HELD ON JULY 8, 2000
I took some pictures of the Moilanen family members which I have posted on this website. I am sorry to say that I did not get a picture of the latecomers. However, before I post the pictures I would like include a short history of our Moilanen ancestors who emigrated from Finland.
All of us at the Moilanen family reunion had two ancestors in common, They were Matti Moilanen and his wife Vappu Volberg (Hiltunen). Matti was the eldest of seven children born to Matts Moilanen Jr. and Anna Lisa (Karvonen). Matti emigrated from Puolanka, Finland in 1887. Matti was born in Lylykyla, Finland on February 14, 1847. Matti's wife Vappu Volberg was born in Suomussalmi, Finland on January 1, 1852, and moved to Puolanka, Finland in 1873. Matti first settled in Swedetown, Michigan which is located in the Copper Country near Calumet, Michigan. He and his wife Vappu Volberg later moved to Askel, Michigan. They are both buried in the Askel Cemetery.
Matti and Vappu had six children. All were born in Lylykyla, Finland. The names of their children follow:
Heikki Moilanen
Born: July 12, 1874.......Died:1948
Heikki was known as Henry in the United States. Heikki came to America in 1896. Heikki married Walpuri Heikkinen. Henry and Walpuri had eleven children: Hilia, Waino, Lillian, Helmi,William, Ruth, Helma, Aili, Judy, Alma, and Elmer. They lived in Askel, Michigan near his father and mother and his brother Andrew. They are both buried in the Askel Cemetery.
Anna Lisa Moilanen
Born: May 2, 1877......Died: December 10, 1949
Anna Lisa married Juho Moilanen on December 4, 1904. Anna Lisa and Juho had seven children: Matti, Kaisa Hilda, Jaako, Anna, Juho, Eino, and Arvi. I have no record of Anna Lisa and her husband Juho coming to America.
Antti Moilanen
Born: May 10, 1880........Died: June 9, 1940
Antti was known as Andrew in the United States. Antti came to the United States in 1900. Antti married Walpuri Waaraniemi on August 4, 1906. Antti and Walpuri had ten children: Matti, Mayme, Eli, Elizabeth, Anna, Andrew, Aili, Martha, Mildred, and Helen. They lived in Askel, Michigan near Antti's father and mother and his brother Heikki. Antti and his wife Walpuri are buried in the Moilanen family plot in the Askel Cemetery. Antti and Walpuri were my grandparents.
Eeli Moilanen
Born: June 26, 1883.......Died: May 21, 1903
I have no record of Eeli coming to America.
Jaafetti Moilanen
Born: April 16, 1886.......Died: November 6, 1904
I have no record of Jafetti coming to America.
Kaisa Reeta Moilanen
Born: August 18, 1888......Died: May 7, 1958
Kaisa Reeta came to America in 1907. Kaisa Reeta married Henry Tormala and they lived in Calumet, Michigan. After Henry died Kaisa Reeta married Adam Paavola. Kaisa Reeta and Henry had eight children: Matti, Mary, Helmi, Eva, George, Mildred, Martha, and Henry. Kaisa Reeta is buried near her first husband Henry in the Calumet cemetery.
I would like to share a story my mother told me about her first day of school.
On my mothers first day of kindergarten, in 1917, at the Askel School, she was talking with her first cousin, Impi Moilanen, in Finnish. At the time my mothers name was also Impi Moilanen. The teacher came up to them and pulled their ears and said; We do not speak Finnish in this school, we speak only English.
After the teacher found out that they both had the same first and last names she told my mother that she could not have two children in her class with the same name so she would call my mother "Elizabeth". From that eventful day forward my mother has been known as Elizabeth.
I always get a chuckle when I think of what my grandmothers reaction was when my mother got home from her first day of school. It probably went something like this:
My grandmother: How was your first day of kindergarten Impi?
My mother: To start with I am no longer Impi, my name is now Elizabeth.
My mothers first cousin, Impi, later changed her first name to Judy.
The pictures I took at the Moilanen family reunion follow. I plan to add names later. Let me know if it takes too long to load with all the pictures on one page. If the loading time is too long I can put some of the pictures on separate pages.
