A Jan Joosten Van Meteren Line: INTRO & DIRECTORY

Peter Van Matre

Peter Van Matre is the son of John Johnson and Mary (Matthews) Van Matre. Although he is not in the direct line I am following, I thought his story was worth sharing.

Peter Van Matre
Peter Van Matre

Born:              25 Feb 1825 in Clinton County, Ohio, USA.          

Died:              9 Aug 1884 in Minersville, Trinity County, Calfiornia, USA.

Married:          7 May 1846 Almira Heath in Iowa County, Wisconsin, USA.

Find A Grave:   Memorial #21039828 buried at Weaverville Cemetery, Weaverville, Trinity County, Calforonia, USA. 

Almira (Heath) Van Matre
Almira (Heath) Van Matre

Almira Heath
daughter of Chandler Graham & Lydia (Wyman) Heath.

Born:              30 Jan 1829 in Conway, Carroll County, New Hampshire, USA. 

Died:              10 Oct 1910 in Berkeley, Alameda County, California, USA.

Find A Grave:   Memorial #21039852 buried at Weaverville Cemetery, Weaverville, Trinity County, Calforonia, USA. 

Table of Contents

The following is an excerpt from A Story of A Van Matre Family by Joseph M. Van Matre:1

Peter Van Matre

Note: At this point I [Joseph M. Van Matre] am especially indebted to Anita Van Matre Shuford and Loda Van Matre Foster, who have written the following story about their grandfather, Peter Van Matre, and allowed me to quote it verbatim.

Peter Van Matre was born to John J. and Mary Matthews Van Matre on February 25, 1825. From Ohio the John J. Van Matre family moved to Wisconsin in 1836.

Ir was in Iowas County, Wisconsin, that Peter married our grandmother, Almira Heath. To Peter and Almira were born two sons while they lived in Wisconsin. George waa born April 9, 1847 and Morris (Mart) was born November 25, 1848. Their third child was to be born 5 years later, February 25 1853, in Weaverville, California. This child was named Fanny and enjoyed the distinction of being the second white girl born in Weaverville. Later, on the Van Matre Ranch at Minersville, eight more children were born to Peter and Almira swelling their number to eleven in all — six boys and five girls. At Minersville were born Fordyce (who died in infancy) in May, 1854, Judson, November 10, 1856, Caroline, February 7, 1858, John Chandler (our father), May 28, 1859, Walter, April 20, 1861, Almira (Pop), January 1, 1863, Lue. August 2, 1865, and Minnie, a renowned beauty, July 28,1868.

Our grandmother, Almira Heath Van Matre, was born in New Hampshire on the 30th of January 1829. Her ancestors, too, were early Americans, her grandfather having served in the Revolutionery War under General George Washington. Another ancestor was an educator who endowed Dartmouth College. Her family left New England and moved westward to make their home in Wisconsin, having received a land grant there. It was in Wisconsin that she met and married Peter van Matre, our grandfather.

In 1849, three years after his marriage, Peter made his first trip across the plains over the Platte River route. At Townsend was their wagon captain. They had forty four horse teams and each wagon was marked with R & R which stood for Rough and Ready. This wagon company settled in the Mother Lode and gave to their settlement the name Rough and Ready, naming it after the wagon company. Their stock wintered at Knights’ Landing and during that winter of 1849-50 Peter mined, averaging about $33.00 per day.

In the summer of 1850, Peter returned to Wisconsin. Early in 1851 he made a second trip to California, this time starting out with some very fine horses which they herded. Near the Platte River, the buffalo stampeded the horses and all were lost excepting the saddle horses. Undaunted they continued on in spite of their loss. We know that one of his cross-country trips was made with Kit Carson as guide and we believe it was this one in which they lost the prized horses. He returned to Wisconsin again that year, this time to make plans to bring his family to California.

Evidently he thought the trip across the plains would be too rugged for the family so the family went to New York embarking from there for the Isthmus of Panama. Our Uncle George often told what he could remember of the trip. He remembered the natives diving for coins which were thrown over board by the passengers on the boat. He said it took 27 days to make the trip across the Isthmus on mule back.

After completing the Isthmus crossing, they took another boat to San Francisco, from there a smaller boat up the Sacramento River to Red Bluff to Lewiston where they arrived August 8, 1852. They spent the night in Lewiston then continued on to Weaverville the next day where they were to live a short time prior to establishing their home in Minersville. While in Weaverville they built a log cabin to house the family. There were reportedly only five families living in Weaverville at this time: the Newmans, the Todds, the Ewens, the Van Matres and one other.

The Peter Van Matres moved to Minersville in July 1853 living first on Digger Creek where they mined recovering $1,700.00 of gold from a twelve foot cut. Later that year, Grandpa (Peter Van Matre) and Fordyce Bates bought a ranch from Harry Seeman. Very shortly Bates sold out to Van Matre and since that time up until 1960 this ranch was known as the Van Matre Ranch.

Immediately upon moving to the ranch, they built a two story cabin forty feet long. As all the pioneers did, they planted an orchard of some three hundred trees. The big flood of 1861-62 took out a great many of them. Some of these trees were still bearing fruit when they were covered by the waters of the Trinity Lake n 1960.

Trouble seldom comes singly and shortly after the flood of 1861-62 their log cabin burned. They were able to purchase some lumber and salvage from ex-governor Challis who had at that time decided to quit operating the grist mill at Sebastapol across the East Fork of Stuart’s Fork from the Van Matre Ranch. With this lumber, they were able to rebuild this time building a larger home.

There were few white people in the area when the Van Matres first came to Minersville. Our Uncle George told us many things about the Indians who were his only playmates. He often entertained us by doing war dances he had learned from them and he was an expert at giving their bloodcurdling war whoops. He could make your hair stand on end! He was also able to speak fluently the language of this neighboring tribe.

The Indians were not always friendly. The folks kept their oxen in one end of their log cabin for safety as these beasts of burden were invaluable for plowing, hauling, etc. One night the Indians stole these oxen despite precautions and in the morning they were tracked to Bowerman Ridge where the oxen were found dead. It was a great loss.

According to an advertisement in The Trinity Journal dated November 5, 1858, the Bates & Van Matre Ranch sold fresh timothy seed They also sold garden produce and potatoes. Part of their livelihood was derived from the ranch being sued as an early day inn.

Some of Peter’s sons tried their luck at mining in the Minersville vicinity. George was the son who found a real large gold nugget in Mule Creek when he was a young man. It was solid gold just the shape and approximate size of a cow’s tongue. He told us it was valued at $1,900.75 at $19.00 an ounce which was about 900 fine. For safe keeping, Grandma Van hid the nugget in her sugar barrel this seeming to be an unlikely place for a thief to look.

At the time Peter’s sons were mining, the Chinese were also mining in the area and Grandma Van told us of her means of earning a little “pin money”. She would catch mud turtles which at that time abounded in the streams and she would sell them to the Chinese who considered turtle soup a fine delicacy.

Our grandparents had a hard struggle rearing so many children. Grandpa Peter passed away in 1884 at the age of 59 after which our father, John, helped his mother manage the ranch. We do not know when our grandmother sold the ranch to our father, but we think it was about 1900. Grandma, by then, had moved to Weaverville to make her home with her son George who had never married. Her home still stands and is directly across the street from the Trinity County Courthouse now occupied by the Walters.

Grandma Van, as we affectionately called her, lived to be 81 years old passing away in Berkeley on October 10, 1910, but was laid to rest in Weaverville. She was long-lived like her father who had come to live with her in the 70’s. Her father lived to be 96 years old and reportedly could read without glasses when he was well past ninety. Several of Grandma’s children lived to well past ninety.

Peter and Almira’s sons, our uncles, all settled and spent their lives in Trinity and Shasta Counties. Their daughters moved away and married “outsiders”, making their homes in different parts of California. Several of the children chose Weaverville as their final resting place. After Grandma’s death, our Uncle George made his home with us at the Van Matre Ranch until he went to live at the Masonic Home. He continued to return to the Ranch each summer until his death. He, too, is buried in Weaverville.

In 1890, at that time in charge of the Van Matre Ranch, our father, John Chandler Van Matre, married Bertha Denison, a widow with two small children: Henrietta and Lewis. bertha Denison Van Matre was born a Koll in Omega, Nevada County, California on November 28, 163. She came to Trinity County with her parents and one brother, John in 1873. They came to Redding on the first train to make a trip to that place. The Koll family moved to a place on Trinity River exactly where the Trinity Dam now stands. Mother, Bertha Van Matre, was of German parentage and as there was not much opportunity to attend school, she did not learn to speak the English language until she was twelve years old. She married and left home at seventeen but returned to live with her parents after she was widowed and her two small children were taught the German ways of her parents.

After her marriage to our father, she moved to the Van Matre Ranch where she lived until her last illness in 1952. Mother gave birth to eleven more children all of which were born at the Van Matre Ranch and not one of them was attended by a physician at birth. Of the eleven Van Matre children six were girls: May, Irene, Anita, Loda, one who died shortly after birth, and Gertrude. The five boys were Albert, who died from typhoid fever in 1909, Bertrum, who passed away in 1944, Ernest, Walter, Peter, and Judson. Our life was really rugged; those were real horse and buggy days so we feel we also qualify as pioneers.

The Van Matre Ranch was a beautiful place having 320 acres of river loam along the west bank of the Stuart’s Fork of Trinity River and nestled in the shadow of majestic Granite Peak. One 160 acre parcel of the land was the original homestead; the other 160 acres was the homestead of Jim Cummings. (Evidently the Cummings, were early settlers, too, as their property joined ours on the Stuart’s Fork; north, on the opposite side of the creek and which later came to be known as the Cedar Stock Farm.) Our father acquired the ‘Jim Cummings Place as we called it in 1901. It also had a large orchard, a house and several barns. It was in the Cummings barn where the old wooden hay press that is now in the Shasta Museum was kept for many, many years.

In November of 1902, the Van Matre Ranch house was destroyed by fire. Many valuable books, etc. were destroyed which had belonged to our grandfather, he had been quite a scholar. The locusts near the house which had been planted in the 1850’s were severely burned, but survived and thrived until they became victims of the clearing for the Trinity River Project. The lilac bush, and rose bushes which had also been planted in the 50’s survived the fire and were still growing when the clearing crews moved in.

A new home was built in 1903 at the same location. Our mother and father continued to operate the Ranch as had been done before. The Ranch was the stopping place for teams in early days as it was the half way place between Trinity Center and Weaverville. Many teams, coming from Scott’s Valley delivering grain, flour, butter and other things to Weaverville, made their over-night stop at the Ranch. As we remember, when we were small, beds were 50¢, meals 25¢, and horses 50¢ over-night.

While Grandma Van was proprietress, the Van Matre Ranch attained a good reputation as a stopping place. She was known around the country side as a wonderful cook and continued through our mother despite the great amounts of work that had to be done inside and out with such a large family to care for. As each child grew up, he or she was taught to work. Mother told us she stayed at home seventeen years without leaving when the babies were all small.

We have never known for sure how our Uncles and Aunts attained their ‘learning’ but every one of them had some! In fact, some other girls taught school. Our father attended college in Ashland, Oregon.

Our half-sister and half-brother attended a little school in old Minersville, then later, they had a private teacher, Mrs. Nellie Pattison, who was then Nellie Scott. She also taught the two oldest Van Matre children.

Our schoolhouse was across Trinity River, on the west side, from the fairview mine stamp mill, two miles from our home. There were no busses to pick us up. We had to get to school the best way we knew how which was very often by walking through the rain and snow. When the water was too high, our father would take us in a wagon. When there were six in the family attending school at the same time, we dove to school in a wagon.

Our father inherited his love of horses from his ancestors who had been horse lovers and ranchers. Our Uncles told us that Grandpa’s horses came first. They had plenty of hay and grain although other necessities might be a little short. Our father had several race horse through the years. Although they didn’t win many races he liked to show them off. They were very gentle and all the children loved them. When one of the boys was a very small child he rode Hollywood many times in training.

Our father was a proud, stern good man. Although he owned a saloon for many years, he never drank, neither did he smoke. He did many kindnesses for his neighbors. Our mother was a gentle, timid woman who was loved by all who knew her. Necessity made her an artist in many lines. In early days, the miners and prospectors would look to her for motherly advice. She was banker for many of them. They knew if they brought their money to ‘Mother Van;, it would be there when they needed it. She often had several thousand dollars in her care, tucked away in hiding places in her bedroom.

The years flew by, then, in August 1955 came the fateful news via telephone that Congress had passed the bill authorizing the construction of the Trinity River Project. No one, who has not experience it, can know what heart-breaking news this was to the members of the Van Matre family, young and old alike. Many of them who had not Visited Trinity in years came back for one last look at the old homestead.

Now – came the momentous task of moving the accumulation of 55 years in the house and of nearly 10 years in the barns and outbuildings. Dr. Charles Miller, of Redding, purchased the cow shed and used the hand-hewn timbers for the beams in a new home he was building. The 14 room house was tor down by a stranger for the salvage lumber. Some lumber. Some of the antiques were given to the Trinity County Historical Society, some kept by the family and much just destroyed. Nearly every member of the family had left keepsakes behind when they had moved to homes of their own. One by one they had grown up and moved away until only May remained with Mother. She and one brother, Walter, leased the Ranch from the remainder of the family until the end.

Grandma and Grandpa Van had 27 grandchildren. Still living are: Warren and Vernon Van Matre of San Francisco, children of Judson Van Matre; Mrs. Ed (Delia Van Matre) Petherick of Carmel, daughter of Walter Van Matre; Edna May Browning and Walter Peter Van Matre of Weaverville, Irene Van Matre Vollmers of Delta, Judson Van Matre and Gertrude Van Matre Leaonard of Lafayettte, Ernest Van Matre of Pleasanton, and Anita Van Matre, Shuford and Loda Van Matre Foster of French Gulch, children of John and Bertha Van Matre; Viloet Ellis Murray of San Francisco, Catherine Ellis Dufficy of San Rafael and Henry Ellis of Sacramento, children of Lue Van Matre Ellis; Bellle Hechtman Lowsley of Carmel, Walter Hechtman of Sacramento, children of Caroline van Matre Hechtman; and Alice Glasscock Conti of Santa Cruz, daughter of Almira (Pop) Van Matre Glasscock. There are now living many great and great great grandchildren. Among them were and are doctors, dentists, attorneys merchants, salesmen, teachers, opera singer, radio technicians, florists, electrical engineers, ranchers, building contractor, and just plain laborers. Perhaps there may be a horse thief or two although we don’t know of any.

The last Van Matre to leave the Ranch was Anita Van Matre Shuford. Her sister, Edna May Browning had moved to Weaverville the year previous to make her home and Anita had come to take over the unpleasant task of making final dispositions of what remained at the ranch.

So- after 105 years – ends the saga of the Van Matre Ranch now more than 400 feet under the waters of the Trinity Lake. The clear blue waters of the lake reflect the majesty of Granite Peak which stood through the years as a kind of sentinel watching over the Van Matre Ranch and the Van Matre clan, now an indestructible monument to that which is no more.”

Trinity River Watershed

Trinity Lake is an artificial lake on the Trinity River formed by the Trinity Dam, located northwest of Redding, California, and south of the Oregon border. The Peter Van Matre farm was located in Minersville, Trinity County, California. In 1961 the town was flooded by the creation of the Trinity Dam. The Trinity Dam was completed and completely filled with water from the Trinity River by 1963. The lake was renamed Clair Eagle Lake from 1964 to 1997. It was eventually renamed Trinity Lake.

Location of Minersville, California, just southwest of Mount Shasta.
Location of Minersville, California, and Triity Lake... just southwest of Mount Shasta and Northwest of Redding.

Peter and Almira (Heath) Van Matre Children:

1. George Van Matre

son of Peter and Almira (Heath) Van Matre.

Born:               9 Apr 1847 in Mineral Point, Iowa County, Wisconsin, USA.         

Died:               24 Mar 1927 at the age of 79 in Alameda County, California, USA.

Find A Grave:   Memorial #125757141 buried at Section M, row F, Grave 2, Weaverville Cemetery, Weaverville, Trinity County, California, USA.

Note:               George was a miner and a watchman at a gold Mine. He never married, but was very close to the family, as noted in the story above. In 1906 he was part of the company who established the Washington mine in the French Gulch district, Shasta County, California.2

2. Morris "Mart" Griffin Van Matre

son of Peter and Almira (Heath) Van Matre.

Born:               25 Nov 1848 in Mineral Point, Iowa County, Wisconsin, USA.   

Died:               21 Nov 1941 at the age of 92 in Trinity County, California, USA.

Married:           1870 Mary Ellen Leavitt in Trinity County, California, USA.

Find A Grave:   Memorial #220419976 buried at Lewiston Cemetery, Lewiston, Trinity County, California, USA.

Mary Ellen Leavitt daughter of Benjamin Franklin and Harriet A. (Heath) Leavitt. [Harriet Heath is the daughter of Chandler Graham and Lydia (Wyman) Heath and sister to Morris’ mother Almira (Heath) Van Matre making Morris and Mary Ellen first cousins.]

Born:               Sep 1854 in Maine, USA.   

Died:               9 Feb 1933 at the age of 80 in Lewiston, Trinity County, California, USA.

Find A Grave:   Memorial #125732231 buried at Section D, Row 1, Grave #16, Lewiston Cemetery, Lewiston, Trinity County, California, USA.

Morris Van Matre Obituary3

Trinity Merchant For 70 Years Dies

    WEAVERVILLE (Trinity Co.) Nov. 22–Morris Griffin (Mort) Van matre, 92, died suddenly in his home in Lewiston yesterday.
    Van Matre was born in Wisconsin and moved to Trinity County when he was 2 years old. He operated a grocery store and butcher shop in Lewiston for seventy years.
    He is survived by a son, Clarence Van Matre of Lewiston; a brother, H. A. Van Matre and two sisters, Mrs. Louis Ellis of San Francisco and Mrs. Almira Glasscock of Los Angeles.

Morris “Mart” Griffin and Mary Ellen (Leavitt) Van Matre Children:

  1. Clarence Frederick Van Matre (1871-1954) 
  2. Hattie M. Van Matre (1872-1941) married Louis P. Dunkley.
  3. Burt Van Matre (1874-?) died between 1890 and 1900.

3. Fanny Van Matre

daughter of Peter and Almira (Heath) Van Matre.

Born:               25 Feb 1853 in Minersville, Trinity County, California, USA.

Died:               13 Oct 1937 at the age of 84 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, USA.

Married:           1892 John Russell Halsey in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, USA.

Find A Grave:   Memorial #118132296 buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, Los Angeles County California, USA.

John Russell Halsey son of Jacob Potter and Sarah (Banta) Halsey.

Born:               Sep 1847 in Warren County, Ohio, USA.   

Died:               17 Jul 1910 at the age of 62/63 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, USA. 

Find A Grave:   Memorial #71916825 buried at Section 3, Angelus Rosedale Cemetery, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, USA..

The following was documented by Betty Gillespie Pollack, June 2012 (posted to Fanny’s Ancestry profile):

FANNIE VAN MATRE, daughter of Peter VanMatre and Almira Heath, was born 25 Feb 1853 according to family records.  The 1900 census confirms her birth in Trinity County CA in Feb 1855 and all other censuses list her birth year as about 1855.  She was not in her parents’ household in the 1870 census and may be the F Vanmatri in Marysville, Yuba CA in that census.  She was single and a school teacher in the 1880 census.  She married John R. Halsey in 1892 and they had no children by 1900 when Fanny was age 45.

Fanny Van Matre Halsey and her sister Almira VanMatre Glascock were both widowed by 1920 and lived in Los Angeles together in the 1920 and 1930 censuses.  According to family records Fanny Van Matre Halsey died on 13 Oct 1937.  I have not found her official birth or death records.

The 1910 US Federal Census shows John Russell Halsey as a retired Merchant.

Fanny is showing as a Widow in the 1913 Los Angeles City Directory: “HALSEY, Fannie wid J R h 2123 E 1st”

4. Fordyce Van Matre

son of Peter and Almira (Heath) Van Matre.

Born:               31 May 1854 in Minersville, Trinity County, California, USA.

Died:               7 Sep   the age of 3 in Minersville, Trinity County, California, USA.

Find A Grave:   Memorial #21039891 buried at Weaverville Cemetery, Weaverville, Trinity County, California, USA.

5. Adrian Judson Van Matre

son of Peter and Almira (Heath) Van Matre.

Born:                10 Nov 1856 in Minersville, kTrinity County, California, USA.   

Died:                24 Jul 1945  at the age of 88 in Weaversville,Trinity County, California, USA.

Married 1st:      16 Nov 1886 Alice Sabrina Kellogg in Trinity County, California, USA.

Divorced:          Before about 1916 Alice Sabrina (Kellogg) Van Matre – assumption based on 2nd marriage about 1916. and before Alice’s death in 1961.

Married 2nd:      About 1916 Medora “Dora” Edith (Drinkwater) Carter most likely in Trinity County, California, USA.

Find A Grave:     Memorial #21039733 buried at Weaverville Cemetery, Weaverville, Trinity County, California, USA., Trinity County, California, USA.

Alice Sabrina Kellogg daughter of Langdon Jackson and Sarah (Large) Kellogg..

Born:                3 Sep 1867 in Hayfork, Trinity County, California, USA.

Died:                8 Apr 1961 at the age of 93 in Auburn, Placer County, California, USA.4

Note:                Alice is found in the 1920 US Federal Census living with her daughter, Wilda in the City of Oakland, California. Wilda was 22 and working as a stenographer for a roofing company. Alice is showing no occupation. 

Medora “Dora” Edith (Drinkwater) Carter daughter of William Clinton and Laura Susan (Childers) Drinkwater and widow of Clement A. Carter.

Born:                10 Oct 1875 in Trinity County, California, USA.

Died:                11 Jul 1956 at the age of 80 in Plumas, Plumas county, California, USA.

1st Married:       29 Nov 1899 Clement Adair Carter in Hayfork, Trinity County, California, USA.

Find A Grave:     Memorial #21039724 buried at Weaverville Cemetery, Weaverville, Trinity County, California, USA.

Note:                Clement and Dora Carter had two children: Laura R. Carter and Belle Carter.

Adrian Judson Van Matre went by the name of Jud or Judson, although records vary also using Adrian J., A J., etc. He and Alice had four children, all of whom appears to have been adults by the time they divorced, most likely prior to 1916. He then married Dora about 1916 and they had one son in 1917, who died in infancy.  

He and Alice were farmers raising stock on their farm in South Fork Township, where they raised their children. 

They must have sold their farm about the time they divorced. By 1920 Alice was living with her daughter Wilda in Oakland, California and Judson was married to Dora and living with them were his two step daughters, Laura R. Carter age 17 and Belle A. Carter, age 12. He was then occupied as Under Sheriff for Trinity County.

In the 1930 Census he and Dora are living alone with all children grown and gone. He was working as Supervisor of Trinity County Hospital. Still working at age 73.

Adrian Judson and Alice Sabrina (Kellogg) Van Matre Children:

  1. Warren Judson Van Matre (1887-1978) married Clara E. Gribble.
  2. Vernon Vestol van Matre (1890-1980) married Ada L. ?.
  3. Vivian Helen Van Matre (1895-1948) 1st George Isaac Thorne; married 2nd Charles Edward Clinton
  4. Wilda Kellogg Van Matre (1897-1960) married 1st Albert Berg; married 2nd E. Robert Robertson; married 3rd Raymond Charles Starr.

Adrian Judson and Medora “Dora” (Drinkwater) Carter Van Matre Children:

  1. Warren Adrian Van Matre (1917-1918).

6. Caroline "Carrie" Cooper Van Matre

daughter of Peter and Almira (Heath) Van Matre.

Born:               7 Feb 1858 in Minersville, Trinity County, California, USA.   

Died:               15 Sep 1934 at the age of 76 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, USA.5

Married:           22 Mar 1880 Albert John Hechtman at the Van Matre Ranch, Minersville, Trinity County, California, USA.6

Find A Grave:   Memorial #21039779 buried at Weaverville Cemetery, Section M, Row F, Plot 1, Weaverville, Trinity County, California, USA.

Albert John Hechtman son of Henry and Maria Sophia (Weinell) Hechtman.

Born:               18 Jul 1856 in Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota, USA.   

Died:               Bef 1930 in California, USA

Find A Grave:   Memorial #21039763 buried at Weaverville Cemetery, Section M, kRow F, Plot 1, Weaverville, Trinity County, California, USA.

Albert and Carried were both 22 when they married on December 1880.

In the 1880 US Federal Census, they are living in Lewiston Precinct, Trinity County, California. Albert is 23 and show him as a Miner. and Caroline is 22 and “keeping house”.

The 1900 US Federal Census shows them renting their home in San Francisco, California. Albert is working as a Fruit Merchant. The had 3 sons, a daughter, a boarder and two servants (a cook and a housekeeper) showing on the census.

In the 1920 US Federal Census, it is showing them renting their home in Oakland Township, Alameda County, California. Albert is 63 years old and employed as a Real Estate Agent. Their daughter Belle, 27 years old, is living with them. She is a secretary for a Private School.

The 1930 US Federal Census is showing Carrie living with her daughter Belle in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles County, California. Belle is showing as Head of Household 37 years old and single. She is employed as an executive Secretary at a University.  Carrie is showing as widowed, so Albert has passed sometime between 1920 and 19/30.

The following was found in Who’s Who on the Pacific Coast:7

HECHTMAN, Albert John, Capitalist: born, Minneapolis, Min., July 18, 1857; son Henry and Sohpia K. (Weinell) H.; his father was a member of Teritorial Legis., of 1857. Edu.: public schools and bus. college, inneapolis, Minn. Grad., Univ. of Minn., 1871. Married, caroline Cooper, Dec., 1880, at Minersville, Cal. Asst. Agent, Sou. Pacific, Los Angeles, 1880-84; Gen. Agent, Union Pacific Ry., 1885-90; Vice-pres., Port Bros Co., (fruit shipper) 9 years. Vice-pres., Fresno Irrigated Farms Co., First Natl. Bank of Kerman, Cal. Stock Food Co.; Pres., Abbott Orchard Co..; Dir., Booth-Kelley Lbr. Co., Cal. Pine Box & Lumber Co.; Vice-pres., 3 years, Oregon Land & Live Stock Co.; formerly Dir., Truckee River General Elec. Co.; Dir., Reno Light, Power & Wate rCo., Floriston Pulp & Paper Co. Member: Merchants Exch., San Francisco; Cal. Development Boards, S.F. Chamber of Commerce, Soc. for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, S.P.C.C. Clubs: Pacific Union, Bohemian, Press, san Francisco Golf and Country, (Sand Francisco); California, (Los Angeles); Sequoia, (Fresno); Sutter, (Sacramento); Madera County. Address: San Francisco, Cal.

Albert John and Caroline “Carrie” Cooper (Van Matre) Hechtman Children:

  1. Judson Oscar Hechtman (1880-1947) married Flora Winter.
  2. Henry Albert Hechtman (1882-1943) married Edith Gertrude Ganser.
  3. Walter Ivan Hechtman (1888-1973) married 1st Isabel Curtis married 2nd Catherine Ortega.
  4. Belle Carolyn Hechtman (1891-1974) married James Dennis Lowsley in 1955.

7. John Chandler Van Matre

son of Peter and Almira (Heath) Van Matre.

Born:               28 May 1859 in Minersville, Trinity County, California, USA.   

Died:               19 Aug 1921 at the age of 62 in Weaverville, Trinity County, Calfiornia, USA.

Married:           6 Feb 1891 Bertha (Koll) Denison in Trinity County, California, USA.

Find A Grave:   Memorial #21069867 buried at Weaverville Cemetery, Section M, Row G, Grave 5, Weaverville, Trinity County, California, USA.

Bertha (Koll) Denison daughter of John and Winnie (Eckmann) Koll and widow of Lewis Nathaniel Denison.

Born:               28 Nov 1863 in Omega, Nevada County, Calfiornia, USA.  

Died:               15 May 1952 at the age of 88 in Shasta County, Calfiornia, USA.

Married 1st:     About 1880 Lewis Nathaniel Denison.

Note:               Bertha and Lewis Denison had two children: Henrietta Pearl (1882-1969) Denison and Lewis Nathaniel Denison, Jr.(1884-1961).

John Chandler Van Matre was a rancher and lived in Minersville, Trinity County, California. The following is his obituary:8

OLD SETTLER IN TRINITY COUNTY ENDS HIS LIFE
JOHN C. VAN MATRES A SUICIDE IN HIS HOME NEAR MINERSVILLE.

(Special to The Searchlight)
MINERSVILLE, August 20,—Despondent on account of long continued ill health, John Chandler Van Matre fired a bullet into his breast in his farm home near here yesterday morning. He was alone in the house, other members of the family being outside. When they heard the crack of the rifle, they ran into the house only to find the husband and father lying on the floor dead.

John C. Van Matre, born in this state, had spent practically all his life of 65 years in Trinity county. His farm near this place is one of the show places of Trinity county. He conducted a store there a good many years.

The decedent leaves a widow, Mrs. Bertha Van Matre, and these sons and daughters: Mrs. William Foster, Jr., of Trinity center, Mrs. Irene Fox of Delta, Mrs. Edna May Browning, Miss Anita Van Matre, Miss Gertrude Van Matre, Bert Van Matre, Walter Van Matre, Ernest Van Matre and Judd Van Matre Jr., all of Minersville. He was a brother of Morris Van Matre and George Van Matre of Lewiston, Judd Van Matre Sr, of Weaverville and Walter Van Matre of San Francisco.

The funeral will be held in Weaverville tomorrow afternoon.

John Chandler and Bertha (Koll) Van Matre Children:

  1. Edna May Van Matre (1891-1909) married Oliver Browning.
  2. Albert Henry Van Matre (1893-1909)
  3. Irene Maud Van Matre (1895-1991) married 1st Andrew H. Fox; married 2nd William Jefferson Vollmers.
  4. Earnestine Anita Van Matre (1897-1985) married John Johnson Shuford.
  5. Bertrum Lloyd Van Matre (1899-1944) married Mary Ellen Down.
  6. Loda Ethel Van Matre (1901-1995) married William Clarke Foster.
  7. Ernest J. van Matre (1805-1997) 
  8. Walter John Peter Van Matre (1907-1990)
  9. Gertrude Lavina Van Matre (1909-2007)
  10. Judson Chandler Van Matre (1911-1978)

8. Walter Griffin Van Matre

son of Peter and Almira (Heath) Van Matre.

Born:                20 Apr 1861 in Minersville, Trinity County, California, USA.   

Died:                27 Dec 1932 at the age of 71 in San Francisco, San Francisco County,, California, USA.

Married:            26 Apr 1888 Josephine “Josie” Fox in French Gulch, Shasta County, California, USA.

Find A Grave:     Memorial #23388097 buried at French Gulch Cemetery, French Gulch, Shasta County, California, USA.

Josephine “Josie” Fox daughter of Harrison G. and Mariah L. (Sandefur) Fox..

Born:               5 Apr 1869 in Lewiston, Trinity County, California, USA.   

Died:               10 Aug 1943  at the age 74 of in San Francisco, San Franccisco County, California, USA

Find A Grave:   Memorial #23388096 buried at French Gulch Cemetery, French Gulch, Shasta County, California, USA.

Walter and his brother George were in the gold mining business.  In 1906, they were part of the company who established the Washington Mine in the French Gulch district of Shasta County, California. Walter was also the superintendent. The company was composed of G. Reinhaus, Joseph Porter, Charles L. Fox, Walter and George Van Matre, Clint Watson and Charles Gilzean.9

The following was posted on Walters ancestry.com profile, added By Betty Gillespie Pollack, copyright June 2012, permission to reproduce with credit granted: 

WALTER GRIFFIN VAN MATRE, son of Peter VanMatre and Almira Heath, was born 25 Apr 1861 in Minersville, Trinity, CA according to VanMatre family records and on 26 Apr 1861 according to an undated 3×5 card on file at the Jake Jackson Museum, Trinity County Historical Society in Weaverville. The 3×5 card reads: “Van Matre, Walter Griffin. Died December 27, 1932 at San Francisco. Born April 26, 1861 at Minersville. When a young man moved to Deadwood and mined. 1887 leased the Monte Cristo mine. When lease expired moved to French Gulch where he purchased the Fox Hotel and later with his brother-in-law bought the Camden toll road. married April 1888 at French Gulch to Josephine Fox. last few years retired from business and made his home in San Francisco.”

Walter Griffin and Josephine “Josie” (Fox) Van Matre Children:

  1. Aden Van Matre (1889-1890) 
  2. Delia S. Van Matre (1890-1987) marries Edward George Petherick.

9. Almira Van Matre

daughter of Peter and Almira (Heath) Van Matre.

Born:                1 Jan 1863 in Minersville, Trinity County, California, USA.   

Died:                30 Mar 1913 at the age of 48 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, USA.

Married:            1893 Louis Vincent Glascock in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, USA.

Find A Grave:     Memorial #84224778 Evergreen Cemetery, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, USA.

Louis Vincent Glascock son of George Washington and Matilda Eleanor (Epperson) Glascock..

Born:                5 Jan 1865 in Austin, Lander County, Nevada, USA.   

Died:                6. Oct 1951 at the age of 88 in San Francisco, San Francisco County,, California, USA.

Find A Grave:     Memorial #84224779 Evergreen Cemetery, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, USA.

Louis is showing as Butcher in the 1900 US Federal Census, they own their own home in Los Angeles Township, Los Angeles, California. In 1910 they are still in Los Angeles and show Louis as a Merchant, meat market(?).

In the 1920 and 1930 US Federal Census’, Almira is a widow and she is found living with her sister Fanny who is also widowed. 

In 1940 and 1950 she is showing as head of household and her daughter, Patricia and  husband Alberto Conti, is living with her. Her son in law is a Musician in the Motion Picture Industry. Her home is valued at $8,000 in 1940.

Louis Vincent and Almira (Van Matre) Glascock Child:

  1. Patricia Alice Glascock (1896-1980) married 1st Tullio Robazza; married 2nd: Alberto Conti.

10. Louise "Lue" Sargent Van Matre

daughter of Peter and Almira (Heath) Van Matre.

Born:                2 Aug 1865 in Minersville, Trinity County, California, USA.   

Died:                10 May 1943 at the age of 76 in San Francisco, San Francisco County, California, USA.

Married:            1885 Herbert “Henry” Maxwell Ellis in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, USA.

Find A Grave:     Memorial #87858328 Cypress Lawn Memorial Park, Colma, San Mateo County, California, USA.

Herbert “Henry” Maxwell Ellis son of Thomas Cupples and Augusta Catherine (Lancaster) Ellis.

Born:                2 Aug 1865 in Minersville, Trinity County, California, USA.   

Died:                10 May 1943 at the age of 76 in San Francisco, San Francisco County, California, USA.

Married:            1885 Herbert “Henry” Maxwell Ellis in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, USA.

In the 1910 US Federal Census, Henry is showing as a “Fruit Shipper” for a Fruit Company, his son Henry is showing as a solicitor for a Fruit Company. Can we assume they both worked for the Pioneer Fruit company as noted in Henry’s obituary? By 1920 Henry is showing as manager for (illegible) Produce Association. In 1930 he shows as an Inspector for the Fruit Industry. The following is Henry’s Obituaries10

HENRY ELLIS, OLD CAPITAL MAN, DIES

Widely Known Leader in Fruit Industry succumbs In San Rafael

A private funeral will be conducted tomorrow morning in San Rafael for Henry M. Ellis, k73, widely known in Sacramento and Superior California as a fruit industry leader, whose death occurred last night after a long illness.

Ellis a Sacramentan for thirty=three years and the father of Henry A. Ellis, Sun Life Assurance Copany agent here, passed away at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Catherine Ellis Dufficy of San Rafael, where he had been residing for the past year.

Headed Companies

Ellis was secretary of the California Deciduous Fruit Companies for many years and was at one time vice president of the Pioneer Fruit Company. He also was one of the organizers of the Northern California Milk Association.

His fraternal affiliations in Sacramento included: Union Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons; Ben All Temple of Mystic Shrine, Sacramento Chapter No. 3, R. A. M.; Sacramento Commandery No. 2, and the Woodmen of the World.

Native Of Ireland

A native of Ireland, Ellis grew to manhood in England, where he attended Oxford University and served as captain of Queen Victoria’s regiment of Royal Artillery. Two sisters, Mrs. C. T. O’Connor and Mrs. Emily Turner, and a brother, Claude Ellsi, reside in England.

Immediate relatives are Mrs. Louise S. Ellis, his widow; a son and a daughter of Sacramento and San Rafael, respectively, and another daughter, Mrs. Violet Ellis Murray of San Francisco.

The funeral will be conducted at the Keaton & Dusel home in San Rafael under Masonic auspices.

FINAL RITES FOR HENRY M. ELLIS

Last rites were held Saturday in San Rafael, for Henry Maxwell Ellis, 73, former vice president of the Pioneer Fruit company, of Sacramento, sand a prominent Northern California resident, who died from a heart attack at the home of his daughter, Mrs. catherine Duffy in San Rafael. he is survived by his widow, Mrs. Louise Ellis and two other children: Mrs. Violet Murray and Henry A. Ellis.

Henry Maxwell and Louise “Lue” (Van Matre) Ellis Children:

  1. Henry Augustus Ellis (1888-1966) married Gretchen Grau.
  2. Inez Catherine Ellis (1890-1971) married Rafael Gabriel Dufficy.
  3. Violet Minnie Ellis (1897-1970) married John Murray.

11. Minerva "Minnie" Van Matre

daughter of Peter and Almira (Heath) Van Matre.

Born:                29 Jul 1868 in Minersville, Trinity County, California, USA.   

Died:                21 Sep 1925 at the age of 57 in Weaverville, Trinity County, California, USA.

Married:            John Derrig most likely in Trinity County, California, USA.

Find A Grave:     Memorial #21039840 buried in Weaverville Cemetery, Weaverville, Trinity County, California, USA.

John Derrig

Born:                About 1866.   

Little is known about Minnie and John Derrig.  I was unable to find other records on these two.

Citations and Attributes:

  1. Van Matre, Joseph M., "A Story of A Van Matre Family", pages 39-41, 1985
  2. Walter and George Van Matre, "Will Develop the Washington Mine", Oroville Daily Register, 28 Feb 1906, Wed, Page 3, viewed online at Newspapers.com:  https://www.newspapers.com/article/oroville-daily-register-walter-and-georg/125893427/
  3. Morris Van Matre Obituary, The Sacramento Bee, Sacramento, California, 22 Nov 1941, Saturday, page 22.
  4. " Alice S. Van Matre DeathCalifornia Death Index, 1940-1997," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VP4S-QPG : 26 November 2014), Alice S Vanmetre, 08 Apr 1961; Department of Public Health Services, Sacramento.
  5. Carrie Cooper Hechtman Death,"California, County Birth and Death Records, 1800-1994", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP3V-Y7NH : 1 March 2021), Albert J Hechtman in entry for Carrie Cooper Hechtman, 1934.
  6. Marriage of Albert John Hehtman to Carrie C. Van Matre, "California Marriages, 1850-1945", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:41DB-JL6Z : 24 March 2020), Albert J. Hechtman, 1880.
  7. Albert John Hechtman, Who's Who on the Pacific Coast, page 262, 1913, Ancestry.com database on-line Collection, indexed by Ancestry World Archives Project contributors.
  8. John Chandler Van Matre Obituary, The Searchlight, Redding California, Sunday Aug 21 1921, page 1. Viewed at GenealogyBank.com.
  9. Walter and George Van Matre, "Will Develop the Washington Mine", Oroville Daily Register, 28 Feb 1906, Wed, Page 3, viewed online at Newspapers.com:  https://www.newspapers.com/article/oroville-daily-register-walter-and-georg/125893427/
  10. Henry Ellis Obituary, The Sacramento Bee, 29 Dec 1933, Fri, page 6

Disclosure:
The family Information was retrieved from a variety of family trees, webgens and family stories. I will note citations as appropriate and hope the information assists you in your research, but please do not use this as proven evidence. Feedback is welcome!

Pat Burns. Copyright © 2024. All Rights Reserved.
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