter Mary and her husband Edwin Mikesh and Josie (Williamson) Good), left New York about 9:00 a.m. Monday, August 19th, went south in New York State thru Ithaca, where Cornell University is, into Pennsylvania 175 miles before stopping for the night at Carlisle, PA just past Harrisburg, PA. We stopped early because of fog then heavy rain, which caused near darkness at 5:00 p.m. Next morning we got on Interstate 81 at Harrisburg, PA, and followed it to Roanoke, VA so kept west of the Appalachian Mountains in PA and west of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. Cut across a corner of Maryland via Hagerstown, crossed the Potomac River at Maryland-West Virginia line, thru a piece of West Virginia into Virginia. We stayed on 81, as it was so smoky and hazy we thought we couldn't see much if we took the Blue Ridge Skyline Drive, altho it is supposed to be very scenic if the weather is clear. It was getting pretty warm, then warmer as we went south, and by the time we got to the world famous Natural Bridgeit was just plain boiling hot, and around 97 degrees and muggy as all get out. Had lunch at Natural Bridge then went down into the Gorge to see the bridge. Had to get tickets at the entrance building and go out the back entrance down many, many steps which sort of angled around down the side of the gorge, and the downer we went the hotter it got. The humidity was terrific so we were quite saturated with perspiration. It wasn't a conducted tour so people wandered around to suit themselves. Roger elected to sit comfortably in the beautiful, air-conditioned Entrance Lobby, with souvenir and gift shops. The rest of us walked down, although we could have taken free bus to the bottom. Wandered up thru the gorge to the Bridge, which is quite a sight the first time. George Washington surveyed this gorge and he carved his initials 35 feet up the underside of the bridge and which are clearly visible. Ethel and I decided to get back to the top by bus, which by the way was 15 cents per person instead of free, but Edwin and Mary punished themselves by climbing back up the steps.

From there we went on south thru Roanoke, VA heading for the Higginbothems, who live just off 81 in a little town called Newbern. Mrs.Higginbotham (Anna) is a 2nd cousin of us Williamsons, on our grandmother's side of the family. They were expecting us for dinner that evening, so we started looking for a motel in order to freshen up a little first. Due to construction of an arsenal somewhere in the area, there wasn't a motel, hotel or tourist home vacancy in any of the places in the area. So we finally phoned Anna, who said to come on out to Newbern and they would take care of us. We surely hated to do that to them, but had no choice. It was muchly appreciated too, what with perspiration dripping off our noses, chins and elbows. So, we all tumbled in on them in their neat little 4 room red brick home with no air-conditioning except a fan. Had a marvelous dinner, a visit and pictures of our ancestors, etc. Their speech is fullof "you-alls, or y'alls, ah reckon, sir and ma'am, li'l ole, right much,which means a lot of, and other expressions". Mr. Willie Higginbotham worked for the State Highway Dept. for 45 or 50years in charge of gangs of prisoners mostly colored, working on the roads. His speech is quite slurred and Negro-ish, altho he is quite refined and a true gentleman. They had made arrangements with friends who are two elderly sisters to take in Edwin, Mary and me (Josie) for the night. These women live in their old family home, built in 1816. It is very well preserved and full of antique furniture, some of which belongs to Anna. It was quite a thrill to wander thru it,altho they have modernized it to some extent with baths upstairs and down, and a modern kitchen. They were so nice and hospitable that we felt right at home.

After breakfast at Anna's (honeydew melon, sausage, bacon, eggs, sliced tomatores 3 inches across and red ripe, toast, little bisquits about the size of a dollar, coffee,) we took some pictures and departed. (Carol Stephenson may have these pictures. She is

Josie's daughter in Torrington, WY) I will write and ask her. Back to the script!! I guess it is a type of hospitality, but Anna didn't sit at the table with us at either meal, but hovered around the table, passing food, urging us to eat, changing dishes and courses and so on until we felt as tho we were being served by servants, a little embarassing. Ethel and Roger stayed with them for the night and Ethel can't get over the fact that she slept in a bed our great-great-great grandparents possessed and used. Some of the other bedroom furniture dated back to the 1700's, very beautiful, well taken care of wooden furniture. Wednesday morning we picked up some lunch makings and drove about 40 miles to a little country church that our forbears had founded in 1826 called Zion Lutheran Church. So you see we were originally Lutrherans at least on one side of the family. There are quite a few ancestors buried in the cemetary here at the church, who were born in the 1700's. After a picnic under ancient oak trees there we visited some more 2nd cousins who lived nearby in their

family ancestral home, then got a motel room near the little town of Floyd, to freshen up before going to another cousin's for dinner at another little town called Willis, named for our grandmothers side of the family. We had another sumptuous meal with Marvin and Sue Sowers, who have a lovely country home 150 or 160 years old, well preserved and also furnished with family antiques. We had Virginia baked ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, green beans, sliced tomatoes, li'l ole bisquits, fresh strawberries and cream, all this stuff right out of the garden and barns. Sue, too, fluttered around waiting on us instead of sitting with us, and these cousins have distinct southern accents. Fascinating! Some more cousins came in during the evening so there was a great deal of family history passed back and forth. Everyone really showed us that famous hospitality so we truly enoyed meeting these folks, heat and humidity notwithstanding.

Next morning we hied ourselves East over the Blue Ridge Mountains Headed for Williamsburg, but decided first to detour down into North Carolina which was about 30 or so miles from where we were, just to say we had been there. Saw a lot of tobacco growing, being hauled to the drying barns, and hanging in bunches in the drying barns. This was in southern Virginia and North Carolina, and saw a lot of growing corn and soybeans. Didn't see any cotton except in bales, but there were negroes everywhere. Almost forgot there were white people someplace after going thru this area. There were many typical log cabins and shacks, but also manyhomes, while small, were neat, painted and well-kept. This was mostly a rural area. We came back into Virginia near Danville on the Dan River, where we passed the DanRiver fabric factories as we went thru the city. Temperature here was 100 degrees. Couldn't find a place to eat outside of town so stopped along the road and had sandwiches, which we had a restaurant fix for us in case we wanted to stop in some park. There were at least a thousand tractor-trailer outfits deciding to travel past us just at that time, so we were nearly blown to pieces as each one buzzed by trying to make an incline just ahead. Hot, sunny and muggy. (By the way, we found a nice park just over the hill. Never fails!)

A Summer Storm 1974. Missing the Good Ole Days in Rapid City

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
I took this picture on a summer day in 1974 from the Williamson front yard at 2214 38th Street in Rapid City. I wanted to remember a good South Dakota summer deluge.

I've lived in Utah since 1980 and have yet to experience the kind of weather we expected on any given summer day in Rapid City. I mean look at the water pouring down from the red bluffs near the Dairy Queen on Canyon Lake Road, coming down Sunset Drive right into our front lawn. Look at the hail! Yes, that's hail not snow. Again, something you rarely see in Utah.

I miss the hail beating down on the roof so hard you had trouble hearing someone talking to you in the same room. I miss driving my old Rambler station wagon down Jackson Blvd during one of them and pulling rapidly into the old Bi Lo Self Serv station for shelter. I remember the smell of a good hail storm,. the electric air and the autumn chill that lingered until the sun broke through the clouds and reminded you it was still summer. I miss hearing the siren at Canyon Lake Elementary sounding the alert that a funnel cloud was sited.

Utah has quiet boring weather, which I've grown use to and appreciate; appreciate because I'm a home owner and therefore responsible for weather damage. But childhood memories of staring out the living room window at leaves being shredded off the branches of our front yard tree in a good hail storm never disappear.

Now, to my 7 brothers and sisters..... do you recognize dad's state car parked in the driveway? And can we ever forget that stupid mail box? The one that never stood right - always tipped one way or another, held on the poll with bent coat hangers or wire or whatever we could find when it would fall off.

None of us were what you would call 'handy'. We made do with wire, coat hangers, duct tape and lots of prayer and chewing gum.

We sure gave the neighbors plenty to talk about, didn't we? :)

Simply,
Victor

John Thompson and Mary Cooke, Our Pilgram Ancestors

Early Plymouth

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
Our virtual family reunion tonight takes us to some of the first pilgrims to set foot on American soil. From an earlier post we know that Francis Cook (our 10th Great Grandfather) arrived at Plymouth on the Mayflower. Tonight's story resumes the Cooke story with Mary, our 9th Great Grandmother and the daughter of Francis Cooke. This is through Luella's side of our family.
The actual line is below:

John Thompson - Mary Cooke (9th Great Grandparents)
to
Elizabeth Thompson
to
Ebenezer Swift
to
Ebenezer Swift Jr.
to
Juda Swift
to
Phinas Swift
to
Almira Swift
to
Isabel Deanora McCrilles
to
Vesta Althea Dennis
to
Violet Pierce (Grandma Mattson)
to
Mom (Luella)
to
Me.

Mary married John Thompson on December 26,1645. John Thompson was born in northern Wales in 1616. He, like so many others, didn’t have a formal education. If there was something to learn he learned it himself or asked his parents. It is said that John Thompson arrived in Plymouth when he was six years old on the ship “Fortune” commanded by Robert Cushman.

He took up carpentry as a trade. He and his friend Richard Church built the first meeting house in Plymouth in 1637. He took up farming and felt he could do well if he moved further into the interior. He bought 6000 acres from the Indians 13 miles west of Bridgeford. He built a log house for his family. The Indians eventually burned it to the ground. There were many troubles with the Indians until open hostilities broke out around 1675.

There is a story told of a time when an Indian arrived at the log cabin and “behaved rudely” with our great grandmother Mary. It seems one of them pulled a fish out of her boiling pot. She reprimanded him and he pulled out a knife. Mary promptly produced a broom and chased him out of the house.

Soon after this incident the family moved to fort near Four Corners Middleborough. John buried his money in the swamp nearby and packed their belongings. John knew the native language, customs and mannerisms. Knowing them as well as he did he was able to escape ambush on several occasions. It is said his gun was 7 ft 4 1/2 inches long, the barrel being 6 feet 1 1/2 inches long: the bullets were 12 to the pound, and it is now displayed in Pilgrim Hall, Plymouth.

In spite of their willingness to defend their land the white settlers were driven back to Plymouth by the Indians. At the end of the war in 1677 they were able to return to their lands.

John rebuilt his burned house and lived there until he died. John and Mary were very religious. They walked the 13 miles to Plymouth every Sunday for church. Mary once had to carry her six month old child Elizabeth; a 26 mile round trip every Sunday! That is dedication. John lived to be 80. Mary died at 88. They are buried the cemetery of Middleborough.

Hans Georg Gutekunst, A Williamson Revolutionary War Veteran and Rumors Concerning our Tie to Williamson, West Virginia.

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

It is a Good Sunday in Pleasant Grove,
I spent far too long on the computer today puzzled over a statement written in a family history saying that our common Williamson grandfather (George Matthew Williamson) was the brother of Benjamin Williamson, the founder of Williamson West Virginia. You may have heard the same rumor at family gatherings.
Unfortunately that rumor is false. It it were true the barrier blocking further research along the Williamson name would be shattered. I traced the Williamson family that founded Williamson West Virginia and George Matthew is not listed anywhere as a family member.

That takes those of us that are tracing the family ancestry back to square one. We can't get beyond the parents of George Matthew. My dad (Charles) says my dilemma proves his point that this family of ours comes from outer space. Yes, his logical reasoning is slipping as he advances into his 70's :)

The next step is to have dad participate in a national Williamson DNA database search. We're going to take a swab from the inside of his mouth and have his DNA analyzed. It will be sent to a research organization hoping to trace the origins of the Williamson line. Dad hopes his DNA sequencing will prove he isn't of this Earth.

OK, with that said, we move on to today's other research. We have a family member that many of the older Williamson already know about who served in the Revolutionary War. He is my 5th Great Grandfather along the Williamson line as outlined below:

Hans Georg Gutekunst (B. 1732 Germany. D. 1784 Frederick County VA)
to
Ann Mararetha Goodykootz
to
Anabella Phlegar
to
Margaret Ann Willis (Married to George Matthew Williamson)
to
William J. Williamson
to
The Nine Williamson Children
to
Dad’s Generation (Charles Williamson)
to
My Generation.

Hans George Gutekunst was born in Haiterback, Wurtemberg Germany on February 6, 1732. He landed at Philadelphia PA on September 29, 1750 on the ship “Osgood” under the command of William Wilkie. The ship sailed from Rotterdam after making a required stop at Cowes. There were 480 passengers. They took the oath of allegiance to the British Crown on the day of landing.

Hans George and his family eventually moved to Fredrick County, Virginia

The Revolutionary War Service of my generation’s 5th Great Grandfather Hans Georg Gutekunst.

On January 18, 1777 Hans George was in the 5th Company of the 2nd Battalion Commanded by Capt. Peter Trexler Jr. of the Northampton Penn. Militia. The returns show that the Battalion marched from Northampton on January 4, 1777 and on January 18, 1777 was again ready for the march to Col. Geiger’s Camp.

On August 16, 1777 Hans George took the oath of Allegiance (Under PA statute) to the new colonial government. On May 14, 1778 he was in the 3rd Battalion, Northampton Militia commanded by Col. Geo. Breinig and Capt. John Morritz. On August 4, 1778 he was in Capt. Peter Trexler’s company.

Of course with this information all members of our family are eligible to join the Daughters and Sons of the American Revolution.

Well, its time to move on to other things before I lose this day off completely.

Simply,
Victor

Life in Rapid City in the Early 1960's

Charles and Luella Williamson lounge on the sofa in 1966. Luella was 27. Charles was 30.

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Saturday's Virtual Family Reunion

Hello to Everyone!
Welcome to tonight's virtual family reunion. I've got the WayBack Machine set to the early 1960's. We'll travel to Rapid City South Dakota to visit the Charles Williamson family living at 39 East Signal Drive in a two bedroom duplex on a hilltop overlooking Robinsdale. We had a room with a view!

Joining the Williamson's will be their good friends, the Soderquists.

This picture was taken when Janice and Jon were, well I'm not a very good judge of infant's ages but I'd say they were 6 months? So this would have been sometime in the winter or spring of 1966. Luella says Janice is the baby on the left. Jon is next to her and the third infant is a Soderquist baby. I remember that carpet to this day. It was rose colored with a leaf pattern.
Strange the things you remember.


Here we are in a heavily staged photograph. I'm on the left holding Jon. I'm five, nearly six. Soderquist child one is next. Two / three year old Kevin comes in at the third position wearing his cowboy boots. He's holding Soderquist baby two. Kim is on the far right holding Janice. Doesn't she look the demon in this picture? Yikes........ This is one of those rare pictures that captured Kim's darker side. She could be a real sweetheart if treated right, but if you crossed her you'd better run because she wouldn't stop the hunt until you were hurt. I think this picture captures that mood nicely.

Here we are in front of our duplex. Don't you find the cars interesting? This picture was taken in the summer of 1966. You see Kim and I in the background. Kevin is standing next to a Soderquist boy. Kevin is in the blue/white trunks.

Yes, that's me reacting to the ice cold sprinkler water. Yes, you guessed it. Water was colder in those days :)

The young lady on the left belonged to the Soderquists. Jon sits next to her with Janice at the end. Jon is captivated by the flash of the bulb. He was easily distracted and accident prone, a real menace to himself and others for sure. Janice has her hands in her mouth. I'm guessing she's found some tasty bit of lint off the carpet considering everything she got her hands on went straight into that black hole.

And finally as we leave this happy gathering we pause to say goodbye to the children that are permanently stuck to the sofa. A Soderquist child sits on the left. Then me with the cute smile doing my best to outdo my sister Kim next to me. Try as I did I was never able to steal the adjective "cute" from her. Her smile beat mine by every comparison. I was OK with that but that didn't keep me from trying from time to time. I have to laugh at Kim's hair do. That is the mid 60's for you. Kevin sits on the far right.

Hoping this finds everyone well. I've just returned from another camp. I'm tired and tend to drift off while typing but doing well myself. The weather is beautiful in the valley as the sun sets on this Saturday evening.

Simply,
Victor

The Williamson's, Pioneers of Crook County Wyoming

William and Effie's Wedding Picture. February 11, 1887

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
I'm just about to drive down the hill to the school to get things ready for the Space Center's weekly overnight camp program. Before I leave I thought I'd post this to the blog. It is a short biography on William Jonathan Williamson written by granddaughter, Carol Stephenson, for inclusion in a book titled Crook County Pioneers published by members of Wyoming Historical Society.
For a refresher on the family line:

George Matthew Williamson and Margaret Ann Willis
to
William Jonathan Williamson and Effie Victor
to
Their 9 children from which we make our extended Williamson family.

And now cousin Carol's article:

W.J. and Effie Victor Williamson became acquainted when their families both lived and farmed near Corning, Iowa in the late 1880's. He was the eldest son of George and Margaret Willis Williamson. They married February 13, 1887 and soon after came to the Black Hills, Dakota Territory to find their fortune. They became parents of nine children, five girls, Vennie, Della, Inez, Ethel and Josie, and boys, Emmett, Walter, Charles and Maurice. Eventually George and Margaret followed their son out west where homesteads were established by both families just west and south of Rapid City, South Dakota. In the early 1900's they relocated to the Sundance, Wyoming area where W.J. began his lifetime work as a grocer. He bought into the firm of Davies and Purvis in 1913 and later was employed by the Rochdale Company where he ran a grocery in Buelah for several years. In 1927 he opened his own grocery and filling station located at West and Cleveland streets. The Sundance Times printed this on December 22, 1927 regarding W.J. and his Westside Grocery. "Genial W.J. Williamson always meets his customers with a pleasant voice no matter when, how or where and it will pay you to look in on him for one of the famous cakes he has recently stocked." After serving several years as city councilman as well as school board treasurer, W.J. was elected Mayor of Sundance. His tenure was two terms. The newspaper reported in 1928 "that Mayor Williamson and his council have conducted the governmental affairs of Sundance in a conservative and business-like manner to further the welfare of the city and its citizens." His daughter Josie served as clerk of the city council and later as clerk of the District Court. Walter followed W.J. into the grocery business with a store in Deadwood, South Dakota. Charles and Maurice were salesmen for a wholesale grocery firm. Emmett ran a well-known bakery in Custer, S.D. The Sundance Times reported W.J.'s death on December 14, 1934 from cancer. Effie kept the grocery open for two more years and then sold it. Her final years were spent with daughter Vennie in Spearfish, S.D. She passed away April 9, 1944. They rest together next to his parents in Mt. Moriah Cemetery in Sundance. They can be included as pioneer members of Crook County but are remembered by their families as hard working, civic-minded, yet fun-loving residents of Sundance. A family reunion held July 2007 in Spearfish brought together over 200 descendants from all over the country.

George and Margaret Williamson's Missing Child and Civil War Service.

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
Tonight from the Fortress overlooking a rainy valley and overcast sky I bring you additional information on our common ancestor George Matthew Williamson, father of William Jonathan Williamson.

George Matthew Williamson (Great Great Grandparent)
to
William Jonathan Williamson
to
The Nine Williamson Children (Charles was my Grandfather)
to
Charles Williamson
to
Me

In the family reunion book The Williamson Legacy, it says that George and Margaret had 13 children but only 10 are known. My goal tonight was to try to locate the three missing children. We know that William (our common grandfather) was the second eldest. We have a record of this large family in the 1880 US Census. The actual entry in the Census form for our family is below (click on the image to enlarge).

Click to Enlarge

Here you'll count 10 children. According to the family book George and Margaret. My next stop in this search for our missing Great uncles or aunts was the next US Census I could find a listing of George and Margaret - the 1860 Census when the family lived in Illinois. The image of the actual page from the Census is below:

Click to Enlarge

Yes, there is a missing child. You'll see Selina as the eldest, then William and there he is, our missing relative - Abraham, only 2 months old. We must assume then that Abraham died as a child. That leaves two more to find.

One other thing of interest in tonight's post. I found a South Dakota record from the year 1900
listing Civil War veterans living in the Black Hills (for the federal pension). This is the page listing George as a Civil War Vet.

Click to Enlarge

You'll see his name on the top of the page listed on the 12th line. Then look at the very bottom and match two 12th lines. In George's description you'll read that he was "wounded badly in the right arm, badly disabled".

I'm wondering if anyone in the family has information on his Civil War Service. We know from the 1860 census that George and Margaret (age 26 and 25) were married with three children. We must assume that George fought on the Union side (considering he was living in Illinois) and that he left his family to fight.

Any other information?

Simply,
Victor

The Cunningham Clan Will Gather in September.

From the Fortress of Solitude

Pleasant Grove.

Hello Clan,

A quick post tonight celebrating our tie to the Cunningham Scottish Clan through our 8th Great Grandmother Elizabeth Cunningham. The link to me, and therefore you, follows:

Elizabeth Cunningham 1680-1746 (8th Great Grandmother)
to
John Hunter
to
Martha Hunter
to
Ann Williams
to
Martha Cantwell
to
Frances George
to
Eldora Elizabeth Fiddler
to
Walter Edwin Pierce
to
Violet Mattson
to

Luella

to
Me

The Following is a Letter to All Members of the Cunningham Clan:

Clan Cunningham International Unites World Members 

Welcoming Cunningham descendants from around the world, the Board of Directors of Clan Cunningham USA has unanimously voted to change the name of its organization to Clan Cunningham International (CCI). The change is effective immediately. The Board considered the resolution after consultations with the Court of the Lord Lyon, members of The Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs, several Cunningham armigers and interested Cunninghams outside the United States. The two leading candidates for Chief (family head) of Clan Cunningham have also endorsed this new venture. 

“It is exciting to be part of a growing and vibrant Clan Cunningham organization that is forward thinking and always looking to promote our shared heritage,” said David Pickens, President of Clan Cunningham International. 

During the Clan’s recent trip to The Gathering in Scotland, it became clear that Cunninghams living outside the United States wanted to see the current organization expand to include a wider audience. As a result, Clan Cunningham International was born. 

“The quickest vehicle to accomplish this request was a Board Resolution to change our name to welcome international members. It will give members of Clan Cunningham anywhere in the world an organization to join in celebration of our great heritage. It will also allow our genealogical base to grow and cover Cunningham lines from around the globe,” said Steve Cunningham, Vice President of Clan Cunningham International. Steve Cunningham was in charge of studying the proposal and made the recommendation to the Board. 

Key Scottish leaders, both at home and abroad, have endorsed the former Clan Cunningham USA as the preeminent Cunningham organization needed to lead Clan Cunningham to an international level. CCI has; therefore, adopted a By-Laws Committee for the purpose of transitioning the organization from a national to international platform. Members of the committee will include members of the new Clan Cunningham International (CCI, formerly CCUSA), members of the Clan Cunningham Society of America (CCSA), and Cunningham armigers from England and Scotland. 

Clan Cunningham International welcomes all Cunningham descendants and friends to join this new and exiting organization. For more information, please contact clancunninghamintl@gmail.com

Clan Cunningham International
United Worldwide - Together Worldwide
Join our Worldwide Family!

Information on the Clan Gather...........

Come To The Highlands of New Hampshire!

Clan Cunningham International Triennial Meeting

September 17, 18, & 19, 2010

Come to the Triennial Gathering of Clan Cunningham and business meeting of Clan Cunningham International, September 17, 18, 19, 2010 at the NH Highland Games in Lincoln, New Hampshire. The NH Highland Games is the largest gathering of Scots within the New England region and takes place over a three day period in September. Last year more than 60 Scottish Clans and other organizations along with 30 pipe bands were in attendance, including the Colum Cille Pipes & Drums of Cape Cod who wear the Cunningham Modern tartan.

Every three years Clan Cunningham gathers to celibate their common heritage, renew old acquaintances, make new ones, and set the agenda for the next three years. At the business meeting on Saturday afternoon, we will be voting on Bylaw changes and electing Officers for the next three years.

The next gathering of the Clan will take place in 2013 out in California so if you live close to the Northeast, here is your opportunity to attend a Clan Gathering close to home.

The Northeast Regional Tri-Annual Meeting Committee is already hard at work planning for this event. If you would like to volunteer to assist the Committee, please contact Steve Cunningham at ccusane@comcast.net

Preliminary Schedule of Events

Friday, September 17th

l 8:30 AM Set-up the Clan Cunningham Tent and Reception Center in the Clan Village

l 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM NH Highland Games Open

l 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM Cocktail Reception (free) – Steve & Bonnie Cunningham’s Condo

(RSVP acceptance only to: ccusane@comcast.net )

Saturday, September 18th

l 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM Games Open

l 11:00 AM Clan Parade & Roll Call – Gather at the Clan Cunningham Tent @ 10:45 AM

l 12:00 PM Opening Ceremonies & Massed Pipe Bands

l 3:00 PM Clan Cunningham International Business Meeting – Clan Cunningham Tent

l 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM Clan Cunningham Dinner – Green House Room Beacon Resort, Lincoln, NH

$35 per person. Entertainment - Colum Cille Pipes & Drums of Cape Cod, highland dancing and maybe a surprise or two! (RSVP by 9/1/10 to Steve Cunningham ccusane@comcast.net )

Sunday, September 19th

l 10:00 PM – 4:00PM NH Highland Games Open

l 10:00 AM Worship Services – Kirkin’ O’ Tartans

l 4:00 PM Closing Ceremonies – Time to say good-byes

For a complete list of activities and entertainers at the 2010 NH Highland Games visit their web-site.

Area Hotels:

The Beacon Resort - 1-800-258-8934

Comfort Inn & Suites - 1-888-589-8112

Franconia Notch Motel - 603-745-2229

Indian Head Resort - 603-745-8000

Visit NH Scot for a complete list of area accommodations. Rooms book fast so don't put it off!

Grandma Mattson's Early Life

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Dear Clan,
I've spent the last several posts working on the Williamson line so I decided to return to the Mattson side of the family for a few posts.

This is Grandma Violet Mattson when her name was Violet Mae Pierce. Luella thinks Violet is two in this picture. The picture was taken in Rapid City. Violet was born in Torrington Wyo. in 1918. Her brother's name was Walter. He's the little blond boy next to her. He was three years her senior. They were the only children born to Great Grandma Vesta Dennis Pierce and Great Grandpa Walter Pierce.
Violet and Walter always referred to each other as Brother and Sister. They never called each other by their names.


This is a picture of Violet's father, our Great Grandfather Walter Pierce. They separated when Violet was around three years old. Walter disappeared from their lives until Violet was five years old. He came to visit when she had her tonsils removed. After that he out of their lives completely. News of his death arrived in 1956. He was living in Sunnyside Washington when he died.

Violet's mother Vesta, was a single mother with two children in the early 1920's. There were very few opportunities for women at that time. The family moved from Wyoming to Rapid City where Vesta worked as a waitress. Their first home in Rapid City was a chicken coop. Sometimes they wouldn't have any food. Violet and Walter Junior would make gravy with just flour and water. That's all they had to eat. Because of those dire times, Vesta took her two children in tow and moved into several homes where she would become the housekeeper for single male homesteaders in Montana. It wasn't easy but Vesta was able to keep food on the table and a roof over her children's heads.

Violet remembers her childhood wasn't ideal by any stretch of the imagination. Violet was treated well by Vesta's employeers but her brother Walter wasn't. He was another mouth to feed. Vesta may have kept house for up to five different ranchers during this time.

In the mid 1920's Vesta kept house for Henry Deaver at his ranch 2 miles outside of Pinele Montana. They ended up getting married. Violet and Walter attended the one room school house in Pinele. Pinele was about one mile from the Mattson Ranch. Violet Pierce and Walter Mattson met each other while they attended the one room school.

Violet could out run everybody in the school, including the older boys. They made her stop running in the competitions because she could beat everyone. She loved to sing and play the piano.

The Depression hit in the 1930's accompanied by the terrible drought (the dust bowl). Vesta would hang clothes out to dry and return to find them eaten by grasshoppers. The grasshoppers were eating the fence posts they were so hungry.

The Deaver family of Henry, Vesta, Violet and Water moved from Montana to Pamoana California about the time Violet was 16.


In this picture you see Great Grandma Vesta and her two teenage children, Walter and Violet. This picture may have been taken in California.

Luella is talking non stop and I'm running out of time so I'll wrap this post up with more stories to follow at another time.

Simply,
Victor