Research Papers

Research Papers

Today is:

                        1935 Transition Elected Officials

It’s November 1934.
Nebraskans, including those in Buffalo County, have just passed the initiative petition to amend the state constitution to make the switch from a two-house to one-house legislature beginning in January 1936.

The next legislative session (in 1935) would still have two houses so we needed to send a senator and two representative from Buffalo County to Lincoln in January

Our state representatives each represented half of the county. Ralph Soderstrom was elected to represent one half and Gus Meline was to represent the other.

Our state senator actually represented both Buffalo & Sherman Counties. Ivan Mattson had just been elected to that position in November

Who were these men?

State Representative Ralph Soderstrom

Born in Oct. 1884 just across the county line in Hall County north of Shelton
        This means he was 50 when elected to the State House of Representatives

Baptized in 1886 at Bethany Lutheran Church in Axtell
        His parents were both born in Sweden so they that’s where they went to join a church
        Maybe they lived there first before going to Hall County

At age 25 he was living in Shelton, employed by a retail merchant

10 years later he was married and owned his own grocery & hardware store

Soderstrom's only elective office before filing for the state position was to serve on the Shelton school board

July 1934 – He filed for State Representative for the 75th district
        Won the primary in August and the general election in Nov.

Was a democrat and after serving in the state legislature remained active in the party locally
        In 1940 – elected county chairman of the democratic party

Died in August 1974 at age 89 and is buried in the Shelton Cemetery

State Representative Gus Meline

Born in Sweden in Nov 1870
        This means he was 64 when elected to the State House of Representatives

Came to US at age 10

He was a lifelong farmer living northwest of Kearney in the Greenhill District

First ran for state representative in 1930 for a two-year term.

He was elected again in 1932 and reelected for a third term in 1934

After his time in the state legislature, he apparently returned to farming

Gus died in 1965 shortly after his 95th birthday

State Senator Ivan Mattson

Born in 1895 in Goteborg, Sweden, eldest of 13 children
        At the age of ten [1905] he came with his mother and six younger children to the United States
        His father had come to Kearney the previous year

Being Swedish, they joined 1st Lutheran Church where he was confirmed and remained a lifelong member
        His funeral was held there in 1952

Ivan graduated from the Kearney High School in 1914, and attended the State Teachers College at Kearney the two following years.

But, he was also working.
        At age 13 [1908] he was apprenticed to Mr. Alfred T. Anderson where he learned the profession of photography
        Worked there about 11 years

In 1920 [he’s now 25] he established his own photograph studio, the Mattson Studio on Central Avenue

In 1929 he married Ebba June Olsson of Ord, Neb.

Always active in the Kearney community
        Boy scout leader, Business Men’s basketball league, pitcher for Kiwanis baseball team
        Member of the Chamber of Commerce, Cosmopolitan Club, Kearney Country Club and participated in Red Cross fundraising drives
        Was a member of the National Guard. At 1927 summer camp at Ashland he was one of five Mattson brothers attending
        Participated for many years in the Kearney Drama League

In Apr 1927 – elected to city council from Fourth Ward
        When he ran in Apr 1933 he was the oldest councilman in years of service (6 years); he ran unopposed

In July 1934 – filed to run as state senator
        He got through the primaries successfully and was elected in November
        Resigned from City Council a month later

Following his time in the state legislature, he returned to his activities in Kearney, serving two terms as city mayor in the early 40’s
        During his terms as mayor, he was instrumental in obtaining the Army Air Base for Kearney, and in building the new [current] City Hall.

Ivan Mattson died Oct. 28, 1952 after spending several months in the TB hospital here in Kearney

He was survived by wife, his mother, a foster son, seven brothers, and three sisters

Preceding him in death were his father, a sister, and a brother

[9 boys and 4 girls in the Mattson family]

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Revised: 01/05/2021