Reunionization and Ancestor Quiz

What a great time was at at our 2015 Matheson Family Reunion June 26-28th on Beaver Mountain! Rich and Gaye- your hard work paid off, down to the little details.

Here are some moments captured from our hike:

And by golly, collectively, we are better singers than I expected! A little ode to our great-great-great grandpa, Joel Hills Johnson, who wrote the famed "High on a Mountain Top":

And finally, we now have exclusive access to the answers for the Know Your Ancestors Quiz that Rich and Gaye put together. Guys- READ THIS, and prepare to be astonished by the great blood we have running through our vains.

Name That Matheson Ancestor 2015

1.     Who was the oldest man who labored in the building of the St. George temple?  (Daniel Matheson)

2.     Who owned a dairy farm up Cedar Mountain that they called _______’s_ Palace?  Her first husband died when his horse team ran away on the mountain road.  (Hint:  Sue’s newest grandbaby has her name)  (Amelia Reese Williams Webster)

3.     Who buried her small hard earned treasure under the foundation of the fireplace on the outside of the house and the chickens scratching in the dirt found it and scattered it all over? (Catherine Treasure Matheson)

4.     Who left Panguitch in the dead of winter to go to Parowan to get food for their starving families?  It was so cold the men were forced to lay their quilts on the ground and walk on them so they would not fall through the crusted snow.  He was also lead a team of oxen across the plains and measured the distance. (Alexander Matheson)

5.     Who was grateful for his testimony and the “price he paid” to get it by crossing the plains as a part of the Martin Handcart Company? (Francis Webster)

6.     Who operated a steam engine that was used to pull a plow, power a power plan and run a sawmill?  He drilled most of the original wells in Cedar Valley. (Owen Matheson)

7.     Who was 12 years old when he was apprenticed to learn the iron business?  (John Pidding Jones)

8.     Who delivered over 500 babies in Parowan, Enoch, Cedar City and Enterprise, traveling on horse back or with a team a buggy?  (Helen Miller Davenport)

9.     Who played the fiddle for many a band and played and danced a jig on his 90^th birthday?  (John Lee Jones)

10.  Who led the Enoch choir for 50 years?  He could pick out any tune and whistle it for anyone.  He could pick up any instrument and play it by ear.  His favorite instrument was the violin.  He was also present at the dedication of the Salt Lake Temple. (Myron Simkins Jones)

11.  Her first home when she got married was a reconverted chicken coop.  She had the ability to make it a neat little home.  She was a master at churning thousands of pound of milk into “Gold Nugget” butter.  (Mary Elizina Davenport Jones)

12.  Who was called “That Freckled Faced Jones Kid”?  She also cooked delicious pies and knew how to purchase really good quality furniture.  (Verda Jones Matheson)

13.  Who worked at the plaster mill that made the plaster for the Hawaiian Temple?  He also loved to fish and was always there to help our family out in times of need. (O Evans Matheson)

14.  Who had a shotgun named “Old Bess” that was used to defend the Prophet Joseph Smith from a painted mob?  (Ezekiel Johnson)

15.  Who was the mother of 16 children.  She was baptized in the middle of the night to avoid publicity but this made her husband mad.  She has one of the largest posterities in the west and was one of the very early pioneers.  (Julia Hills Johnson)

16.  Who wrote “High On The Mountain Top” and was with the Prophet Joseph Smith with the Word of Wisdom was given?  (Joel Hills Johnson)

17.  Who ran away from her father when he decided to turn around and go back to England.  She and her sister supported themselves by picking up Buffalo chips and selling them to the railroad to be used as fuel. (Margaret Threlkeld Johnson)

18.  Who was a bishop in Tropic for over 18 years?  He was also the County Commissioner and State Legislator.  His father was 80 years old when he was born.  (John H Johnson)

19.  Who left Sweden to live in a dugout on the side of a hill?  Later, he helped build a beautiful temple on that hill.  He was the caretaker at the Manti temple?  He had several magnificent experiences.  One time he went to check on an open window and opened the door to one of the sealing rooms.  He saw a personage clothed in white robes, surrounded by a brilliant light that filled the entire room.  (Jons Peter Ahlstrom)

20.  Who was on a ship that was in such a storm that the luggage, which was tied to the posts broke loose and was hurled about, putting everyone in danger?  While in the middle of the ocean, a fire broke out on the first deck and burned through the second deck.  A few nights later they collided with another ship and broke a hole in their ship.  (Mary Larson Ahlstrom)

21.  Who helped build the railroad and was present when it was completed and the Golden Spike was driven in?  He was born in Switzerland and was on the same ship as his future wife.  He admired her from a far all the way to America.  He again met her when his ox team volunteered to help a young woman who was walking with a handcart and her feet were bruised and bleeding.  (Christian Schnieder)

22.  Who lost 5 babies to diphtheria while her husband was away on a mission? (Susanna Klossner Schnieder)

23.  Who stowed away on a ship at the age of 14, ate nothing but turnips for 6 days while he was hiding in the hold of the ship?  (Edward McCarthy)

24.  Who was a nurse on the Canadian Prairie, saved many lives and delivered hundreds of babies?  (Bertha Schnieder McCarthy)

25.  Who tipped their car upside down in a muddy ditch on her wedding day and made thousands of gorgeous wedding cakes?  (Alice McCarthy Johnson)

26.  Who left Tropic, Utah to go on a mission to Saskatchewan, Canada.  There he met his wife to be?  (Bernard A Johnson)

27.  Who taught us how to work hard and to pray even harder and could whistle so loudly and shrilly that our knees would tremble in fear?  (Gaylen J Matheson)

28.  Who is the queen of our family?  She says she was “born under the dump and paid for with a bucket of coal” but her worth is far greater than any diamonds or jewels.  (Alice Gay Matheson)