Wistful Wednesday: 1952

I have just a few photos of me with my paternal grandparents. 

Grandpa Y, me and Grandma Y

Grandma Y and me.

I was a bit of a chunk..or is that just the look of a healthy baby?  I wonder what the occasion was?  It was the summer of 1952..I would be one year old in the Fall.  I am pretty sure this photo was taken at my Grandparents farm..there was a bunch of bushes most likely some Lilacs half way up the hill to the house that was a stopping off place for a photograph.  I think someone else took the photo..it is a different size photograph than the ones my Mother took with her little Brownie Camera.

Grandma’s favorite flower was a Hollyhock..either that or it became her favorite after it grew effortlessly near her house:)

Wistful Wednesday: Grandparents Y

Somehow my paternal grandparents met. Their families lived a mile or so apart. There was no story to pass down. (Perhaps when my Grandmother arrived from Michigan when she was 21 years old, she had her eye out for a handsome young man…) They attended different churches, and didn’t believe in dancing..so perhaps they met at some community function. Grandma was an older woman..she was 22 and Grandpa was 20 when they got married August 2, 1911.

When I asked my Aunt Anna how she thought they met, she said that such things were never talked about.

 

Grandma was a midwife, she helped to deliver many babies. I often wonder who midwifed for the midwife?  Grandpa was a logger during the winter and a farmer during the spring, summer and fall.

They were the parents of 14 children.  Wilbert, Hugo, Jalmer, Ervin, John Oscar, Arthur, Adolf, George, Einer, Elmer Jacob, Marie, Rudolph Andrew, Arnold and Anna.  12 boys and 2 girls.  Einer died when he was just a few months old.

This was their 30th Wedding Anniversary photo in 1941.

The same day a family photo was taken.

Somewhere I have a list identifying everyone in this photo. 

Grandma and Grandpa about 1950.

I love that he threw his hat to the ground for the photo and was there cream in that cream can? 

I cannot tell you any stories about them together.  I can only imagine that they must have loved each other, they were married for 42 years.  My Grandmother died in 1953 when I was just 21 months old.  I have socks that she knit for me to keep me warm.

I keep them upstairs in an old cookie jar with a note:)

Wistful Wednesday : Young Enduring Love

My paternal Great Grandmother (Kaisa) was born in  Muhos, Finland in 1867.  Six years earlier in 1861 my Great Grandfather (August) was born in Ylivieska Finland.  The towns are ninety miles apart.  So it is doubtful that they knew each other in Finland.

August was an only child..although his father had been married twice before to women that already had children.   August came to America in 1877.

Kaisa may have had brothers and sisters..her family history needs some close inspection.   Her parents left her in Finland while they went to America. She was working as a maid and her parents left her two cows to pay for her passage to America.  She was 16 years old.  She apparently sold the cows and came to America in 1883.  Sometime later her parents would return to Finland..but I don’t know why or when.

In August of 1883 two months after getting off the ship Kaisa married August in Michigan..she was 17 and he was 24.  Young love?  He was a miner working in the Copper Mines and a logger.

They had 12 children and adopted a grandchild after their daughter died.

Most of their children were born near Dover Creek Michigan.  In 1903 Mike died  of a burst appendix at the age of 19, in the same year Annie would die of pneumonia after having the mumps at the age of 18..leaving behind a daughter born in 1903 whom my Great Grandparents would raise as their own child. My Grandmother Hilda would become the oldest by default after her older brother and sister died.  In 1906 a baby would die. 

August and Kaisa unknown year..possibly 1920

In 1906 August and Kaisa would move to Becker County Minnesota. Land was the lure.  Farming must be easier than mining.  They would leave my Grandmother behind, she was 17 and had a very good job working as a housekeeper in a fancy house where the lady of the house would inspect the maids work with a white glove.  My Grandmother had a few suitors in Michigan..she loved Michigan and would return there to visit many times throughout her life.

Hilda in 1906, she was 17 years old and lived in Michigan.

In January of 1910 my Grandmother (Hilda) would come to Minnesota she was 21 years old.  She followed her family here, perhaps she missed her family.  Perhaps she got a letter from her Mother asking her to come..who knows?

My Great Grandparents  would suffer more grief.  Olga would die from meningitis the next year (1911). Olga was 13 years old. Two months after Olga’s death baby William was born and died the same day.

In 1918 their son Oscar would die of influenza during WWI.

In 1919 their remaining children would be Hilda (my grandmother), Andrew, Elina, Katie, Pearl ( adopted granddaughter), Mayme and Emil.  My Great Grandparents would live to bury half of their children.  Everyone in the family would treat Aunt Pearl like a real Aunt instead of the grandchild that she was.

Some of my thoughts:  Who would leave a 16 year old behind in Finland to come to America by herself?  Two Months..they knew each other two months or less and they were married..but the marriage lasted 58 years until August’s death in 1941.  Perhaps they grew to love each other after the sparks of young love wore off?  It must have been devastating for my Great Grandparents to endure the deaths of so many of their children.

Family History seems to make me ask more questions..I wonder if the answers are out there someplace.  Should I just be happy with the information I have or are these just pieces of the puzzle?:)

Wistful Wednesday: September 26 1912

One hundred years ago today my Grandmother Hilda gave birth to her first son.  She and Grandpa named him Wilbert Samuel.  The oldest son, the first of fourteen children.

My Grandparents had been married fourteen months before Wilbert was born.

This photo is from 1919.

By summer of 1919 Wilbert was seven years old, Hugo was five, Jalmer was three, Ervin was two and baby Oscar was born May 31 1919. ( He helps to date the photo!)  By this time my Grandparents had been married eight years and they had five sons.

I always think my Grandmother looks tired in this photo and I bet she was.

This is one of my favorite photos. Uncle Wilbert is cutting my Uncle Hugo’s hair.  You just had to make do…I suppose you could always wear a cap. Wilbert was the barber and cut everyone’s hair..well at least all his brothers hair..when you have lots of brothers you get lots of practice.

My Uncle Wilbert married my Aunt Senia ( Who is still alive, but lives in the Nursing Home.)

This may be their wedding photo.

My Uncle Wilbert died in February of 1990.  He had the flu and was recovering in the hospital and died.  He was 78 years old.  I had many opportunities to have coffee with him and visit…I wish I had written down some of his stories.

Uncle Wilbert and Aunt Senia had three beautiful daughters.

My Uncle Wilbert was like all of my father’s brothers. They were all strong men physically and emotionally, steadfast in their faith and good fathers with a keen sense of humor. Salt of the earth.

One hundred years..I often wonder what it was like back then.  My Grandmother was a midwife later in her life.  I imagine that she was tended to by her mother and sisters for the birth at home:)