Charles Williamson Turned 74 Today. Born June 11, 1936 at 7:30 P.M.

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

It was a Happy Birthday Celebration at the Fortress tonight for one of Pleasant Grove's most distinguished citizens. Charles Williamson, a transplant from South Dakota, turned 74 today. He was born on June 11, 1936 at 7:30 P.M. at St. Joseph's Hospital in Deadwood, South Dakota.

Let's Start with a Happy Birthday Video to Grandpa Charlie on behalf of all of his grand and great grand children.



Now wasn't that sweet, and disturbing, at the same time.......?

Moving on...

To celebrate the event I decided to post a series of pictures of Dad's early childhood. Dad got home from work around 7:30 P.M. I waited with pictures and computer in hand. I asked him if he remembered anything about that day.
"1936 had the hottest summer on record," he said as he stood in the kitchen in his red bath robe. He'd just returned from a full day spent suffering '"fools and their offspring" at our local WalMart where he works in the Garden Center. He was preparing his first course of the evening, consisting of an assortment of lunch meat, and to wash it down, a half gallon of green tea. Luella sat in her easy chair restating the questions I was directing toward Dad thinking Dad wasn't understanding them.

"Are you going to sit down so Victor can ask you about these pictures?" she asked for the fourth time.
"I won't if you ask that question one more time," he said to his wife of over fifty years. I sat on the green leather sofa near the picture window and waited. I had two things to accomplish and it was getting late (which is after 9:00 P.M. for me). First, get dad to talk about his birthday and secondly, have a nice helping of strawberry short cake (a favorite of dad's - just for his birthday. Mom spared no expense).

Dad finally sat down and began working on the lunch meat. Mother got up to prepare his second course. Something you don't see too often. You see, Mother doesn't cook anymore. I think she stopped when the microwave oven was invented. For birthdays she'll make exceptions. For tonight's birthday dinner she prepared Dad's favorite, a microwaved meat loaf and mashed potatoes TV dinner served with a spoon.
"How am I suppose to eat this with a spoon?" he questioned.
"The meat loaf was a bit runny," she replied. Her response seemed logical yet gross at the same time.
"You're suppose to eat meat with a fork," dad reminded her of another basic fact of life she'd obviously forgotten. Again, I sat on the sofa waiting for his recollections and my helping of shortcake.
"Are you ready to answer his questions?" she shot back.
"Not if you ask me that one more time," he responded. I sighed.

To ease dad into a conversation I thought of saying something about Walmart. He loves to talk about Walmart. It is his one true weakness.
"I stopped at the new WinCo in Orem to check out their grocery prices," I said. The room grew quiet.
"Cheap?" mother asked.
"Cheaper than WalMart," I replied. Mother seemed fascinated. I could tell WinCo would become another one of her daily stops in her attempt to fill her days with mini field trips. Mother has a routine she sticks to religiously. Its up, complete a word puzzle or two, watch CPAN (God only knows why) and then its off to WalMart for a stroll and some shopping for the evening's microwaved delights. Winco would be added as another stop on her grand tour of the shops in her never ending quest for a penny off here and a nickel off there.

"Where is it?" she asked. I explained. She got confused. Dad explained, which made the confusion worse. I jumped in and gave her its exact position in relation to the two Walmarts and the one Target we have nearby, thus creating a triangle - necessary for geographical locations.
"Are you only going to shop there from now on?" she asked after getting its location firmly planted in her memory.
"Walmart does price matching so if I can get Walmart to price match then maybe not. Winco's one drawback is they won't take credit cards."

From that point the discussion turned to the stupidity of WalMart for not asking for proof of competitor's pricing at the check out when seeking a price match.
"All you have to do is tell the cashier that the item in your cart sells for this price at another store. You don't have to prove anything! Yesterday one woman got $300 worth of groceries for $80 bucks!" Dad stated while folding another slice of lunch meat. "Today a woman told me she could buy our $200 swing set for $39 dollars elsewhere. I told her bologna and wouldn't match the price," he said shaking his head at how ridiculous it had become.

Mom saw me yawning. "Talk to him about those pictures. He needs to get to bed."

At that point, our discussion about the pictures began.

"So, what do we say about your birthday?" I asked again.

"Let's just say he was born," mother answered for him. "They went on a lot of picnics," mom remembered. Once again, something very random, but I'm used to that.

Dad was raised near his Williamson and Vercellino relatives. They had spontaneous picnics in the afternoons when the men would come home from work. Dad's dad and his brothers would come home from work and announce it was a picnic day and everyone was to bring whatever was quick and available to eat. These afternoon picnics consisted of Walt and Francis, Morris and Josie, Charlie and Elda and their children.

I typed as I enjoyed my anxiously awaited strawberry shortcake. We finally got to the photographs. Here they are so enjoy and please appreciated the time and effort it took to get them captioned...... :)

Simply,
Victor


Grandpa Charles holding Charles. The picture was taken in their front yard.

Charles is 22 months old in this picture. That wasn't their car in the background. They didn't own a car until dad was six years old. The car belonged to Uncle Ed (Elda's brother). It was his Model A.

Charles is 20 months in this picture. The Texaco Station in the background. The steps in the background lead up to a house. Everyone walked in those days, not many had cars. It was the Great Depression. In those days Highway 85 (the road in front of Dad's house) was the longest highway in the United States. It stretched from Canada to Mexico.

Charles is 18 months old in this picture. He remembers his dad got mad at Grandma for sticking her hand out to keep him from falling. What a memory!

Grandpa Charles holding his first born son, Charles is 24 months old. Grandpa Charles was 30 years old when the picture was taken. He was on his way to work. In those days everyone went home for lunch. All stores closed at noon for lunch. The Homestake Mine blew the whistle and the mine stopped for lunch. Another whistle blew at 3:30 P.M. to call the end of the first shift. If two whistles blew there was a baseball game. If the whistle blew any other time there was an accident.

Charles is standing at a pump. It was the water pump the Pascoe's got their water from before they had plumbing in Lead. Charles is 16 months old.

Charles again at 16 months old.

Charles is 16 months old in this picture. The Texaco Gas Station and Lead Auto Body is behind him. The owners of the station lived behind the station. Dad lived next to the station. Dad is wearing a painter's cap from the Hearst Mercantile, it was the first WalMart, so to speak. It sold just about everything - a general Dept. Store. Grandpa Charles was a sales clerk for the Mercantile.

Charles is 15 months old in this picture sitting on his front porch.

Charles is 15 months old in this picture.

Charles standing in his Grandmother Marie Vercellino's front yard (Elda's mother). Dad is 16 months old. Great Grandmother Marie died of stroke three weeks after this picture was taken while sweeping her front porch.

Charles is sitting on Jessie lap. Jessie was a friend of Elda's. They lived in Hot Springs and came visiting from time to time. They owned the Coast to Coast Hardware Store.

Charles standing in the Pascoe's front yard (didn't have much of a yard). The Round House is the large brick building in the background. It is a nice restaurant in Lead today. There is a Arco Grocery Store today where Charles is standing.

Charles at 1 years old standing outside his home in Lead.

In this picture Charles is standing with his mother Elda and Uncle Ed. Uncle Ed didn't visit that often.

More on our GG Grandparents, John Dennis and Isabella McCrillus and the Mormon Tabernacle

John Dennis and Isabella McCrillus

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello Family,
I just complete my first three day Space Camp for the summer season. Exhausted is a good descriptive word for my current state. I'm about to head back to the school for another one night camp. Crazy, but this is the time the Center makes much of its operating budget for the year so its "All Hands on Deck!"

I was fortunate to locate a relative of ours, Sara Abramowitz-Hill, a descendant of Levi Dennis and his first wife - Sarah Crippen. She had more information on our Great Great Grandfather and was happy to send it along for our history. Thank you Sara!

First, the relationship chart

This is the new information we have on John Dennis and his family, including John Dennis' work on the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City.

Simply,
Victor

John Dennis

Dennis Family History

We first fine the Dennis family in Knoxville, Tennessee. Levi Dennis met a young Lady, Sarah Crippen, who had been born in that city in 1816. Sarah was 26 years old when she and Levi were married in 1842. They had two sons, Jon and Edward. In 1846 the Dennis family moved to Sullivan County, Missouri. Levi died three weeks after they arrived in Missouri. In 1847 Sarah remarried Samuel Bingham.

The family lived in Missouri about 18 years. Sarah and Samuel had five more children, Mathew, Tom Jesse, Eliza and Barbara. Samuel served as Justice of the Peace.

In 1864, Edward joined the Confederate Army. After the war he moved to Montana. His descendants were lost to the family until 1957 when a letter was received from an Alic Irwin, a daughter of Edward.

John Dennis met Julia Spurlock in Missouri and he was married to her when he was 18 years old. They had six children, Sarah Martha, Nancy Jane, Minnie, Annie, Allie and John Jr. The oldest was Sarah Martha who was born in Union, Missouri in 1863.

When Sarah Martha was one years old the family left Missouri. They traveled in a covered wagon drawn by oxen and were part of a freight train. They headed for California but ended up in Utah and Wyoming. Nancy Jane and Annie were born at Fr. Bridger, Wyoming. During that time John Dennis worked in Salt Lake City helping to build the Mormon Tabernacle. They lived in the area six years.

The family moved to Ft. Collins, Colorado. John and Julia had three more children born in Colorado, Minnie, Allie and John Jr. On January 10, 1873, their son John Jr. was born. Julia died eleven days later and the little baby, John Jr. died in September of that same year. They were buried there in Bingham Hill Cemetery. Also buried there was Barbara, Samuel and Sarah’s youngest daughter. She died at the age of 19 from a nosebleed just before her planned wedding.

In 1878, John and his three oldest daughters, Mattie, Nancy and Annie left Colorado.. They traveled by train to a tie-camp in Wyoming. John left his two youngest girls, Minnie and Allie with relatives in Colorado.

From Wyoming, John and his three oldest daughters journeyed to Custer or Hill City in the Black Hills of South Dakota. They lived in that area for awhile while John worked in the mines. Then he became interested in Hot Springs and the family moved farther south.

Annie Tallent, who was the first white woman in the Black Hills, mentioned John Dennis in her writings. It seems that Col. Thornby and Professor Jennie, both prominent in the Hill’s History, had explored the area where Hot Springs would soon be. On their way back to Deadwood they stopped in Hill City and met a George Trimmer and a John Dennis who became the first settlers in Hot Springs.

John arrived at Hot Springs in 1880 and is considered to be the third settler in that valley. The 1880 census lists 28 people, among them John, his oldest three daughters and Thomas Bingham, who would be John’s half brother.

In 1883, John married our Great Great Grandmother, Mrs. Belle Helgerson who had a daughter Myra from a previous marriage. John and Belle had five more children, Joseph, Vesta, Raymond, Emma and John. At some time, John also became reunited with his other two younger daughters, Minnie and Allie. Belle was the first school teacher in the Hot Springs area.

John’s mother, Sarah, her husband and their family were also in Hot Springs at that time. Their oldest son, Matthew, played the fiddle and was said to make music for many dances in the town. Matthew’s son Fred, was married to Edna, Sarah and Samuel’s next son Tom, discovered Wind Cave in 1881 when he was out hunting. Their sister, Eliza was married and remained in Colorado.

John and Belle had a wonderful garden in Hot Springs. It was reported that he harvested 24000 pounds of onions and he must have cultivated quite an area ash he also had ten foot high corn and harvested grain. He also promised a July picnic for which he would furnish the watermelon. It was said that it would be for “Everybody and his dog!” During that time he made many trips back to Custer to sell his produce.

In 1880, John, Belle and family moved to a ranch near Cascade. One account said that he traded his property in Hot Springs for the ranch which his son-in-law George Turner, had owned. His third Great Grandson, Alan Hill, now owns that property.

The Dennis family lived at the Cascade ranch for about seven years. During that time they had many tragedies. In 1891, their six year old son, John, died. John’s mother, Sarah Bingham, died at their three year old son, Raymond, drowned in the Cheyenne River. That same year, John’s daughter, Annie, from his first marriage, died - leaving a three month old baby who also died in January of 1892. Then in February of 1892, John and Belle’s little five year old daughter, Emma, also died.

Our Great Great Grandmother Belle died in 1896 after which John just lived a few months over a year. He had pneumonia and Charles Row, his son-in-law, moved him to Hot Springs in a closed carriage to be nearer the doctor but he died in April 1897. He was only 53 years old. He had led such an interesting life and been so many different places in such a short life. It is simply amazing to contemplate. John was a member of the 7th Day Adventist Church.

John wrote a will stating that if he died before his children, James and Vesta, that they should be cared for by his daughter, Nancy Roe.

Our Persecuted 8th Great Grandparents. Devoted Quakers. (Williamson Line)

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Today we read about our 8th Great Grandparents, Francis and Grace Standfield (along the Williamson Family Line - See Relationship Chart Below). Needless to say I'm humbled by the hardships our Williamson ancestors suffered because of their Quaker religion and desire to worship God according to the dictates of their own conscious. This religious stubbornness and determination is a reoccurring theme throughout our family's early history along many lines.

As a Williamson family, lets not forget the sacrifices made by our ancestors in the establishment of this "one nation, under God with liberty and justice for all." Let's especially remember their hardships as the July 4th holiday approaches. Perhaps a short discussion of our family's history would be appropriate during your celebrations. It would make an interesting discussion around the barbecue.

And now, please take a moment and read about our Great Grandparents, Francis and Grace Standfield.

Simply,
Victor

The Story of Francis and Grace Standfield

Francis Standfield, a Quaker, was a (farmer) who brought his family to Pennsylvania from Cheshire, England in 1683. They arrived July 29, 1683, aboard the ship “Endeavor” of Liverpool, George Thorpe, Master. The Endeavor was one of the ships that brought many of the original Quaker settlers to the Pennsylvania Province beginning in 1682. William Penn made at least one voyage on the Endeavor, when he returned to England in 1684.

Francis and his wife, Grace, brought with them five children, James, Mary, Sarah, Elizabeth, Grace and Hannah; and eight servants, Daniel Browne, Thomas Marsey, Isa. Brookesby, Robert Sidbotham, John Smith, Robert Bryan, William Rudway and Thomas Sidbotham. A sixth child, Deborah, was born after the arrival in Pennsylvania. At the time of the the Standfields’ arrival, there were less than 80 houses in Philadelphia, and less than 400 farms in Pennsylvania. William Penn had arrived aboard the “Welcome” only a few months previously to found his new colony, offering religious tolerance and openly welcoming members of the Society of Friends (Quakers).

Quaker Persecution

Francis Standfield had good reason to join Penn in the new colony. When George Fox started the Quaker movement soon after 1650, it spread rapidly in the northern counties of England. The Standfields had been in Yorkshire for generations, and were among the first to embrace the Quaker religion. They were persecuted, their property was siezed, and had other sufferings along with their Quaker brethren. Abraham Standfield, son of James Stansfield of Brighouse and possibly a brother of Francis, died with wife Lydia in 1669, while imprisoned in York Castle.

In 1670, our Grandfather Francis was arrested for attending a Quaker meeting at Cartop (Carthorpe), and had property seized for tithes. Like many other Quakers, Francis moved his family from place to place attempting to escape persecution, which varied by locality and changing times. It was probably about 1670 when Francis and Grace moved into Cheshire. They lived first at Marthall, on the southwest side of Manchester near Knutsford. Daughter Grace was born at nearby Marple, and the family was at Gorton (central Manchester) just prior to the emigration.

By 1683, Francis and Grace made the decision to emigrate. They knew that ship travel in 1683 was a deplorable and dangerous experience. Passengers were forced to take their own provisions aboard, and the ship’s drinking water was vile and unsanitary. Many ships arrived in the colonies with a high percentage of the passengers either ill or dead. The “Brittannia” once arrived in Pennsylvania with so many passenger losses and orphaned children, it was long called the “sick ship.” Nevertheless, Francis and Grace Standfield were desperate enough to brave the journey with five children. The family was lucky to escape England with considerable assets. In some localities, affluent Quakers were commonly fined up to a third of their assets upon being arrested. Even though Francis is known to have suffered some seizure of property, he was able to bring his wife, five children, and eight indentured servants, and still be able to purchase a large parcel of land in Chester County, Pennsylvania, for his initial estate.

Survey maps of 1683 show a 600-acre lot in Marple, on the west side of Philadelphia, for Francis Standfield. The lot was bounded by Crum Creek on the west, and by two lots on the east which extended to Darby Creek. A 1687 map shows joint ownership of the lot with son James.

The Stanfields were among the earliest settlers of Marple. They may have been instrumental in naming the town, after their former village of Marple in Cheshire. The parents seem to have been about 40 years old at the time of coming to this country. In that formative period, consequent upon the settlement of a new country, religious meetings were held at private houses, until some one place had been determined upon. During this period one or more meetings were held at the house of Francis Stanfield.

Although he called himself a farmer upon arrival, he and son James quickly built up a thriving trading business. They had a two-masted ship, the Brigantine “Betsy,” and apparently were involved in the Barbados sugar and rum trade. They had major business dealings with the family of John Fisher of Philadelphia and Sussex County, who may have come with Penn on the “Welcome.” They also did business with James Logan, private secretary to William Penn.

Relationship Chart

Francis Stanfield b. 1642 England. married Grace Achelly b. 1646 England.
to
Sarah Stansfield b. ? England. married Edward Bennett b. 1656. England
to
Joseph Bennet b. 1704 Pennsylvania. married Rebecca Fincher b. 1704.
to
Phebe Bennett. married John Willis
to
Bennett Willis married Katherine Nosseman
to
Jonathan Willis married Anabella Phlegar
to
Margaret Ann Willis married George Matthew Williamson
to
William J. Williamson married Effie Helen Victor
to
Vennie, Ima Della, Inez, Lillie Ethel, Josie, Emmett, Walt, Charles married Elda, Maurice.
to
Charles Williamson married Luella Mattson
to
Kim, Victor, Kevin, Jon, Janice, Jilane, Lisa, Annette.

Our Family Heritage. Sweden

Från Fästningen i Ensamhet
Trevlig Lund

Yes, you're correct. The above reads, "From the Fortress of Solitude, Pleasant Grove".
Our family has strong Swedish roots through the Mattson line. Our Great Grandparents emigrated from Sweden at the turn of the Century meaning we still have family in Sweden that may remember us. It would be good (but never easy) to find them.

Today, we enjoy a bit of Swedish culture with this popular Swedish folk song. Enjoy the melody and pay attention to the language. Its the language our Great Grandparents spoke to each other.



And of course, there are Swedish Folk Dances.........



helt enkelt
Victor

Our 13th Great Grandfather, Edward Stanley. A Major Figure During the Reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth I.

Edward Stanley, 3rd Earl of Derby.

Our 13th Great Grandfather (Williamson Line)

Our 13th Great Grandfather was Edward Stanley, the 3rd Earl of Derby. He was born on May 10, 1509. When he was 13 years old he was given all the the titles and estates of his father, the 2nd Earl of Derby. The following are highlights from his life:

Cardinal Thomas Wolsey

• King Henry VIII took responsibility for raising Edward until he was of age.
• Cardinal Thomas Wolsey was appointed Edward's guardian.
  
• In 1528 he accompanied the Cardinal on a mission to France.
• In 1530 he was one of the leaders of the delegation that gave Pope Clement VII the declaration regarding Henry VIII’s divorce from Catherine of Aragon.
• In 1530 he married the Duke of Norfolk’s half sister. She died a few weeks later of the plague. Later he married the Dukes other half sister, our Great Grandmother Dorothy.
• In 1532 Edward accompanied Henry VIII on a visit to France to meet with King Francis I. Afterwords, Edward became a Knight of the Bath.
• A few years later Edward played a major role in crushing the Pilgrimage of Grace, a large mainly church related rebellion which started in Lincolnshire and spread into North England

  The Pilgrimage of Grace in 1536 was a rising of Roman Catholics in N England. It was a protest against the government's abolition of papal supremacy (1534) and confiscation (1536) of the smaller monastic properties, intensified by grievances against inclosures and high rents and taxes. The Catholics protested their loyalty to Henry VIII, citing as their “great grudge” the position and influence of Thomas Cromwell. In Oct., 1536, several thousand men occupied the city of Lincoln, but dispersed after receiving a sharp rebuke from the king. Almost immediately, another rally occurred in Yorkshire. The movement, which rapidly gathered strength in N England, was led by Robert Aske, a Yorkshire lawyer. Aske and his followers occupied York and then moved on to Doncaster. Thomas Howard, 3d duke of Norfolk, promised from the king a general pardon and a Parliament to be held at York within a year. The men dispersed. Aske was well received by the king in London. In Jan., 1537, Sir Francis Bigod of Settrington, Yorkshire, led an uprising at Beverley. Although Aske and other leaders of the Pilgrimage of Grace tried to prevent this new disorder, they were arrested, tried in London, and executed in June, 1537. The northern counties were placed under martial law, and many people were hanged on mere suspicion of disaffection. The repression in N England after the Pilgrimage of Grace put an end to open opposition to the government's religious policy.

  
  
  The Banner of the Plgrimage of Grace
• In 1542 Edward accompanied the Duke of Norfolk on a raid into Scotland.
• Edward became a Knight of the Garter when Henry VIII’s son Edward VI ascended to the throne in 1547.
• In 1550 Edward was one of the peers who were present at the peace proceedings with Scotland and France.
• He was appointed Lord High Steward and became of member of Queen Mary’s Privy Council.
• He was a commissioner of Lady Jane Grey’s trail and was frequently present during the trials of accused heretics.

  Lady Jane Grey (1536/1537 – 12 February 1554) was a claimant to the Kingdom of England and Kingdom of Ireland, having been the eldest granddaughter of Mary Tudor, Queen of France, making her the great-niece of Henry VIII. She was de facto monarch of England after the death of Edward VI for just over a week in July 1553. Residing in the Tower of London during her short reign, she never left the premises again. Her execution in February 1554 was caused by her father's involvement in Wyatt's rebellion against the rule of Queen Mary. Lady Jane Grey's rule of less than two weeks is the shortest rule of England in its history. Those historians that consider her a monarch have taken either the day of her proclamation as queen, 10 July, or that of her predecessor's death, 6 July, as the beginning. Hence her popular names of "The Nine Days' Queen" or, less commonly, "The Thirteen Days' Queen".
  

  • 

• Queen Elizabeth I appointed him to her Privy Council. The Queen appointed him Chamberlain of Chester.
• He died on October 24, 1572 at the age of 63.

Relationship Chart

Edward Stanley

Dorothy Howard married Edward Stanley, Earl of Derby
to
Jane Stanley married Edward Sutton, Baron of Dudley
to
Edward Sutton's mistress was 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 and Luella (my parents)
to
Us

And Again, More from Edge of Civilization in Montana.

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

I walked to school today. It was a beautiful morning. The mountains were green and the air smelt of lilac and freshly cut grass. My walk home this evening was just as pleasant. Gray rolling clouds were settling over Mt. Timpanogoes and the air convinced me rain was close at hand. I feared I'd be caught up in torrents before reaching the Fortress. My fear was unfounded. If it had rained, then it evaporated before hitting the ground.

Tonight I'd like to share a few more pictures from the Mattson Ranch in Montana in the 1940's.

Would you like to venture a guess on the identity of this wee lad? He is the fourth born of Walter and Violet Mattson. His name is John Edward Mattson. Grandma Violet's handwriting in the photo album says he is 3 and 1/2 months old.

This wee lass should be easy to name if you know your Mattson history. Walter and Violet had five children, three boys and two daughters. One boy died as an infant. If Luella is the oldest child that leaves Linda as the only other girl. Linda Mattson is pictured here at 11 months old. I wonder what she's holding. Perhaps a shoe. I'm sure they had to quickly snap this picture before the shoe went straight into the mouth.

And here they all are a wee bit older. Marvin is the only one missing.
And now a special treat....... We step into our magical time machine, push a few buttons and suddenly the world goes from black and white to color.


Luella and John are older still. Ancient no, but older yes. Can you see the family resemblance?
I know what you thought first. Sticking right out for the world to see are two Mattson noses. How many of us were luckily enough to inherit such well defined genetic landmarks?

This picture was taken in 1999 at a wedding reception. They've come a long way since the days of kerosene lamps and an outhouse one stone's throw from their little home on the Montana prairie and Oh, the stories they tell of snow drifts so high you could reach out and touch the moon and winter nights so cold they'd have to find their frozen pets every morning and thaw them back to life in front of the fire. Stories that need to be told and recorded, and then, only then, can we read them and wonder how any of them survived those many years on the frontier of civilization.

Simply,
Victor

Orginial Documents for the Mattson Family Ranch in Montana

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Everything and Anything pertaining to our family history is fair game for this blog. Let no stone be unturned, no story untold and no document not displayed and archived. Tonight I'd like to show you three documents from our family's ranch near Piniele Montana.

This first document (click to enlarge) is the filing for the homestead. I believe the date is October 13, 1916. This gives the physical location of the ranch along with the fees for the land and the filing. The document is signed by Albert Mattson, my GGGrandfather.

The second document is a letter from the State of Montana recording the brands for the Mattson Ranch to be used on cattle and horses.

The last document illustrates where the brands were to be placed on the animals.

So there you have it. The family brand. I'm guessing it is still legal, meaning if you wanted to mark your children as yours you could always use the Mattson brand. Mind you, I wouldn't use the branding iron - you'd be run in for abuse. I suggest a tattoo right on the forehead. That will do the trick with a minimum amount of fuss and bother.

Simply,
Victor

Gaelic song - Ar Éirinn Ní Neosfainn Cé Hí

Our family descends from many regions of Europe. Ireland is one of them. As I done in previous posts, I'd like us to enjoy something from this homeland of our ancestors, sung in their native Gaelic.
Please enjoy this moment with Ireland.

John Dennis and Isabella McCrillus, Our Great Great Grandparents and Their Hardships.

John Dennis and Isabella McCrillus, Our Great Great Grandparents.

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello Family,
And what a find Memorial Day it is. This is the day we remember our dead and therefore a fitting day to write another post honoring the memory of our ancestors that went before us. Today I'd like to tell you more about our Great Great Grandparents John Dennis and Isabelle McCrillus. Today I'd like to share information taken from the Hot Springs Star about the Dennis family.
We begin as always with the Relationship Chart. Below you'll find two charts. The first is for John Dennis' first marriage to Julia Mary Spurlock.

The second chart below is the Relationship Chart for his second wife, our Great Great Grandmother Isabella McCrillus.

The following information is taken directly as written from the local newspaper in Hot Springs, The Hot Springs Star. The dates are given. This reads as a string of tragedies. Put yourself into the mind of our Great Great Grandparents as you read about the last six years of their lives in Hot Springs South Dakota.

September 18, 1891.

Edward, the three year old child of John and Bella Dennis near Cascade, drowned Friday. La Fluche and Colvert, the undertakers, have charge. Burial at Evergreen Cemetery.
The three year old child of John and Bella Dennis, who reside on a ranch south of Cascade, near the Cheyenne River, fell into the river and was drowned on Friday. Full particulars have not been learned, but it is supposed that while playing near it, and before help could arrive, the little one was at last overcome in the water of the Cheyenne. Mr. and Mrs. Dennis had had his heart full of sorrow the past few months we understand, having had sickness in the family for several weeks.
The funeral of the Edward Dennis occurred today from their home at Cascade and was attended by a large number of friends. The remains were interred in the Hot Springs Cemetery.

October 16, 1891

Died in this city on Wednesday, October 14, Mrs. Annie Powell, wife of A.A. Powell. Annie was the daughter of John Dennis and his first wife Julia Spurlock and was born on September 21, 1867. Married 1884. 3 children, 2 of whom have died and a baby of 3 months survives. Funeral was from residence of George Turner. She has been seriously sick for about two weeks.

January 29, 1892.

Died. Infant son of A.A. Powell and Grandson of John Dennis, Wednesday.

February 19, 1891

Died on Saturday, February 14, 1891 at residence of G.A.Turner, Johnny. 2nd son of Mr. and Mrs. Dennis. Age 5 years, 8 months and 23 days.

February 23, 1891

Mrs.Sarah Bingham, mother of John Dennis, aged about 75 died at the residents of Charles E Roe whose wife is her granddaughter. Buried the 23rd. Died of pneumonia, Born near Knoxville, Tennessee in 1816. In 1842 married Levi Dennis. Two boys John and Edward were born. In 1846 immigrated to Sullivan Co. Mo. Levi Dennis died three weeks after arrival. There she married Samuel Bingham - 2 girls and 3 boys were born. In 1864 they went to Utah and back to Colorado. Then to Hot Springs in 1880. Mr. Dennis’ family has been singularly afflicted this year, he having lost his mother, Mr. Bingham; his daughter, Mrs. Powell; two younger children and now his grandchild, son of his late daughter who died four months earlier.

January 26, 1896

The wife of John Dennis, Isabel Deanora Helgerson McCrillus dies in Hot Springs.

September 18, 1896

John Dennis, one of Cascade’s most energetic and successful grangers, spent a few days in Hot Springs during the past weeks. Mr. Dennis is suffering considerably from bronchial afflictions and expected to spend the winter in the south for the benefit of his health. The Star sincerely hopes that he will secure relief.

February 19, 1897

Dr. Holmes was called to Cascade Tuesday to attend John Dennis who is seriously ill with pneumonia.

April 16, 1897

Charley Roe came in from Cascade Wednesday for a closed carriage in which to bring John Dennis to Hot Springs in order that he may be nearer his physician. He is suffering from pleurisy and lung affliction and is in a critical condition.

April 28, 1897

John Dennis died in Hot Springs.

Nancy Jane Dennis Roe

After the death of her parents, our Great Grandmother Vesta (then 5 years old) and her 14 year old brother James L. Dennis moved into the home of her 1/2 sister Nancy Jane Dennis and her husband Charles Roe. They lived near Hot Springs along the Cheyenne River in South Dakota.

Vesta Dennis Age 3. Taken at Hot Springs South Dakota in 1895.
Her mother died one year later. Her father died two years after this picture was taken.

Her full brother Joseph L. Dennis appears in the 1920 census living in San Francisco California, living in a lodging house, age 36 and single.

I’m still looking for more information Great Grandmother Vesta’s siblings and their descendants.

Simply,
Victor