Barbara Matson (1924 - 1925)

Ancestors

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Biography

Barbara was born in 1924. She was the daughter of Wiliam Matson and Clarissa Ketcham. According to her sister Beth, my mother, Barbara was a beautiful blue-eyed blonde-haired baby. Beth said that, shortly before her death, Barbara was chewing on a celluloid Santa Claus, pieces of which my mother tried to remove from her mouth. Shortly after this incident, Barbara had a respiratory illness that entailed an x-ray. According to Beth, Barbara may have aspirated a piece of celluloid which did not show up on the x-ray. Barbara died in 1925. Her death had a tremendous impact on the family. Her mother became withdrawn, photographs of Barbara were destroyed and she was never mentioned. The oldest sister, Alice, had a "nervous breakdown" at the age of nine and missed a year of school. For her whole life, Beth had unresolved feelings of guilt over Barbara's death, seeking counseling when she was in her early 20s and later in her late 60s or early 70s. Beth did not tell her children the story of Barbara until we were adults.

Sources

• Family history from my mother.