Matson Project
By Don Taylor

Although not my blood ancestors, I have two half-siblings, three half-nieces, and two half-nephews descended from Eddie Matson’s son, Edgar. This page is dedicated to them. I’ll add, I met Eddie, and his wife Hildur, a few times when I was a child and have fond memories of them. His surname changed from Mattson to Matson and back again over his lifetime[i].

Overview

“Gramdpa Matson” Christmas 1970 – Photo by Sylvia Matson

When Edward William Mattson was born on 1 April 1898 in Cokato, Minnesota, his father, Lars, was 38 and his mother, Christine, was 34. He married Hildur Christina Krafve on 25 March 1922 in Hennepin, Minnesota. They had four children during their marriage. He died on 9 October 1977, in Anoka, Minnesota, at the age of 79 and was buried in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Matson Ancestor #MK-4

List of Grandparents

• • Grandfather: Edward “Eddie” William Mattson [aka Matson] (1898-1977)
  • 1^st Great-grandfather: Lars Mattson (1859-1926)
  • 2^nd Great-grandfather: Lars Mattison (1824-___)

Live Events/Facts

Birth

Edward William Mattson was born 1 April 1898 (no fooling) near Cokato, Wright County, Minnesota. He was the 10^th child of Lars and Christine (Ericson) Mattson. Later that month, the U.S. declared war against Spain, opening the Spanish-American War.

His older siblings included:

Children of Lars and Christine (Erickson) Mattson

Childhood

The 1900 Census found the Matson family living in French Lake Township. The township is north of Cokato and south of Annandale in Wright County, Minnesota. Eddie’s father, Lars, was a farmer who owned his farm, although it was mortgaged.

The 1910 Census provides the sadness that had to have fallen upon the family. Between 1900 and 1910, Christine had three more children. Two of those children died before 1910, leaving Eddie with one younger brother, Rudolph, born about 1903.

On 3 September 1918, Eddie traveled the 10 miles or so to register for the draft in Buffalo. His mailing address was Route 3, Cokato. He was described as tall, medium build, blue eyes, and blond hair.

The 1920 Census finds Eddie still at home with three of his brothers and two of his sisters. He, Louis, and his sister Hannah are working away from the farm, while David, Rudolph, and Minnie are working at the farm.

Marriage

Eddie Matson and  Hildur Krafve married on 25 March 1922 in Hennepin County, Minnesota. Together they had four children

Children of Eddie and Hildur (Krafve) Matson

In 1925, when Edgar was born, the couple lived at 4218 Upton No. Eddie was a cement worker.

Family Oral History – The Name Change

I heard a story a couple of times that when Eddie was starting a cement business in Minneapolis, the sign painter misspelled his name, dropping a “t” from his name making Matson out of Mattson. That’s how come his children had the one “t” surname. Certainly, he signed his name Mattson on his 1918 draft registration. Ardis’ obituary noted her maiden name as Mattson. His surname was Matson when his son, Edgar, was born. So, it appears that the surname spelling changed sometime between 1922 and 1925, about the time when Eddie was starting his cement business.

The 1930 Census found Eddie, Hildur, and the four children living in Southside Township, Wright County. Southside is the township directly north of French Lake Township. It is just west of Annandale. Eddie is renting the place they live, and he is a farmer.

The 1940 Census finds the family living in Annandale Village, where Eddie is a wage worker doing cement work at a construction company. The Census indicates he had an 8th-grade education.

In 1942, Eddie again registered for the draft. He and Hilda were again living in Minneapolis, this time at 2024 Girard Ave. No. He was working at O.W. Berg Co, at Lowrey ave, between 1^st and 2^nd No. He was described as 6’1”, 170 Lbs, blue eyes, brown hair, light complexion. He had a scar across three of the toes on his right foot. He would live at 2024 Girard for at least ten years.

Hildur & Eddie Matson, Christmas 1970

Sometime before 1977, Eddie and Hildur moved to 4201 7^th St. NE., Columbia Heights, and moved again to Elk River, Sherburne County, before his death on 9 October 1977. He died in Anoka, Anoka County, MN. His funeral was held at the 1^st Lutheran Church in Columbia Heights, and he was buried at Crystal Lake Cemetery.

Events by Location

Edward “Eddie” William Mattson lived his entire life in Minnesota. He spent his youth in Wright County and most of his adult life in Hennepin County. In his senior years, he lived in Anoka and Sherburne counties.

Life locations for Edward “Eddie” Mattson – Map courtesy Ancestry LifeStory

• • Minnesota, Anoka, Anoka                       Death 1977
  • Minnesota, Anoka, Columbia Heights    Before 1976
  • Minnesota, Hennepin, Minneapolis       (Marriage) 1925, 1940-1952
  • Minnesota, Sherburne, Elk River           Before 1977
  • Minnesota, Wright, Annandale              1935
  • Minnesota, Wright, Cokato                     (Birth) 1898-1918
  • Minnesota, Wright, French Lake Twp   1900, 1910, 1920
  • Minnesota, Wright, Southside Twp       1930

Further Actions / Follow-up

• • Eddie had an 8th-grade education; look for school records for him.
  • Eddie Matson & Hildur Krafur were married 3/25/1922. Get a copy of Hennepin County. Certificate Number: 02550466.
  • Get copies of Ardis, Elizabeth, and Kenneth’s birth records to see if they provide additional information regarding the surname change date.
  • Research Minneapolis Directories to see if they provide insight into the surname change from Mattson to Matson, apparently between 1922 and 1925.
  • In 1942, Eddie worked for O.W. Berg Co at Lowry Ave, between 1^st and 2^nd Determine what type of company that was.
  • Determine dates Eddie and Hildur lived at 2024 Girard from property records.
  • Confirm Eddie’s death and burial and create a memorial for him on Find-a-Grave (Hildur has a memorial).

Endnotes

[i] It is my practice to use the name used in any particular record. Consequently, his first name switches between Edward and Eddie. Likewise, his surname switches between Mattson and Matson.

Links

• Ancestry Tree (Roberts-Brown) – Edward William Mattson
• Family Search – Edward William Matson

Sources

• 1900 Census (F.S.), Family Search, 1900 – Lars Matson – French Lake Township, Wright, Minnesota. “United States Census, 1900,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M9QC-4WP : accessed 8 September 2021), Lars Matson, French Lake Township, Wright, Minnesota, United States; citing enumeration district (E.D.) 226, sheet 8B, family 152, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,798.
• 1910 Census, 1910 – Lars Matson – French Lake, Wright, Minnesota. “United States Census, 1910,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/ 61903/1:1:M2PY-W95 : accessed 8 September 2021), Lars Matson, French Lake, Wright, Minnesota, United States; citing enumeration district (E.D.) ED 210, sheet 11B, family 185, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 728; FHL microfilm 1,374,741.
• 1920 Census, Lais Matson (Lars) – French Lake, Wright, Minnesota
  Census, 1920”, database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ ark:/61903/1:1:M4M3-R2P : 2 February 2021), Lais Mattson, 1920.
• 1930 Census, Eddie (Edward) Matson – Southside, Wright, Minnesota
  States Census, 1930,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ ark:/61903/1:1:X36Q-7VR : accessed 8 September 2021), Eddie Matson, Southside, Wright, Minnesota, United States; citing enumeration district (E.D.) ED 32, sheet 3A, line 13, family 50, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1136; FHL microfilm 2,340,871.
• 1940 Census, FamilySearch (https:// www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KSJY-D84 : 7 January 2021), Eddie W Mattson, Annandale, Wright, Minnesota, United States; citing enumeration district (E.D.) 86-3, sheet 9A, line 15, family 195, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 – 2007, R.G. 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 1970.
• City Directory (A), Ancestry.Com, Minneapolis, Minnesota – 1942, Page 768 – Matson. Via Ancestry.Com.
• City Directory (A), Ancestry.Com, Minneapolis, Minnesota – 1944, Page 770 – Matson. Ancestry.Com – Downloaded 11/10/2013
• City Directory (A), Ancestry.Com, Minneapolis, Minnesota – 1946, Page 833 – Matson. Ancestry.Com – Downloaded 11/10/2013.
• City Directory (A), Ancestry.Com, Minneapolis, Minnesota – 1948, Page 921 – Matson. Downloaded from Ancestry.com 10 November 2013.
• City Directory (A), Ancestry.Com, Minneapolis, Minnesota – 1952, Page 812 – Matson. Downloaded from Ancestry on 10 November 2013.
• Grand Rapids Herald-Review – 2010-01-04 – Ardis J. (Mattson) Rohloff. Grand Rapids Herald-Review (Minnesota) 4 January 2010, obit for Ardis J. (Mattson) Rohloff, GenealogyBank.com (https://www.genealogybank.com/doc/obituaries/obit/ 1406ABF9AEE49BB0 : accessed 8 September 2021)., Grand Rapids Herald-Review, Grand Rapids, Minnesota (GenealogyBank.Com).
• Minneapolis Star Tribune (Minneapolis, Minnesota), Newspapers.com, 1977-10-11 – Edward Mattson Obituary. Downloaded 8 September 2021.
• Minnesota Death Index, 1908-2002, Family Search, Edward W. Mattson (Matson) – [No image]. (https:// familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V4W8-XTY : 4 December 2014), Edward W. Mattson (Matson), 9 October 1977; from “Minnesota Death Index, 1908-2002,” database, Ancestry
• Minnesota Official Marriage System, MOMS.MN.GOV, Eddie Matson & Hildur Krafur – 3/25/1922 – Hennepin County. Certificate Number: 02550466. Accessed 8 September 2021. https://moms.mn.gov/.
• Minnesota, Hennepin, Minneapolis, Birth Certificate. Minneapolis, Hennepin, Minnesota, Edgar Jerome Matson.
• S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 (National Archives), Ancestry.Com, Eddie William Matson. National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for Minnesota, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 148.
• S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 (National Archives), Ancestry.Com, Edgar Jerome Matson. The National Archives in St. Louis, Missouri; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Dra. https://search.ancestry.com/collections/2238/records/ 16267040/.
• United States Social Security Death Index, Family Search, Eddie Mattson (No Images). “United States Social Security Death Index,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V9VG-ZZG : 10 January 2021), Eddie Mattson, Oct 1977; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
• United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918, Family Search, Eddie William Mattson (b. 1 April 1898). “United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918”, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ ark:/61903/1:1:K8W9-3B8 : 23 February 2021), Eddie William Mattson, 1917-1918.