| The Story Of Helfred Matson & Mary Garson |
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| however, that this young lad is a Hansen relative on Hellene?s side of the family. The age of this young man appears to be consistent with that of Carl Hansen Frodahl who came to America and then went to Canada and England, ultimately. In any case, Hellene and her children traveled with others. Included was Hellene?s sister-in-law, Oline Madsdatter, Syver Madsen?s sister. Syver Madsen and Hellene Olsdtr Settle in America The story goes that the Madsen family, Syver, Syver?s parents and I suppose ancestors had been husman folks their whole lives. They were beholden to a farm owner for their small piece of land and whatever else. Syver?s last landlord had a vicious dog. ?Grandpa boasted of having cut the head off that dog during the last night he lived in Norway, and mounted the head on the owner?s front gate?, this per my father. I wonder if this story may have been stretched just a bit. If he left his wife and children on that farm, would they not have been in harms way had the landlord figured out who the culprit was? My father, Roy Matson, described from some elses words that Syver was an ambitious fellow, small in stature, but quick. From my father?s notes, ?Grandfather Sever (Syver) Madson landed in Baltimore in 1880. He left his family, wife, Helene and 4 children, my father the youngest (in Norway). He had no money and told that he saw some men in boats fishing oysters, got work with them and lived on oysters until he was paid. Could never eat oysters again.? ?He had a sister in Chicago, married to an archetect, so when enuf money had been saved for a ticket, he took off for that city. He walked, asked directioins from police until he found the street, alked in the middle so he could see house numbers on both sides. The brother-in-law expected him, saw him walking and called Happy reunion.? ?He must have worked a year before sending fare for the family. When they came a contact must have been made with Even Evenson because Sever Rekstad told me, he worked at Evensons and the latter drove to Augusta one evening to meet the Matsons and he heard the arrival in early morning hours.? ?At daylight the next morning grandpa was helping feed pigs.? ?They worked the Quale farm (Van Pelt - John Springer land) some years for somebody, probably the Quale land with whom Evenson was connected. Then bought RR land from Evenson. I remember they had an old house, rough boards, built into a bank, west of a later home. Grandpa must have had a dealing with Ragna, because I have a correction deed from a land company involving her. Anyway he bought 80 acres from Evenson and Father got the south forty when he married. It was sold to Grandpa Garson at that time.? |