As part of my normal research process, I like to find the BMD (births, marriages, and death) for each of the Ancestor’s siblings. When I first looked at Edward William Matson’s family, I had very little information regarding Edward’s siblings. Here is an updated list
Children of Lars and Christine (Erickson) Mattson[i] All children were born in Wright County, Minnesota[ii].
[i] All the birth records I have found use Mattson. However, many of the children began to use Matson beginning about 1917. For them, various records may indicate Matson and others Mattson.
[ii] Various records indicate that all of the children were born in Wright County, however sometime Cokato and sometime French Lake are used interchangeably.
[iii] 1962 and 1963 were very bad years for the Mattson family. Five siblings died during the 13 months between January 1962 and February 1963.
According to the 1940 US Census, Edward “Eddie” Mattson completed eight years of school. Pursuing what his educational experience might have been, I began researching his likely school environment. In looking at schools in French Lake Township, I learned there were eight schools in the township over the years. So, I realized I needed to know precisely where the Mattson Family lived. I figured that the Mattson’s probably went to the nearest school.
Land Office Records
An excellent source for property records is the Bureau of Land Management records. A quick search for Mattson in Wright County, Minnesota, yielded Lars Mattson, who homesteaded 80 acres in 1876. His patent read, in part:
Lars Mattson, [settled] the West-half of the North East Quarter of Section twenty-eight in township one hundred and twenty of the range twenty-eight, in the District of Lands subject to sale at Benson Minnesota; containing eighty acres….
[Signed] the thirteenth day of December… one thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
Section 28 is about a mile and a quarter north-northwest of Cokato and a mile and a half southwest of Annandale. By 1894, Lars only had 20 acres. Andrew Mattson had most of the land that Lars homesteaded in 1875.
The Mattson Property in Section 28 in 1894.
I think there is an error in the map legend. If Lars’ property is 20 acres, it appears that Andrew’s property should be 60 acres, not 80 acres, as the map key indicates.
Section 28 is bounded on the north by sections 20, 21, and 22, on the south by sections 32, 33, and 34. On the east by section 27 and on the west by section 29. I would expect the school the Mattson children attended to be on one of those sections.
According to Annandale Online, there were eight former schools in French Lake Township. Only one of them, Birch Lake School, was located in any of those sections. Additionally, the Swedish Free Church at North Crow River, that Lars Mattson was a trustee for was also known as Birch Lake Mission Church. As such, I’m pretty confident that the Mattson children attended Birch Lake School. The school operated from 1874 to 1971 as District 92. Harlan Nolan purchased the schoolhouse and now is a home at the same location. The oldest Mattson child was born in 1882, so he would have begun school about 1888. The youngest Mattson child was born in 1903; he probably attended school until he was 16, to about 1919. So, the Mattson’s probably had children attending Birch Lake School from 1888 until 1919.
I’ve contacted the Wright County Historical Society. Hopefully, they will have some materials available and of interest.
This week, for Photo Friday, I identify the people in five more envelopes from the Ethel Wight Studio Collection[i]. The envelopes contain the names who paid for the photos, not necessarily of the individual portrayed in the image. As such, it is vital to analyze the pictures and information to identify the individual therein.[ii] Ultimately, my goal is to reunite the photos with family members who may have never seen the image.
Bettina Nichol Goodier, 1943 (WAC)
The envelope this negative was in says, “Betina Goodier – Copy – 1943.”
Why I believe this to be the individual.
Bettina Nichol Goodier, 1943 (WAC)
US World War II Army Enlistment Records indicate that Bettina N Goodier of York, Maine enlisted in the Women’s Army Corps. She was 5’ 8” tall, 154 pounds. Bettina was born in 1920.
Maine, U.S., Birth Records, 1715-1922 indicates Bettina Nichol Goodier was born 15 March in Saco, York County, Maine, to Harry and Caroline S. Goodier.
This photo is of Bettina in 1943, after she enlisted in the Army as an Aviation Cadet.
Family Search does not appear to have a profile for Bettina Nichol Goodier. Also, there do not appear to be any Ancestry Family Trees that refer to Bettina. However, five family trees at Ancestry refer to her parents, Harry and Caroline S. (Nicol) Goodier.
The envelope this negative was in says, “Miss Dora Goodall, St. Barnabas Hospital #575.”
Why I believe this to be the individual.
Dora May Goodall, circa 1937
The 1934 Portland City Directory indicates that Dora Goodall was a student nurse at 231 Woodford and resided at 20 Norwood. 231 Woodford is the address for St. Barnabas Hospital.
The 1940 Census indicates the 26-year-old Dora Goodall is a lodger at 165 Clinton Street, Portland. She was a registered nurse.
The 1930 Census indicates the 16-year-old Dora M. Goodall living with her brother, Henry M. Goodall, and his wife Gladys, in Gardiner, Kennebec County, Maine.
The 1920 Census indicates 6-year-old Dora M Goodall living with her parents (and brother Henry) in Litchfield, Kennebec County. Her parents are James R. and Violet M. Goodall.
This is a photo of Dora M. Goodall about 1937, probably when she graduated from nursing school.
Family Search identifies Dora May Goodall, born 10 September 1913 in Oakfield, Aroostook County, Maine, to James and Violet M. (Wright) Goodall as ID L1GF-N2B. Dora Mae Goodall is found in 13 Ancestry trees.
Confirmed to be Margaret Goodwin who married Joseph K. Lyman by a grandchild of Margaret.
Ralph Wallace Goodridge, circa 1934
The envelope this negative was in says, “Mr. R.W. Goodridge, 1 Shepley St, Portland #57.”
Why I believe this to be the individual.
Ralph Wallace Goodridge, circa 1934
The 1938 Portland City Directory lists Robert Goodridge living at 1 Shepley. It also lists Mrs. Lanva L. Goodridge residing at the same address.
The 1937 Portland City Directory lists Mrs. Leuva Goodridge at 1 Shepley, but Robert is not listed.
The 1938 Portland City Directory lists neither Leuva nor Robert Goodridge.
I have been unsuccessful in finding Robert in any other records. A review of various family trees indicates that Leuva had a son, Ralph Wallace Goodridge, born in 1898.
As such, I believe this photo is likely of Ralph Wallace Goodridge, born 8 August 1898 in Gorham, Coos County, New Hampshire, and the 1938 Portland City Directory is in error. This photo was taken about 1934 (based on be number 57), and the man in the picture appears to be in his mid-30s. So, I believe this to be a photo of Ralph just before he married Doris Amelia Kinney in September 1934.
Family Search identifies Ralph Wallace Goodridge, son of Leuva Louise (Plympton) Goodridge, as ID LHLT-JXC. Ralph Wallace Goodridge is found in 23 Ancestry trees.
I have uploaded two photos of Ralph to his Family Search Memories. I also uploaded two additional photos of Ralph to my Flickr photostream.
Constance May Goodall, circa 1936 (age 2)
The envelope this negative was in says, “Mrs. Geo. W. Goodall, 47 Bradley St, Portland #834.”
Why I believe this to be the individual.
Constance May Goodall, circa 1936 (age 2)
The 1937 Portland City Directory lists George W and his wife Dorothy B, Goodall, living at 47 Bradley.
The 1940 Census lists George and Dorothy Goodall living with their two children, Constance M and George W., Jr. Constance was five, and George Jr. was seven months old.
Constance May Goodall was born 7 October 1934 to George and Dorothy (Butterworth) Goodall in Portland, Cumberland County, Maine.
Based upon the photo ID Number (834), the photo was taken about 1936 or 1937, so it must be Constance about two or three years of age.
Family Search does not appear to have a profile for Constance Goodall, nor do her parents. However, Constance Mae Goodall is found in 4 Ancestry trees
I identified all five individuals. Three of them had profiles on Family Search, so I uploaded their photos to Family Search Memories. Two individuals did not have profiles on Family Search, so I posted those photos to Dead Fred. One person had four shots, so I posted two additional images of that person to my Flickr Photostream.
For all of the Ethel Wight Collection analysis, please see here.
Final Note
If any of these photos are of your family member, I would love to hear your reaction. Especially if this photo is of a loved one for whom you hadn’t seen this photograph before.
Endnotes
[i] The Wight Studio was in Portland, Maine. Many thanks to Ethel Wight’s family for access to and permission to use the collection of their great aunt.
[ii] These images were converted to positives using a lightbox, a Nikon camera, and computer software.
In my ancestor research process, my third step is to review what others think they know (WOTTK). Invariably, I learn something new from others. But occasionally, I find a real treasure. In my research of Edward “Eddie” William Matson, I took a look at the “hints” that Ancestry offered to see what others think they know. Ancestry suggested 13 hints, and several of them were absolute treasures.
Ancestry Hints
1900 – Census – Ignored – I already had.
1910 – Census – Ignored – I already had.
1920 – Census – Ignored – I already had.
1922 – Marriages from the MOMS system – Ignored – I already had.
1930 – Census – Ignored – I already had.
1940 – Census – Ignored – I already had.
1940 Minneapolis City Directory. Interesting. I had found Eddie and Hildur in the 1940 Census living in Annandale. To see them in the 1940 Minneapolis City directory surprised me. It makes me want to carefully follow the real property records to see precisely when they relocated to Minneapolis.
1942 – World War II Draft Card – I already had.
1977 – Obituary – Ignored – I already had.
Matson Siblings, c. 1960, Photo courtesy “ryan2106 via Anceestry.Com
Member Photo – “Grandpa Matson and siblings.” The Matson (Mattson) Siblings: Top Row: Louis, Edward, Rudolph, Mary, John (Grandpa) Front Row: David, Minnie, Emma, Lena, and Carl Augus Initially added by Ryan2106 on 6/19/2011. A treasure. Eddie is clearly identified, and the image looks very much like him. The photo provided images of nine of his siblings that I’d never seen before. I don’t recall ever meeting any of them, but I remember hearing when several of them died between 1962 and 1963. I definitely can incorporate this photo into my work (with proper credit).
Eddie Mattson, front row left. Photo courtesy “ryan2106 via Anceestry.Com
Member Photo – “Louis and Eddie Mattson.” Front Row: Eddie Mattson, Elmer Opsahl; Back Row: Nels Johnson, Louis Mattson, Carl Johnson. Another photo was originally added by ryan2106, this time dated 26 Sep 2017. This is a particularly great photo because it showed Eddie when he was much younger, blonder, and heavier. Based on it, I confirmed another image I’ve seen on the “Terri’s Tales” website.
Eddie and Hildur Mattson – Dec 1955. Photo courtesy “ryan2106 via Anceestry.Com
Member Photo – Eddie and Hildur Mattson. This photo, printed in Dec 1955, is clearly of Hildur and Eddie. It shows Eddie in his typical wear, a plaid lumberjack shirt and light khaki pants. Again, the photo was submitted by ryan2106 to Ancestry on 5/30/2009.
Elle indicated that Ardis (Mattson) and Richard Rohloff had a child, David Peter Rohloff, born and died in 1943. I hadn’t heard of him before.
She also indicated that Kenneth Mattson’s wife, Mary Barna’s middle name was Ann. I didn’t have that before.
My thanks to all people who share their research and family trees publicly. It is their work that provides the hints Ancestry uses.
Terri’s Tales
I corresponded with ryan2106 through Ancestry Messaging and learned of a blog, “Terri’s Tales: Views to the Past.” The blog has two entries for the Matson surname, one for John Matson and one for his wife, Annie Theresia Utterberg. John was an older brother of Eddie. (John was the 4th child of Lars and Christine and Eddie was their 10th child.)
Mattson Family Farm House in Cokato, David, Lars, Stina, Hannah, and Rudolph [The link takes you to the Terri Tales website.]
Terri’s blog has lots of photos. Notably, a “Mattson family farm in Cokato.” Great photo. My sister lives in Wright County, not too far from the old homestead, and she knows where it is. I asked her if she’d take a new photo of the old Matson homestead. It will be interesting to see what it looks like now.
Mattson Family,circa 1902: Standing: Hannah, Mary, Carl, Emma, David, Lena, John, Lewis, Minnie. Sitting: Lars, Eddie, Stina with Edith [Link takes you to the Terri Tales website.]
There is a great “Mattson Family circa 1902” photo which includes little four-year-old Edward. The caption indicates Christina as “Stina,” a nickname I hadn’t known she used. Eddie is the boy standing between Lars and Stina.
Terri includes a fascinating bit of ephemera in her post. There is a copy of a 1915 banknote that John Matson took out to start his cement block business. In it, he signed his name with one t. However, his father, Lars, and uncle, Andrew, both signed their name with two t’s. The address for John was 3107 Upton Ave. North, Minneapolis. For some reason, I had always heard that the name change was due to a sign mistake. I also assumed it was Eddie’s business; however, this document suggests the name change occurred with John before 1915 and before starting his cement block business.
1925 Mattson Family Reunion, Cokato, MN
Of really great interest is a photo from the 1925 Mattson Family Reunion, Cokato, MN. I looked at the picture carefully and am pretty sure I’ve identified Eddie from the group. In 1925, Eddie was 27 years old; he and Hildur were married and had two children, Ardis and Elizabeth (Edgar would be born the following December). A man who looks like Eddie from the “Louis and Eddie Mattson” I mentioned earlier is sitting on the far right. On his lap is a child who appears to be about a year and a half, the age Elizabeth would be. Next to him is a woman with a child, about three, about the age Ardis was in 1925. The young woman does appear to be Hildur, although I’ve only seen photos of her when she was much older. Anyway, I’m pretty sure it is them sitting in chairs on the far right of the photo.
The article about John Emil Matson (1886-1962) is a lovely tribute to Terri’s grandfather, John Matson. My thanks to Terri for sharing John’s story and the wonderful photos. Her work has provided new insights into the Eddie Matson story as well.
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)
1st Great-grandfather: Lars Mattson (1859-1926)
2nd 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 10th 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
Name
Born
Carl August
Apr 1882
Gertie Caroline
Jun 1883
Emma Christine
May 1885
John Emil
Dec 1886
David Lauretsius
May 1888
Minni Sofia
Jam 1990
Hanna Elizabeth
Mar 1892
Anna Maria Mary
Jul 1894
Louis Oskar
Apr 1896
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
Name
Born
Ardis Josephine
Jun 1922
Elizabeth Anne
Jan 1924
Edgar Jerome
Dec 1925
Kenneth
c. 1927
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 1st and 2nd 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 7th 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 1st 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, 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 1st and 2nd 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.
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 – 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/.
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.
As part of my normal research process, I like to find the BMD (births, marriages, and death) for each of the Ancestor’s siblings. When I first looked at Edward William Matson’s family, I had very little information regarding Edward’s siblings. Here is an updated list 
