#4 Annie Theresia (Utterberg) Matson (1892-1956)
Annie
Theresia Utterberg, my paternal grandmother, has always been of interest to
me. She died 7 years before I was born;
in fact, only 1 of my 4 siblings was alive to meet her (but was so young at the
time, there are no real vivid “grandma” memories). I was named after her and that alone created
a special connection for me.
Annie was
born in French Lake, Wright County, Minnesota (some sources state it as
Annandale) on March 26, 1892 to Nels Peter and Emma Ingeborg (Nilsdotter)
Utterberg. She was the 2nd
child born to Nels and Emma but was the 6th child in the family
home. Nels' first wife was Matilda
Nilsdotter (Emma’s older sister) who died in childbirth along with their 5th
child. The household grew to add 5 more
children after Annie.
Annie grew
up on the Utterberg farm which was busy with the running of the farm and busy with 11 children!
There is a 28 year age difference between the oldest and youngest child,
so sister and brothers-in-law as well as a growing pool of nieces and nephews
made the farm even busier. Nels also had his brother & his children nearby
on an adjacent farm and two of Emma’s sisters with their families were close by
as well. Nels and Emma were both born in
Utterbyn, Fryksande Parish, Varmland, Sweden; the
Wright County area of Minnesota was settled by a great number of Scandinavian
families.


Annie
married a local Cokato young man named John Emil Mattson on March 24, 1917, in
Minneapolis.
March 24, 1917 John Emil Mattson and Annie Theresia Utterberg Wedding Photo. Attendants, L to R: Lewis Mattson, Hulda Utterberg, George Dahlman (Annie's cousin), Olga Utterberg. |
John and
Annie had 6 children, 5 girls and 1 boy:
Winifred, Dorothy, Hermione, Thelma, Joanne and John (Below in circa
1942). Their lives were impacted by the
Great Depression when John’s cement block business closed (during the years in business, it was shared in family stories that one of the t's in Mattson was removed in the Mattson last name as it did not fit on the business sign). They navigated those life struggles and remained
in the North Minneapolis area.
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The Matsons: Hermione, John, Dorothy,John, Joanne, Annie, Winifred, and Thelma |
Summer time
had many visits and family activities at the Utterberg Farm…from help with
harvesting to family gatherings. Annie’s
youngest child and only son, John (my father), had wonderful memories of
visiting the farm and playing with his cousins. (Below: Annie, far left with John with raised sickle). View of the farm and pond from the Utterberg farm house
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Annie and John, with Annie's mother Emma, with Utterberg grandchildren, 1930 |
Annie
maintained close relationships with her siblings throughout her life; date
unknown, the 7 Utterberg sisters: Annie,
Hulda, Olga, Hilma, Ellen, Amanda, and Freda.
Annie died
suddenly in 1956 of congestive heart failure (noted as “Dropsy” on her death
certificate). John died in January 1962
and both are buried are in Crystal Lake Cemetery in Minneapolis.
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