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Note: of Carlton County, MN removes the children from Henrika Mattson as sheis no longer able to care for the children The Court ordered that:
Herman was on his own and working somewhere in International Falls.
Celia (13) was sent to the farm of a Gustafson **.
Lydia (11) was also sent to this farm **.
Henry (8) Sent to Owatonna State Home
Lempi (6) Sent to Owatonna State Home .
**My Mother always said they worked them like slaves.
Lempi is a beautiful, blond, blue eyed, 6 year old and is sent to thehome of a Mr H. A. Fourmont in Annadale, Mn on 4 Aug 1913 after onlyabout two months at Owatonna. The Fourmonts are apparently a very"unusual" family and are well known by the Owatonna school. They havea habit of taking in girls and then returning them for trivialreasons. When they are offered Lempi Mrs Fourmont (Ma) says " I do notlike blond girls and I do not like the name Lempi. Unless she canchange her name she is not interested" Owatonna says that she can callher anything she wants and they finally agree to take Lempi (nowMyrtle)
Ma Fourmont currently has another girl by the name of Dorris EmilieHarris placed with her on 7 Apr 1910. Dorris and Myrtle apparentlybecome very close friends. Unfortunately, about 1915 Ma Fourmontwants to return Dorris as she sometimes "talks back" and at times is"Too critical" Myrtle is devastated. Ma Fourmont then gets anothergirl named Gertrude Lewis. She is subsequently returned as "tootalkative and too aggressive". In March of 1916 the Fourmonts moveto Aurora College in Illinois where he is employed as a Janitor andshe as a Cook..
In Lempi's Case File in Owatonna are numerous letters from my Mother(Celia Mattson) requesting information on Lempi. In each case theSuperintendent at Owatonna writes back and says she is fine, doingwell in school, etc, etc, However, they are unable to give out heraddress as her current custodians refuse to give out any information.My Mother is forever persistent and somehow finds out where Myrtle isand contacts her in the fall of 1921.
In a letter dated 14 Jun 1922, Ma Fourmont writes to Owatonna and asksto be released from Myrtle's care. (I have a copy of this letter)Myrtle is now 16 years old and has completed her sophomore year inHigh School. My Mother and Myrtle start exchanging letters and myMother makes arrangements for Myrtle to come and meet her, theirMother and their sister Lydia. I have a picture of My Mother (Celia),Lydia, Myrle and their Mother Henrika on a porch in InternationalFalss, Mn. As it turned out this was a timely reunion as MotherHedrika dies in Sep 1923 and Sister Lydia in March 1924.
I believe that Myrtle, for some time, thought she was adopted by theFourmonts. This was not the case. There are no records of theFourmonts ever adopting any of "their girls". Their role was that ofFoster parents.
Footnote
Here is a little girl 6 years old living with her family with twosisters and two Brothers in what is most probably a happy home. In aninstant she is removed from her home and family not to be seen againby them for ten years. She is placed in a home environment whereshe must watch her every move for fear of "being removed" from thisnew home and sent away again. She sees it happen to her "new" sisterson more than one occasion. She must learn at a very early age tokeep her emotions in check and not care deeply for anyone lest they be"taken away". This must place a life long burden on her ability toshare closeness and for her to continue to fear abandonment.
Note: On 14 May 1913, about 18 months after John's death, The Probate Court
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