Ancestor Sketch – James Vincenzo Varone (Sr.)

Posted on October 7, 2021 by Don Taylor

Halcro-Varone Project
By Don Taylor

James Vincenzo Varone was born on 03 April 1889 in Rome, Italy as the first child of Antonio Varone5 and Giuseppa (Galluccio) Varone. He had five siblings, namely: Eleen, Celia6, Rose6, John6, and Mary6. When he was 27, he married Beatrice M Hennessey on 23 October 1916 in Rhode Island. James married Albertina C (LNU) sometime before 19345.

List of Grands

  • Maternal Grandfather – James Vincenzo Varone (1889-c. 1960)
  • Great Grandfather – Antonio Varone (1863-1933)

James Vincenzo Varone (1899-c. 1960)

Vincenzo Florio – 1880
Photo courtesy Ancestry.Com

James was born 03 April 1889 in Rome, Italy, the oldest child of Antonio and Giuseppa (Galluccio) Varone. Sometime before 02 June 1899, the Varone family moved to Galluccio, Caserta, Campania, Italy, which is the last place the family lived before going to Naples, Napoli, Campania, Italy4 where he departed aboard the Vincenzo Florio. On 02 June 18994. He arrived in New York, New York, USA4 on 18 June 1899.

James grew up with five younger siblings, all born in the United States.

Children of Antonio “Tony” and Giuseppa (Galluccio)[?] Varone

Name Born
James Vincenzo Varone 3 Apr 1889, Rome, Italy
Eleen Varone c. 1902, Rhode Island
Celia Varone c. 1904, Rhode Island
Rose Varone c. 1907, Rhode Island
John Varone c. 1908, Rhode Island
Mary Varone c. 1910, Rhode Island

The family located to Providence, Rhode Island, and lived at 118 Sutton Street by 1912.. James was described as 5′ 8″, 130 lbs, black hair, brown eyes, on 02 April 1912.

James became a naturalized citizen, taking his oath of allegiance to the United States on 29 January 1916 in Providence (Certificate #640045).

First Marriage

James Vincenzo Varone married Beatrice M. Hennessey on 23 October 1916. Together they had six children.

Name Born Married Died
Albert Anthony 1916    
Florence Josephine 1919 FNU Depasquale 1992
Anthony Frederick 1921 Eileen Moilo 1991
Dorothy Beatrice 1923 Lawrence Halcro 2008
Mildred C. 1926 Archie DiNucci  
James V.
(Junior)		 1930    

In 1917, James worked as a machinist and later worked as a glassworker at New England Glass, 110 West Exchange St. He was described as medium height, medium build, dark brown eyes, black hair3 when he registered for the draft.

In 1924 he was a jitney driver living at 227 Unit in Providence. He moved to 60 Seymour, Providence, in 1925 and moved again to 1233 Westminster Street.

The couple lived at 306 Carpenter from 1928 to 1930, 37½ Almy om 1921, and James appears to have lived at 14 Zone in 1932 without Beatrice. It seems that James and Beatrice divorced in 1932 or 1933.

Second Marriage

In 1933, James married Albertina C Germani[?], and they lived at 448 Pleasant Valley Parkway, Providence, Rhode Island. James was a salesman. Albertina may have had two children from a previous marriage, Vilma and Camille, who were living with James and Albertina during the 1940 Census. They were identified as James’ children using the Varone surname in that census; however, they do not appear in other records I have found.

1940 Census showing the James V Varone household including Vilma and Camille. 

He was employed as a Bus Driver at Valley Bus Line on 03 February 1936, in Providence, Rhode Island. He was the proprietor for the Bus Transportation Co. according to the 1940 census. He was educated to an 8th grade Education.

In 1942, Eddy M. Fisher of 6 Hay Street in Providence employed James. During his registration for the WWII draft, on 27 April 1942, he was described as 5’ 7½”, Brown eyes,  Black & Gray hair, dark complexion in Providence, Providence, Rhode Island, USA2.

Death

I have been unable to find a death record for James Vincenzo Varone. He appears in the 1960 Providence City Directory, living at 165 Harold but doesn’t appear in the 1961 city directory. As such, I suspect he died about 1960.

Follow-up Research

  • Find Death information for James Vincenzo Varone.
  • Find vital records for James’ siblings; Eileen, Celia, Rose, John, and Mary.
  • Determine Death information for both of James’s wives.
  • Determine Death information for all of James and Beatrice’s children.
  • Determine if Vilma and Camille were step-children. If so, who was their father?
  • Look for school records for James, his siblings, and his children.

Sources:

  • 1925 Rhode Island Census, Ancestry.com, 1925 Census – James Varone – Enumerated 22 April 1925. Accessed 25 September 2021. https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=RICensus&indiv=try&h=2452863.
  • 1940 Census, Various, James V Varone – Rhode Island, Providence, Providence. Year: 1940; Census Place: Providence, Providence, Rhode Island; Roll: m-t0627-03775; Page: 2B; Enumeration District: 6-72. Accessed 24 September 2021. https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/110539562:2442.
  • Find a Grave, Find a Grave, Dorothy B. Varone Halcro. Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/95788599/dorothy-b-halcro : accessed 23 September 2021), memorial page for Dorothy B. Varone Halcro (10 February 1923–18 November 2008), Find a Grave Memorial ID 95788599, citing Scarborough Memorial Cemetery, Scarborough, Cumberland County, Maine, USA ; Maintained by NoraK (contributor 46838659). https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/95788599/dorothy-b-halcro.
  • Obituary: Dorothy B. Halcro, 85., Portland Press Herald, Portland, Maine, images on-line at the Scarborough Historical Society.
  • Rhode Island, U.S., Marriage Index, 1851-1920, Ancestry.com, Vincenzo Varone – Beatrice M Hennessey – 23 October 1916. (No Image). Ancestry.com. Rhode Island, U.S., Marriage Index, 1851-1920 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000. https://search.ancestry.com/collections/4263/records/211974/.
  • Rhode Island, U.S., State and Federal Naturalization Records, 1802-1945, Ancestry.com, James Varone – b. 03 April 1889. National Archives At Boston; Waltham, Massachusetts; ARC Title: Petitions and Records of Naturalization, 2/1842 – Ca. 1991; NAI Number: 3432872; Record Group Title: Records of District Courts of the United States, 1685-2009; Record Group Number: Rg 21. https://search.ancestry.com/collections/61208/records/245604.
  • Rhode Island, U.S., State Censuses, 1865-1935, Ancestry.com, 1915 – Providence Ward 9 – Tony Varone. Ancestry.com. Rhode Island, U.S., State Censuses, 1865-1935 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013. https://search.ancestry.com/collections/4721/records/993783/.
  • Rhode Island, U.S., State Censuses, 1865-1935, Ancestry.com, 1935 – Providence – James Varone. Accessed 24 September 2021. https://search.ancestry.com/collections/4721/records/2434701.
  • Rhode Island, U.S., State Censuses, 1865-1935, Ancestry.com, 1935 – Providence – Florence Varone. Accessed 24 September 2021. https://search.ancestry.com/collections/4721/records/2434697.
  • Rhode Island, U.S., State Censuses, 1865-1935, Ancestry.com, 1935 – Providence – Anthony Varone. Accessed 24 September 2021. https://search.ancestry.com/collections/4721/records/2434688.
  • Rhode Island, U.S., State Censuses, 1865-1935, Ancestry.com, 1935 – Providence – Albert Varone. Accessed 24 September 2021. https://search.ancestry.com/collections/4721/records/2434686.
  • Rhode Island, U.S., State Censuses, 1865-1935, Ancestry.com, 1935 – Providence – James Varone (Jr.). Accessed 24 September 2021. https://search.ancestry.com/collections/4721/records/2434700.
  • Social Security Death Index, 1935-2012, Various, Dorothy B Halcro (No Image). “United States Social Security Death Index,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JTKQ-VMG : 12 January 2021), Dorothy B Halcro, 18 November 2008; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing). https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JTKQ-VMG.
  • S. City Directories, 1822-1995, Ancestry.com, Providence, Rhode Island, City Directory, 1934 (Ending April 1935) – Page 821 – Varone. Ancestry.com. U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Accessed 28 September 2021. https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/822174866:2469.
  • S. City Directories, 1822-1995, Ancestry.com, Providence, Rhode Island, City Directory, 1942 – Page 802. https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/920767072:2469?.
  • S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007, Ancestry.com, Lawrence Denis Halcro (1917-1998). No image – Accessed 11 September 2020. https://search.ancestry.com/collections/60901/records/47733239.
  • S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007, Ancestry.com, Florence Josephine Depasquale – Death Apr 1992 (No Image). Ancestry.com. U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015.
  • S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918, Ancestry.com, James Varone. Registration State: Rhode Island; Registration County: Providence. https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/10913814:6482.
  • S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 (NARA), Ancestry.com, James Varone. The National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; World War II Draft Cards (Fourth Registration) for the State of Rhode Island; Record Group Title: Records of the Selective Service System; Record Group Number: 147; Series Number: M1964
  • S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 (NARA), Ancestry.com, Albert Anthony Varone. National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for Rhode Island, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 164. https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/284490257:2238.
  • S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 (NARA), Ancestry.com, Anthony Frederick Varone. National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for Rhode Island, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 164.
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Update: Edward William Matson’s Siblings

Posted on October 5, 2021 by Don Taylor

Matson Project
By Don Taylor

Photo of Don Taylor with cat Nasi.                                                                                                     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].

Name Birth Marriage(s) Death
Carl August 21 Apr 1882 Elizabeth Guintire,
Gina Tonette Syverson		 01 Jan 1963[iii]
Gertie Caroline 18 Jun 1883 Alfred Abiel Hill,

Anthony Guintire

 20 Oct 1965
Emma Christine 26 May 1885 Desire Gerard 23 Sep 1967
John Emil 09 Dec 1886 Anne Theresa Utterberg 26 Jan 1962
David Lauretsius 22 May 1888 – 02 Feb 1963
Minni Sofia 28 Jan 1890 O. August Nyholm 31 Oct 1968
Hannah Elizabeth 30 Mar 1892 – 28 Dec 1938
Anna Maria “Mary” 21 Jul 1894 Chell Levi Peterson 14 Jun 1962
Louis Osker 25 Apr 1896 – 11 May 1962
Edward William 01 Apr 1898 Hildur Christine Krafve 09 Oct 1977
Edith Elvina Emelia 09 Sep 1900 03 Jul 1902
Rudolph Martin 12 Nov 1902 Florence A Bringen 02 Jan 1982
[Unnamed Baby] 12 Nov 1902 1902

Endnotes:

[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.

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Edward William Mattson – Education

Posted on October 3, 2021 by Don Taylor

Mattson Project
By Don Taylor

Photo of Don Taylor with cat Nasi.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.

 

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Ethel Wight Collection – Part 48

Posted on October 1, 2021 by Don Taylor

Goodall (2), Goodier, Goodridge, & Goodwin

Photo Friday
Ethel Wight Collection
By Don Taylor

Photo of Don Taylor with cat Nasi.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.

  • The US Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010 indicates Bettina was born 15 March 1920, enlisted on 4 August 1943, was discharged 18 March 1946, and died 23 May 2002.
  • 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.

I have added her photo to Dead Fred.

Dora May Goodall, circa 1937

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.

I have uploaded two photos of Dora to her Family Search Memories.

Confirmed to be Dora by two cousins of Dora.

Margaret Alice Goodwin, circa 1937 (Nurse)

The envelope this negative was in says, “Miss M Goodwin, Me. Gen. Hospital, Portland #694.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

  • Margaret Alice Goodwin, circa 1937 (Nurse)

    The 1938 Portland City Directory lists Margaret Goodwin as a student nurse at 22 Arsenal (Maine General Hospital).

  • The 1940 Census lists Margaret Goodwin as a 24-year-old nurse at 22 Arsenal.
  • The 1930 Census lists Margaret A. Goodwin as the 14-year-old daughter of Daniel and Mary Goodwin, living in Eliot, York County, Maine.
  • Ancestry Trees indicates Margaret Alice Goodwin was born on 11 November 1915.

This photo is of Margaret about 1937 when she attended nursing school

Family Search identifies Margaret Alice Goodwin, born 11 November 1915, as ID KHSP-6S1. Margaret Alice GOODWIN is also found in 24 Ancestry trees.

I have uploaded two photos of Margaret to her Family Search Memories.

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 have added her photo to Dead Fred. 

Conclusion

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.

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Edward William Mattson (1898-1977) – WOTTK

Posted on September 30, 2021 by Don Taylor

Matson Project
By Don Taylor

Photo of Don Taylor with cat Nasi.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

    1. 1900 – Census – Ignored – I already had.
    2. 1910 – Census – Ignored – I already had.
    3. 1920 – Census – Ignored – I already had.
    4. 1922 – Marriages from the MOMS system – Ignored – I already had.
    5. 1930 – Census – Ignored – I already had.
    6. 1940 – Census – Ignored – I already had.
    7. 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.
    8. 1942 – World War II Draft Card – I already had.
    9. 1977 – Obituary – Ignored – I already had.

    10. 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).

    11. Photo showing Eddie Mattson, Elmer Opsahl, Nels Johnson, Louis Mattson, & Carl Johnson

      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.

    12. 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.

    13. Ancestry Member Trees and what I learned:
      • Merklin Hayes Matson Utterberg Family Tree – owned by ryan2106. – No new fact, however wonderful photos.
      • Stephen – Family Tree – owned by Elizabeth Brown – Nothing new.
      • Eva-Elle – owned by Elle Hamilton.
        • 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.)

#5 – John Emil Matson (1886-1962).

Photo of the Mattson Family House in Cokato.

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.

Image of Banknote of John Matson, 1915Terri 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.

Photo of the 1925 Mattson Family Reunion, Cokato, MN

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.

"Thank You" written. Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/geralt-9301/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=226358">Gerd Altmann</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=226358">Pixabay</a>

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.

 

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