The

Maine Finn

Finnish-American Heritage Society of Maine P.O. Box 294 • West Paris, Maine 04289 www.mainefinns.org Officers President ................................Dale Piirainen .................................207-674-5539 ............................... 25 Stearns Hill Road, West Paris, ME 04289 Vice President .........................Martha L. Wilson ..........................207-925-2972 ......................................................966 Main St., Lovell, ME 04051 Treasurer ............................... Barbara Payne .............................. 207-743-5677 ...................................... 12 Hillside Ave., South Paris, ME 04281 Secretary ............................... Karen Bennett ............................... 207-674-3748 ................................... 295 Koskela Rd., Bryant Pond, ME 04219 Membership Secretary ..........Cynthia Immonen .........................207-743-2384 ............................43 Mountain View Dr., South Paris, ME 04281 Directors Tamara Cohen ............................................................................... 207-743-5367 ................................................ 24 Village Lane, Oxford, ME 04270 Barbara Honkala............................................................................ 207-824-2711 ......................................... 1262 Intervale Road, Bethel, ME 04217 Richard Suomela .......................................................................... 207-743-0953 .............................................. 6 Suomela Lane, Norway, ME 04268 Peter Starbird...................................................................................207-743-2246............................................104 Nichol St., South Paris, ME 04281 Natalie Parsons...............................................................................207-743-7742......................................................P.O. Box 209, Norway, ME 04268

Issue #119

July, Aug., Sept. 2012

Meetings & Activities

Kalenteri

June 17: Dale Piirainen presented the genealogy of Maria Aleksandra Huotari Komulainen, grandmother of Don Cummings. June 25: Dale attended the W Paris Preservation meeting where he “spoke passionately about the regions rich Finnish heritage” LSJ 7/6/12 July 29: The Bell Hill Meeting House program in Otisfield was well attended. Barbara & Dale presented the program, the Kantele players sounded fantastic, Karen & Tim handled the tori, and Mannie helped with the exhibits. A note from there president read, “Thank you for a wonderful presentation of Otisfield’s Finnish residents. It was spot on and I loved the Lord’s Prayer in Finnish. I thought the exhibit in the school house was so appealing. People were obviously enjoying it. The Bell Hill Meeting house would like you to accept this honorarium for your efforts. ($100) July/Aug: Open House was once again a great success. Thanks to all who hosted! Aug 19: An enthusiastic crowd enjoyed the Summer Social. The president engaged the group in a game of Finnish Trivia where everyone had some knowledge but the overall winner was Ann Salo (mother of Janet Gardener).

Sept 16: Jimmy Lowell will present a program on the late Gunsmith, Eino Heikkinen. Oct 20: Public Supper at 5pm. We request your help in making this another successful event. Food and physical help are both welcome. Oct 21: Tamara Cohen will present a program on Finnish farms in the area, inspired by the calendar. The number of farms, many of them carried on by the second generation, is a history worth preserving. Nov 18: Scott Andrews, who is affiliated with the Ski Museum of Maine will present a program known as From Tree to Ski. This will include Finns & skiing, a film from the 30’s & 40s, and Paris Manufacturing’s role in supplying skis for the American & Russian soldiers during the war. A Q&A will assist him in gathering more information. Dec 16: Maria Leena Bailey will present the Christmas program. Can we expect some audience participation?

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►David Waisanen, 75, of Denmark, ME passed away on July 24th. He was the son of the late Uno & Lina Waisanen. He is survived by his wife, Ruth, 3 daughters, grandchildren and a sister.

In Memoriam Our condolences go out to the families and friends of the dearly departed members of the FinnishAmerican community. More extensive information may be found in our genealogy department. ► Eino Rosenberg of West Paris died on May 7th. He was born in Sumner and worked the family farm with his brother until joining the military in 1954. After returning home he went into the logging business. He is survived by his brother Jack, a sister Sylvia Raasumaa, children and grandchildren. He was predeceased by his brother Ellis. ► Sulo Pulkkinen, 89, of Auburn passed away on June 12. He was born in Oxford, the son of Kalle & Anna Maria (Niskanen) Pulkkinen. He served in the Army during WWII and received two Purple Hearts. He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Eleanor Fortier, his daughter Karen, a brother Herbert, two sisters Senja Grover & Miriam Pecevich and a granddaughter. He was predeceased by his brothers Carl & Willard. ► Viola Niskanen LeViness, 94, passed away on June 17th. She was born in S Paris, the daughter of August & Selma Niskanen. She is survived by her siblings Lilly, Edith O’Hara, Ruth Kelley, Evelyn Bryant, and Eddie Niskanen as well as children and grandchildren. She was predeceased by her husband, a daughter, and her sister Aino. ► Velma Jaaranen, 83, wife of Veikko “Oz” Jaaranen, passed away on June 19 at the Maine Veterans Home in S Paris. Upon retirement Oz & Velma spent winters in Florida and summers in Norway, as they were both native to the area. ►Linda Heino Heath, 85, of Harrison passed away on July 24th. She was born in Waterford, the daughter of Kalle & Liisa Komulainen Heino. She was predeceased by her husband of 64 years, Claude Heath, brothers William, Victor, Carl, Albert and sisters Louise, Liz, Martha & Lina. She is survived by her brother Robert and sisters Hilda Peterson and Celia Jacobson, as well as children and grandchildren

Memorials In Memory of Rick Lee: Pirkko & Erkki Lamppu $1,000. In Memory of Sulo Pulkkinen: Louise Kilponen Sunshine Lady Betty Hertell …743-6658

Dues & News The membership voted to increase dues, starting in 2013, to $10.00 a year. Dues paid in the final quarter of this year will be $10.00 and will carry the member all the way through 2013. Anyone having paid their dues in advance is all set until year of renewal. The cost of the newsletter subscription, without membership, will be $6.00 a year. We will also return to calendar year membership. We request that dues for 2013 be paid by the first meeting of the year (April).

Membership At the June meeting it was voted to open the membership to anyone interested in the work to which this organization is dedicated.

Calendars The 2013 calendar, depicting Finnish farms and farm life, are selling faster than nisu at a Bake Sale! It contains pictures of farms in South Paris, West Paris, Tuelltown, West Sumner, Greenwood, Waterford and Harrison. Of further interest is the depiction of farm life from haying to cleaning suckers and ice harvesting. Farm animals and equipment, including a homemade tractor are also of interest. We wish to express appreciation to everyone who contributed photos and apologize for the fact that we were unable to use all of them, either because of theme, space or reprint quality. Special thanks to Laura Heikkinen & Hazel Wheeler for their special contributions to this project. Calendars are $10 each and available at the Center. To order by mail include $5.00 postage.

The Maine Finn is published quarterly, in March, June, Sept, & Dec. Articles of interest, to be included in the newsletter, are welcomed and encouraged. They may be sent to: Editor: Barbara Payne 12 Hillside Ave S Paris, ME 04281 Phone #743-5677 Contributing Editors: Members & Friends Printed by: Creative Media 329 Main Street Norway, ME 04268 # 739-2200

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This n’ That

Let’s begin with the Rev. Willis. He, and his good wife Vera, both came to the United States from England! They retired from serving a large Congregational church in the Boston area and moved to Maine. Both have labored diligently for this former mission station for 12 years. Neither have any Finnish genes. Celia Jones was a music instructor for 34 years, teaching in schools located in Ohio, Wisconsin, Brazil, Cape Breton and Maine. Celia currently teaches kantele classes in the church fellowship hall. She’s not Finnish either! Peggy Oliver is a self-professed “coal miner’s daughter from Illinois who married a “Mainer.” Peggy, Celia and Jackie all attended last year’s Finnish Language Class. Peggy will be supervising the same class this year. She also has no Finnish genes. That leaves Jacqueline Harjula, who is actually “half-a-Finn” and whose grandfather was one of the founders of this church. She is famous for being a “workaholic.” A few of her jobs include being the president of the local “Finnish Heritage House,” vice president of this church, and secretary of Finlandia Foundation National, to name a few! So you might well be wondering, what about this church? Where did it come from and where is it going? Has this diverse a group always been involved? Our church is the very last of the old mission stations established in the U.S. by the Free Church movement of Finland. These were financed by loans through the Home Mission Society of the Congregational Church and were often incorporated as a Finnish Congregational Church. Some have disappeared and others have merged. Efforts were made to close this South Thomaston church 18 years ago, but the local Finnish-American Society decided to help keep it open. As is sometimes the case, “the rest is history!” In 2007, the church celebrated its centenary! This was in an enlarged sanctuary, set atop a modern fellowship hall, which is all new shared among the three local Finnish organizations. So the expression “Galvanized Finns” could be easily applied to hundreds of individuals from many backgrounds and persuasions in Mid-Coastal Maine. Written by Art Jura, submitted by Serena Kelley.

► Thanks to Carmen Urbonas for contributing a ceiling fan for the museum and to Tim Bennett for installing it. This was a great asset during the heat of summer, making it more enjoyable to visit the museum. ► Thanks to Ed Daye for the repairs he did to the bulk-head and to Richard Suomela for sealing the driveway as well as the general maintenance that he provides on a regular basis. ► New signs on the porch door inform passersby of our hours and activities. ►The Centennial of Trinity Lutheran Church in S Paris was recognized in Kuhmo, Finland by both the newspaper Kuhmolainen and by the Kuhmo church which sent congratulations.

Donations ►Julie Daye donated bells from Finland. ►Don Cummings made a $100 donation in memory of his grandmother, Maria Alexsandra Huotari Komulainen, with thanks and appreciation to Dale Piirainen for researching and assembling the genealogy and family history. ►Kim Bradley Emmons donated several items including linens, Marimekko fabric, sauna bucket, skirt, books Arabia dishes, and a small chest of draws, all from Finland.

Galvanized Finns Finnish Congregational Church, S Thomaston There is a lot being published nowadays containing the unusual phrase “Galvanized Finns” and folks in Maine are happily becoming identified within this group! A good example took place recently at the Finnish Church in South Thomaston. The occasion was a regular Sunday worship service, featuring a ladies trio performing the hymn titled “Beneath the Cross” in Finnish. Jackie Harjula and Peggy Oliver sang with Celia Jones accompanying them on the violin. Pastor Rev. Terence R. Willis watched from his nearby seat. He always closes the Sunday services with a lovely benediction in Finnish. Now, regarding these four people, you might wonder about what strong genealogical connections link them so tightly to this quaint Finnish Church in Maine?

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straight into them and get stuck by their gills and fins. A very old traditional way of fishing was with a seine made of leafy twigs during spawning time. It was made of two small trees laid horizontally. Bunches of leafy twigs were tied together to make a wall. With this you surrounded the fish and forced them to the beach, where they were caught safely with a leister. During spawning, all species of salmon move from the sea into the rivers to find their original spawning ground, thereby making it possible to use landing nets. The rapids are the best places to do this. Using long handled landing nets the fisherman finds rapids with rocks in the bottom. Behind these stones is turbulence where fish can rest during their journey. Knowing these places makes fishing with a landing net easy. White fish and smelts were also good species to catch with a landing net. Old landing nets were built from thin sticks, birch roots, and eventually, nettle fibers. Another effective way to catch fish was to knock them out! In early winter, when the ice is starting to form, it is clear and transparent for a few days, yet thick enough to walk on. A heavy axe or hammer was used to knock the fish unconscious through the ice. (No one knows why the fish rise to the top of the ice, although it is speculated that it is curiosity, light or oxygenation that draws them.) It takes two or three minutes for the fish to regain consciousness so you must hurry to break the ice and grab the fish before it wakes up. The elements do not allow for this method of fishing every year because of early snows which come before the freeze. Burbots, a member of the cod family, are the easiest to knock out but sometimes pike and ides can be caught. Fishermen once used a trotline for winter fishing under the ice. The short line was made of pine root, birch bark rope, hemp or flax. The short lines were connected to the basic line with slip knots made of nettle or willow fiber. Horse hair was used after domestic animals were brought to Finland during the Bronze Age. Roaches or small fish, such as perch, were uses as bait; inserted into gorges. Gorges, the predecessor of all fish hooks, were made from wood, bone, antler, and stone. Metal fish hooks are very new to fishing, with the first hooks made from copper or tin as they were easy to shape.

It’s great to be a teacher …in Finland I often ponder our nation’s education system and its seeming inability to thrive. Why can’t we do better? I have had a number of thoughts about all of this, but in the end I think the reason Finland has succeeded where we have not may really come down to just this: The basic assumption in Finnish schools is that teachers, by default, are well educated professionals and are doing their best in schools. It turns out that it’s great to be a teacher in Finland. In fact it’s so great, university students vie for the honor. Going to education graduate school is in fact a more popular choice than law school or medical school – and as highly regarded. Did you know that Finnish teachers teach at most four classes a day, with the rest of the time free for them to work collegially, develop assessments, plan curriculum, think, write? Did you know that Finnish students do not take standardized tests until they are leaving high school – external testing is seen as taking time away from learning. Did you know that in Finland only the best students are admitted to education programs? Excerpted from an article by Kathreen Harrison in the Free Press 6/21/12. She is a long time educator with a bachelor’s degree from Harvard College and a master’s degree from Bank Street School of Education. She has a strong interest in school reform. She lives in Camden and is currently a World Language teacher in RSU 13. Article submitted by Serena Kimball Kelley

Primitive Skills and Crafts Finnish Hunting and Fishing Techniques

Early fishing methods in Finland were designed for lakes and rivers. But since Finland has 1240 miles of sea coast, they made changes in their fishing gear, adapting to coastal waters. Fishing is very popular in Finland, as both an occupation and a pass time. Fish nets are used during spawning when it is easy to catch large amounts of fish. The oldest fishnet discovered in Finland, pre 1920, is made of the inner bark fiber of the willow. It was made for catching salmon and other large fish. The cordage is quite thick compared to modern nylon. The old nets were active nets, like seines, where the fishermen surrounded the fish and drove them into the beaches with the nets. Modern net fishing is passive as the nets are invisible. The fish swim

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otter, which were easy to tame, clever, playful, curious and trusting. Children enjoyed taking their tame otters for a winter fishing trip. They simply made a hold in the ice and the otter did the rest. By mid-winter, much of the oxygen was gone from the small lakes and the fish sought refuge together in the deepest corner of the lake. One boisterous otter would raise havoc on the dark lake bottom. As the children filled their baskets with fish everyone, except the fish, were happy.

In the winter, ice was a problem for primitive fishermen when using a trotline. Special tools were needed to make holes in the ice. A very effective primitive tool is made from the shinbone of elk or wild reindeer. This was tested by army survival camp instructors. It took about twenty minutes of hard work to go through 40 centimeters of thick ice. This tool sharpens itself while you are working with it. Fishing with a pine-root trotline with juniper gorges is historically Finnish and some of the old fishermen still use it. Leistering from a boat, to kill fish as they slept was illegal from 1902 to 1941. It is now legal to leister all year except from April to June, during spawning. Today, Finns old and young can be found leistering with a big, birch-bark torch on many summer nights. Bow fishing is also allowed by law. In early spring you can shoot large spawning pikes with a bow as the sun themselves in shallow water. Australian Aborigines do the same thing with atlatl and spears. A large fish trap, known as a kiddle, is made universally of splinters or slats. . It was well known in Hungary, Central Volga, India, China, as in some Native American cultures. The oldest written documents of splinter kiddles in Finland dates back to 1300. The oldest splinter kiddle known in Finland is from the Stone Age. Pine was easy to split into nice straight splinters for making a kiddle. No nails are used in these traps as bindings were made from birch switches. Seaside fishermen built a new kiddle every spring after the ice melted, but the lakeside water moved so little the kiddles lasted for many years. Fish from kiddles could be collected all summer. First came the pikes, followed by bream, and then perch in early autumn. Pearling, another part of old Finnish hunting and fishing tradition, had its golden years from 1700 to 1850, during which time the mussel was fished almost to extinction. The pearl mussed needs salmon to be able to propagate as the mussel larvae lives its first year inside the gills of salmon. Pearl mussels have been protected by law since 1957. Finally we look at fishing with a tame otter! Fishing with a group of tamed cormorants was very popular in China many centuries ago; where they still demonstrate this ancient fishing technique for tourists. Old Karelian Finns would trap the young

Excerpted from an article by Turkka Aaltonen, submitted by Julie Daye. The complete article can be found in our library and may be of interest to the avid sportsmen among us.

Newsletter Articles “A short pencil is better than a long memory.” This proves to become truer with age. I therefore request that you not give me information on the fly but provide it in writing! If you have articles or interesting tidbits for the newsletter please forward them at any time, in writing! (See box on page 2 for contact information.) The newsletter is more interesting when it carries a variety of items with broad appeal. While the newsletter is published in March, June, September, and December it is in constant process so items may be submitted at any time, the sooner the better.

New Publication Return to the Land of My Fathers By Kenneth Lundstrom This historical novel is about a family’s dramatic evacuation, and dreams of a return, to the land of their fathers. Ilmari was a fisherman in Karelia and had a happy life there until the war changed everything. 422,000 Karelians were evacuated from their homes, some spending years of hard labor in Siberia. Ilmari’s son was one of them. Ilmari eventually makes his home on Long Island but spends a lifetime missing the land of his fathers until, at age 95, he is finally able to return for a visit. This promises to be an emotional story. The book is available for $25.50 and can be ordered through the following: http//sbpra.com/Kenneth Lundstrom www.amazon.com www.barnesandnoble.com. 5

How Pets Benefit Babies Living with a dog or a cat may bolster babies’ health. After surveying the parents of nearly 400 infants over the course of a year, Finnish researchers found that children who lived with a dog were 31% more likely to be in good health than those who didn’t. They were also 44% less likely to have developed an ear infection and 29% less likely to have needed antibiotics. Owning a cat offered similar, though less significant benefits. The more time pets spent outdoors, the healthier the babies that lived with them were, which suggests that dogs and other pets may track in dirt and germs from outdoors that “stimulate the immune system” of babies “to do a better job of fighting off infection,” Danelle Fisher, a pediatrician at St. John’s Health Center, tells the LA Times. Previous studies have shown that babies who are exposed to pets and dust are less likely to develop allergies & asthma. This article, from ‘The Week’ magazine, under the Health & Science section, was submitted by Roseann Newton

Julian Jones The artistic name Julian Jones is the alter- ego of a young Finnish-American, born Julian Lähdesmäki, who is

building a career as a musician in Malibu, California. In the spring of 2011, he released his first album, Julian Jones’ Gentle Parade. Julian moved to the United States with his parents from Finland when he was five years old. He has kept up his Finnish skills through his summers spent in Finland with his grandparents. The song “Shake” is from a childhood memory of the 1994 earthquake in Northridge, California. “Brooklyn” describes a dual citizen’s balancing act between two countries and cultures; flying between homes in Finland and the U.S. He questions which, if either, is his home. As a result of a long thought out process connected with this dilemma, Julian decided to take an American sounding artist’s name, Julian Jones. He finds it liberating to be on the stage under a different name. he is thereby able to leave himself at home. “You don’t need to think that Julian Lähdesmäki probably wouldn’t say or do that. That’s why it’s fun to be Julian Jones.” That said he still feels Finnish. “I’m a Finn living in the US” he said, “And Jones surely fits in American mouths better than Lähdesmäki.” Suomen Silta 2/12

Meetings are held at the Finnish-American Heritage Center on the 3rd Sunday of April through June and September through December. (Closed January, February, March) Open House is held every Sunday in July & August from 2 to 4, except for the 3rd Sunday of August when we hold our Summer Social. To check on specific events see the calendar on page one or go to: www.mainefinns.org Make checks payable to: FAHSoM c/o Cynthia Immonen 43 Mountainview Drive … S Paris, ME 04281 Finnish Connection: ________________________________ E-mail: __________________________________________ Phone: ___________________________________________ Town, State, Zip: ___________________________________ Street: ___________________________________________ Name: ___________________________________________ ___ Newsletter subscription only, $6.00 per year. Annual Dues ___ Membership is open to anyone interested in the work to which this organization is dedicated. Dues are $10.00 per calendar year and include the newsletter.

Membership and Subscription Coupon

MAINE FINN FINNISH-AMERICAN HERITAGE SOCIETY OF MAINE P.O. Box 294 8 Maple Street West Paris, ME 04289