Arthur Mathews was a shrewd and successful trader of farm animals. In this segment the story is told of receiving an entire carload of lambs from the West. Sons John and George were directed to herd those lambs in the dark for several miles to their own farm. In July of 1990, John, George and Helen Mathews (LaBar), sons and daughter of Arthur J. and Minnie (Wagoner) Mathews, gathered to swap recollections of growing up on a farm in Branch County, Michigan. They moved there with their parents from Fulton County, Indiana, in January of 1914 when they were ages 6 (John), 4 (Helen) and 2 (George). Their father, Arthur, was a successful farmer and trader of farm animals.
The farming legacy of Arthur and Minnie Mathews was passed down first to their son, George and Edna, then to George's nephew, David and Jolene, and finally to David's son, Darin and Elise. In late 2019, the farm had been in the same family for 105 years.
John Mathews went on to become the longtime Treasurer of Branch County, and Helen moved to northern Wisconsin to raise a family, including the third-generation owner, David.
The main characters in the stories in these videos are Arthur J. (1874-1963) and Minnie Mathews (1878-1968). Three of their four children, John (1908-2002), Helen (1910-2009) and George (1911-1995) are the storytellers here.
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