"Mrs. Ethel Matson . . a Dynamic Personality . . "The Flower Lady" . . .

    (Flower Roots Which Crossed the Plains--Still Bloom in the Matson Garden--Editor's Notes)

There are people who have quietly and devotedly made this a better and brighter world through their appreciation of beauty.   For more than 30 years, the editor of The Star has made at least one visit each year to the Matson home to see and enjoy the flowers.  This gentle woman's love of flowers is shown by their response in blooming.  We asked her family to tell a little of her life among us for the past 64 years.

"I never have time to get bored, or to wish the days were shorter," said 86 year old Mrs. Ethel Matson of Lorenzo.  "for I can't find time to finish all I have started as it is."

Mrs. Matson came here in 1903 fresh from Brigham Young University to teach school at what was then called Toad Heaven, and is now Upper Labelle.  Here she met and became the bride of John N. Matson, Dec. 22, 1906.  With persistent determination and fortitude they reclaimed the farmlands and home surroundings from the willow thickets, woods and river brush of the Snake River.  Mrs. Matson has lived 64 years on this piece of land.  Though their only son died shortly after his birth, they raised a neice and nephew [Lorenzo and Ida, Axel's children] from childhood and many others have felt the Matsons to be their second home.

While helping till the land into production, Mrs. Matson was also active in religious and civic organizations as Primary President, MIA President, MIA Stake board worker and Relief Society Work Director.  She spent many years as a 4-H leader training girls in sewing and canning and boys in the raising of chickens and hogs.

Every nook and corner of her yard was transformed into a garden of beauty.  Because of its loveliness Mrs. Matson soon became known as the "flower lady."  Hers were some of the first flowers raised in this area.  Seven roses and two peonies brought across the plains by her grandfather, and she is still caring for them in her own garden.  She has attended Garde[n] Club meets from Pocatello to Rexburg, served as a floral judge at county, district and state fairs in Idaho.  She has been awarded many ribbons both for her flowers and her pastel water color and oil paintings.

She is an expert seamstress and one time did sewing for some of the most fastidious and fashion-conscious women in this area and has seen styles change from maxiskirt to the miniskirt and to maxiskirt.

The Matsons' farm was a sort of early day "supermarket" since clothing, flowers, vegetables meat, dressed chickens, milk, butter and eggs could all be purchased there.

Their home became a haven for many friends and relatives before the days of plentiful hotels and motels.

As far as the expectations of her life are concerned, Mrs. Matson says she wouldn't change a thing.  She has loved to help people and has been helped in return.  Her advice to future generations would be "Live as nearly right as you know!"

H.A.T.

For many years, I have gone to Mrs. John Matson's home in Lorenzo for Memorial Day flowers.  She prepared the bouquets until recent years and since her health no longer permits her to fill orders as "the flower lady," I go sometimes to find tulips blooming, iris, many shrubs, lilacs of almost every variety and peonies which are unexcelled in their beauty.  But beyond the flowers, there are birds who keep a constant background of songs -- and with the fragrance of the garden, when the honeysuckle or lilacs are in bloom make an orchestration in the beautiful setting.  Now in her eighties, Mrs. Matson, walks with a cane among the many flower beds, familiar with each step -- and if love of flowers is genuine then she has created something that is akin to nature itself -- we hope her garden, one of the beauty spots of our area, will never fade out and wither.
H.A.T.




March 23, 2001:  Transcribed by Matt Young from a copy of a newspaper article obtained from Phyllis (Matson) Peterson.  The newspaper is apparently "The Star" but the date is unknown.  The second part, with "H.A.T.", may be from the same newspaper, but even that is questionable.