CIV EST. 1906 La Palma, California June 2011 Number 2 www.orderofruneberg.org

Summer-time greetings from the Order’sSupreme Board to all IOR members!

Dale and Mary Lou Hjort, our editorsfor the Leading Star, informed me thatthey have received increased submittalsfrom our lodges (pictures from lodge meet-ings, articles, etc.) for publication in theLeading Star. This is beneficial to our edi-tors, allowing them to create a more vibrantnewspaper, and, of course, beneficial to ourOrder of Runeberg membership, keepingyou informed about the activities of otherlodges, and possibly providing ideas forplanning future meetings at your lodge.Thank you.

You may be interested in knowing thatour Order of Runeberg website was visited(viewed) almost 5,600 times during the2010 year. For the first five months of thisyear, there have been increased visits/views of our website in three out of the five

International Order of Runeberg Supreme BoardPresident’s Message

months. Similar to the benefits of a vi-brant Leading Star newspaper, we allbenefit from a vibrant IOR website.I strongly encourage all of you toregularly visit our website: http://www.orderofruneberg.org; and whilethere, think about what, additionally,you would like to see at the website, in-cluding information specific to yourlodge (every lodge has a page at thewebsite dedicated to the lodge contact in-formation, activities, etc.). As mentionedin previous Leading Star issues, yourlodge should take advantage of thewebsite to inform people about activitiesof your lodge—such as pictures from re-cent meetings and activities and an-nouncements of upcoming meetings andactivities. This can provide the opportu-nity to increase lodges’ membership.

In summary, please help us increasethe vibrancy and usefulness of ourwebsite by submitting your suggestions,lodge-related pictures, articles, and up-coming meetings/activities information.You may email the information toIORWebSite@gmail.com.

Recently, I established an email con-tact with at least one member of everylodge—and in the case of some lodges,multiple email contacts. This provides anadditional avenue for IOR-related com-munication. Since these lodge contactshave my email address, I encourage com-munication from the lodges to me, too.

Have a great summer!Fraternally,Stew Lyons

We are pleased to announce the Inter-national Order of Runeberg Scholar-ship recipients for 2011. They are:

Ann-Marie Osterback, Seattle, Washing-ton, Lodge #101; Colby Teixeira,Vancouver, B.C., Lodge #124; and ErinRoufosse, Vancouver, B.C., Lodge #124.Their academic achievements are very im-pressive. We are proud to have them asOrder of Runeberg members.

Our Best Wishes to Ann-Marie, Colby,and Erin for a future that will meet theirgoals and expectations.

Ann-Marie Osterback has been a SeattleLodge #101 member for 24 years. Her ex-perience in salmon and aquatic ecology hasexpanded into a larger ecological contextby researching the impacts of Western Gullpredation on threatened salmon popula-tions. Direct observations at local creekmouths confirmed the gulls are consum-ing steelhead and endangered coho salmonjuveniles.

She is a Ph.D. student at University ofCalifornia Santa Cruz. One requirement tothe Ph.D. track at UCSC is to pass a week-long written exam on ecology and

International Order of Runeberg Scholarship Winners

A Tradition in Jakobstad ....... 2Genealogy Corner ................. 3Lodge News ........................4-6Resolutions ........................... 6A Gentle Reminder ................ 7FinnFest 2011 ....................... 8

WHAT’S INSIDE:

evolution, followed by an oral exam. Thisrequires months of studying various booksand essays. Receiving the scholarship willhelp her purchase the six textbooks sheneeds. Ann-Marie’s career goal is to be anAquatic Ecologist.

We wish her a successful career.Erin Roufosse is a Vancouver Lodge #124

member and is attending Eastern NewMexico University. Erin will receive herBachelors in Science Degree in 2012. She ismajoring in History and her minor is Anthro-pology. Her goal is to be a teacher or an ar-cheologist. During the last three years Erinhas played softball as a pitcher in a very com-petitive level for the university that she at-tended. This year she was starting pitcher for

the university in the NCAA Div II. She hasreceived rewards for both academic andathletic accomplishments includingNJCAA All-American and KJCCC MostValuable Player.

Good Luck, Erin, on whichever pathyou choose to follow.

Colby Teixeira has been a VancouverLodge #124 member for 11 years. She is a4th generation Runeberg member, alwaysattends Lodge #124 functions, and is al-ways ready to help. Colby is a third-yearstudent at Simon Fraser University. Hermajor is criminology and minor is psychol-ogy. She attended Douglas College for twoyears and graduated with a diploma incriminology. She was involved with theGirls Guides of Canada for 12 years. Shevolunteers at senior centers, Variety ClubTelethon and the Vancouver Sun Run. Herathletic activities include police judo whereshe has a white belt and kickboxing withan orange belt. To become a police officeris Colby’s goal. She volunteers at the SouthVancouver Community Policing Centerand learns firsthand what duties she willbe performing when she becomes a policeofficer.

Best of Luck for a successful future.Lorene Mara

Scholarship Chairman

Ann-Marie Osterback Erin Roufosse Colby Teixeira

The Leading Star / LedstjärnanInt’l. President: Stewart Lyons

Editors: Dale and Mary Lou Hjort

Subscriptions payable in advanceOne Year, U.S. & Canada $15.00Overseas $20.00

Resolutions, single column, per inch, $5.00

Advertising rates available upon request.

Address all correspondence to:Postmaster: Send changes of address to:The Leading Star, Attn: Dale & Mary Lou Hjort

7682 Tracy LaneLa Palma, CA 90623-1501

Telephone/Fax: 714-739-0932Email: d.mlhjort@juno.com

Correspondents: Information received by thefirst Friday of the quarterly month or as noted willbe included in that quarter’s issue.

To correct our listing of your address, fill in therequested information in the form below andsend your old mailing label to:

Dale & Mary Lou Hjort 7682 Tracy Lane

La Palma, CA 90623-1501Name:________________________________

Street:________________________________

City:__________________________________

State:____________________ Zip__________

Lodge & Number:_______________________

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The LEADING STAR (ISSN No. 0744-7485)is published quarterly by the InternationalOrder of Runeberg for its members andothers interested in the Order at 7682 TracyLane, La Palma, California 90623-1501.Periodical postage paid at Whittier, CA.

2 June 2011

Please submit all news, resolutions,and articles by August 31

for publication in theSeptember Leading Star

–DH

Letter to the Editors:Letter to the Editors:Letter to the Editors:Letter to the Editors:Letter to the Editors:

I love the Leading Star and find so many well-known friends’ names in there. I am anold singer in the O.R. Choir and am still singing. Greetings to all in the Runeberg lodges!

Sincerely,Saga Backlund,New Westminster Lodge #130

On Valborgsmässoafton, students put the student cap onRuneberg’s statue in Jakobstad. And what does that mean?

Johan Ludvig Runeberg, the national poet, was born inJakobstad. (We use the Swedish version of the town’s namein English text, because the majority of the population inJakobstad is Swedish-speaking. In Finnish, our town is called“Pietarsaari.”) Johan Ludvig Runeberg wrote the text to our

national hymn in Swedish. Its name is “Vårt Land” (in Finnish translation it is called“Maamme”). Both titles mean “Our Country.” We often sing it in both languages at thesame time, but it sounds better if they get it printed out and sing some verses in Finnishand some in Swedish.

Valborgsmässoafton is the eve before 1st May. Valborg (in Finnish Valpuri) hasher “namesday,” 30th April. Finns often call 1st May, “Vappu.” First May is the day ofthe students and of the laborers. And we celebrate the coming of the spring.

The student-cap is the white cap we get after passing an exam when we have stud-ied 12 years and perhaps intend to go for studies at university. Runeberg got it faster.We don’t wear this hat very often, but on Valborg we used to put it on our head withsome ceremonies and on First May it is also often worn.

This ceremony in the Runeberg Park in Jakobstad is now 20 years old. In ourcapital, Helsinki (in Swedish called Helsingfors), there is an old similar tradition ofstudents putting a white cap on the statue of Havis Amanda, surrounded by water (andalways some one “falls” into the water). Jakobstad has many schools on high level nowand quite many foreign students. At the ceremony we listened to an official speech andthe students speaking in Swedish, Finnish, and English; all languages were often broken.The two men’s choirs in our town (one singing in Swedish and one in Finnish) weresinging at this event and did sing in the morning 1st May on the marketplace as usual.Some Finnish onlookers muttered: Why do the Swedes have a cowboy with them. Yes,they had one with a cowboy hat and the men in the choir forced him to take the cowboyhat from his head when we sang “Vårt Land.” I suppose he was a foreigner; he had tolook at the words and notes all the time. Submitted by Greta Granbacka (who lives in Jakobstad)

A Tradition in JakobstadThe head ofRunebergis washedbefore he getshis white cap,Vita mössan.

The hat was not sitting straightand it blew away.

Greta Granbacka

After theceremonythe cap hadto be put onagain.

But the audience went away.It was cold and some had only

“spring clothes” on. Two personswith “studentmössa” walking away.

Keep the news coming

When we have a lot off news from thelodges, it is much easier to put the papertogether and fill it up with articles that

are interesting to everybody in our Order. Thankyou so much for all the news we have received.Now we ask that you keep the news coming forfuture issues of the paper.

On page 7 of this issue you will find articlesconcerning “Documenting Every Emigrant” fromFinland to North America. Please take time to readthis closely and if you have information for theSwedish Finn Historical Society data base, theywould greatly appreciate receiving it. Let us alldo what we can to preserve information about ourancestors.

During the summer there are always many fes-tivals going on. Plan to take part in these interest-ing and fun events. FinnFest in San Diego andFinnWest in Burnaby/Vancouver, B.C. are two thathave been highlighted in this paper; but chancesare that there is one not far from where each of uslives.

3June 2011

Genealogy Corner

It was in 1924. Times were hardand they weren’t getting any better for thenext 30 years. Overpopulation was stillcommon in spite of large emigration in the1920s. Terjärv, which is famous for thebeauty of its scenery but also for its small-scale farming with unsuitable farming land,was again to observe its precious sons go-ing to find their fortune and future in astrange land.

It wasn’t just a question of being fond ofadventures but a way of procuring a betterfuture which made 16 young men fromTerjärv emigrate to Australia. Without anyreliable contacts, they took off for the un-known with optimistic expectations thatthey would be lucky. Some of them left theirfamilies behind. They considered it to betoo risky to bring their children along with-out knowing the real circumstances.

Later on, the family was reunited. JohanNestor Ström, Arne Johan Forsberg, ElisEdvin Björklund, Anders Alfred Mattsson,Uno Herman Bexar, Otto Fritiof Bexar, KarlVerner Djupsjöbacka, Hugo TeodorRymbacka, Vilhelm Rudolf Pasen, JoelSeverin Furu, Frans Rufus Nyman, RunarJohannes Furu, Ture Vilhelm Furu,Leander Sanfrid Fors, Väinö TeodorHansson, Karl Joel Sandvik, and AndersVilliam Särs. These 16 were the first fromTerjärv to emigrate to Australia.

Fride Leander, son of Hilma andLeander Fors, was one among these. Theseyoung men were in very good spirits. Theylooked forward to a well-paid job. Twopounds a day they had said at Saksa travelagency when they advertized Australia forthe emigrants. In England they had to waitfor three days before the long sea journeyto Australia started. Some Finnish sailors,on their way from Australia, were surprisedwhen they heard these young men tell abouttheir future plans. “Not more than half apound a day will you earn. You are lucky ifyou get any job at all,” were the warningreplies these youngsters got from the sail-ors. But they didn’t take them seriously andit was indeed easier to believe in the factswhich they had obtained from Saksa travelagency.

After five weeks at sea, they came toMelbourne, where eight men went ashore.The fellowship in the group was thus inter-rupted as well as the opportunities to sup-port one another in the adversities whichsoon were going to face them. Fride wasamong those who continued another weekto Sydney. There they experienced the ev-eryday life of a ‘greenhaning.’

Suitcase after suitcase were in a row inthe corridor at the Finnish consulate, allbelonging to Finnish-speaking emigrantswho had arrived before them. With the helpfrom the consulate, they went every day to

Emigrants to Australia

the city office to ask for work. The answerwas always the same: “Come back tomor-row!” It continued this way until they un-derstood that the answer was just a matterof routine and nothing to be trusted. Themoney they had borrowed from the bankfor the trip, with father as the guarantor,was running out and soon the time camewhen the interest had to be paid.

This was a promise they couldn’t break.The expectations about earning two poundsa day were dashed to the ground. Now theyremembered the sailors’ words: “You’ll behappy if you get any work at all.” Every-body realized how hopeless it was.

But suddenly, there was light at the ho-rizon. It was the day when a man camewanting four men with him to the forest.The Bexar boys, Ture Furu and Fride Fors,placed themselves in a bad, old car with theemployer as the driver. A whole sack ofwheat, a pot and four heavy axes were alsoloaded onto the car. They took the biggestaxes they could find because they were go-ing to cut down trees—not just single trees,but many hectares of forest. The man droveon, hour after hour. They didn’t try to com-municate with him. Questions and answerswere equally hard to understand. But hemade it clear that it was about Australianburn-beating. The forest was to be cut downand burned and in the ashes they wouldstart a banana plantation. Their house wasa shed, one side was open for sun and rain,for birds and all sorts of animals.

The work was hard and tiring, but theywere used to that from the old country.They made wheat porridges—they ate a lotand often—the consequence was that theirstomachs started to protest and shouted forrye porridges. The visits to the pit with thebar became more frequent and the howl-ing of the wild animals came closer andcloser. And they never knew what wouldappear in the open side of the shed. Theirstomachs were sore and they became very

tired, their arms didn’t have enoughstrength to swing the heavy axes. But thecontract was signed and the area they hadagreed upon was to be cut down. The em-ployer came every now and then andbrought the most necessary things for thelumberjacks. The comfort could have beenbetter if the employer had brought bedlinen, which now consisted of empty sacks.They slept on them and pulled them overthemselves to keep out the cold.

They didn’t see any future in this work.The optimistic expectations of the emi-grants had received a serious blow. After thecontract had been completed, the group dis-persed. They continued walking, looking forwork.

Fride was alone. He went to a place faraway; rumor had it that there would be workthere. But it was unreliable, as were so manyothers. Once when he slept under a bridge,another wanderer from the opposite direc-tion told him that the situation was equallybad everywhere. The trip continued.

Fride came to a sheep farm. It was sheep-shearing time and the farmer had mercy onthe wanderer. After the working day wasover Fride was allowed to look for a placeto sleep anywhere in the farm where therewere thousands of sheep. It was difficult tosleep, although he was very tired. In themiddle of the night the big choir of bleatingstarted. His thoughts went here and there.Continuing like this he would never haveany money for the interest of the fee for thejourney. He couldn’t even think about pay-ing back the loan.

Life on a sheep farm wasn’t very enjoy-able. After acquiring the basics of the lan-guage of the country it was time to face newchallenges. Fride wasn’t born with grabbingand throwing but he was more used to acalm and composed rhythm of work. Thatwas my style, he says. But a banana planta-tion of his, that would be something to goin for.

The dream turned into reality for Fride.He became the owner of a small bananaplantation. He worked hard. All his time andall his strength went to the plantation. Butit was a small one and the income was ac-cordingly. In spite of modest requirements,he couldn’t make a living out of this farm.He had to try something else.

Australia turned into a great disappoint-ment for these 16 emigrants from Terjärv.Mostly they wandered along the roads look-ing for work. They slept under bridges andin road drains. They caught wild rabbits andprepared them in primitive pots. Rabbitsteak became a vital part of their daily food.Whatever work they could get was welcome.

One in the group became a camel rider.With a team of six camels, he transportedsalt from a salt mine. Why didn’t you write

continued on page 8

June Pelo, A Dedicated Genealogist

4 June 2011

LODGE NEWSLodge #101 Seattle, Washington

A luncheon was held on May 14 at Ivar’s Salmon House on Lake Union with 15 persons attending to celebrate the90th Anniversary of Order of Runeberg. Current members were guests of the Lodge.

Submitted by, Nils Holm, Seattle Lodge #101

Lodge #106Tacoma, Washington

First table, facing camera from left to right: Tom and Edith Petek,Brad and Bonnie Olson.

Left table, from left to right: Tom and Edith Petek,Brad and Bonnie Olson. Right table, clockwise around the table:Heikki and Eva Mannisto, Benita and Norman Westerberg,Jill Kerton, and Dorothy Bergquist.

Clockwise: Heikki and Eva Mannisto, Benita and NormanWesterberg, Jill Kerton, and Dorothy Bergquist.

Facing camera from left to right: Syrene Forsman, ElaineStevens, Richard Svensson and Bud Saxberg.

This wedding crown came from Swedenwith my great-grandma Anna. Her boyfriend Erik had already come to America

to get started farming. He was going back forher in two years. However, it took three yearsbefore he re-turned for Anna.In the meantime,her parents foundanother man forher and the vowshad been an-nounced inchurch just beforeErik returned forher. Anna askedpermission to gosee Erik off for America again. Her father saidshe could do that but she must take her littlesister along so she would not have to comeback alone. Anna, loving Erik, hopped on theboat and came to America with Erik. So, thelittle sister went home alone and told their fa-ther. This crown was in her carpetbag and usedwhen they married enroute to Minnesota. Thesecond man turned out to be the town drunk,so Anna made a good decision which lasted 60years until Erik’s death.

Great-grandmother Anna Simonsson wasborn August 24, 1847, in LangöhedHärjedalen, Sweden, and was 23 years old in1870 when she and Erik arrived in Minnesotaand were married. Submitted by Marge Kunscak

To the International Order of RunebergOfficers and O.R. members:

My humble “Thank you” for the kind andthoughtful gesture presented to me at our lastO.R. meeting on April 30, 2011. The bonds offriendship over some 60 years of being an O.R.member are so very special—like an extendedbig family that reaches overseas as well. At ourApril 30th meeting, there were 40 of us, whoenjoyed our time together—greeting eachother with a hug, or handshake and a smile.That made me very happy as I looked over theroom to see “a big happy family” together.

Our next get-together will be a midsum-mer picnic—potluck—at Carolyn Nelson’shome. Hope to see many there! “Glad Midsommar” to all—near and faraway—from all of us in Tacoma Order ofRuneberg.

As always, Marita Agnew President, Tacoma #106

“Welcoming our newMembers, Eeva LaLoneand son John.”

Our member, ElsieThomson’s 90th BirthdaySurprise! All memberspresent sang, standing:“Happy Birthday” and“Ja Må Hon Leva uti100 år.”

At our last O.R. meeting (April 30, 2011), there were16 men sitting around visiting and sharing stories, andone of the women said, “Marita, you should get agroup picture of this. There were also 24 womenpresent.Sitting from left to right: Roger Gustafson, GeorgeHashagen, Jim Agnew, Joe Mohammadi, Tom Ma-son, Roy Cederberg. Standing from left to right: BillCarlson, Bob Ostrand, Ed Brannfors, Larry Sandell,David Offerrall, John LaLone, Al Ramberg,Scott Alexander, John Sandstrom, Gilbert Linden.

Wedding crown—worn in 1870 by AnnaSimonsson-Oslund, wife of Erik Oslund—handdesigned and made back in Sweden. The bridesand women always had long, braided hair,which would usually hold a crown in place.

Marge and Shirleyanne are both dressed inthe “national dress of Sweden.” The colors arethe blue/yellow colors, pretty much the same asthe Swedish flag. Blue, long, woolen dress; yel-low wool apron with white heavy cotton blouseand long slip. This type of material wards off thewarmth of the woolen dress in warm weather. TheShasta daisies, “Prästkragar” in Swedish, is handembroidered by Marge and Shirleyanne.Shirleyanne wears her broch from Dalarna. Marge is showing the crown of her great-grandmother.

5 June 2011

Lodge #124Vancouver, B.C., Canada

We are, once again, in the midst ofplanting our flower boxes and gardens aswe welcome the coming of summer! Some-how, spring has avoided Vancouver thisyear and we are about one month late withanything outdoors! With the rain and coldweather, one could not put away the win-ter clothes until recently! However, nowthe warm sun has arrived and our moralehas picked up. At last the garden is calling!

Our Lodge activities often encompassthe happenings at the Scandinavian Com-munity Centre. As we hold our meetingshere, it is only natural that we become in-volved in our larger Scandinavian commu-nity. This year is no exception. Many eventsare attended by Lodge members. To namejust a few, in February we celebrated ourRuneberg Day both with a “Friends of Fin-land” presentation on Sunday, February 6,and then with our own Lodge event on Feb-ruary 8, 2011. As this was our regular meet-ing, we added a few extra perks withRuneberg Tarts and coffee while a shorthistory of J.L. Runeberg was read as wellas a reading of the English translation of“Vårt Land” (Our Land) from Runeberg’s“Ensign Stal.” One member enjoyed hear-ing it for the first time in English as shehad always related to the words as learnedin Swedish as a schoolgirl in Finland!

In May, the Centre hosted the 14th An-nual European Festival. For two days mu-sic, food, displays, and cultural events con-tinued. Thirty countries took part. It wasattended by some 5000 people. Membersattending this festival had an exciting ex-perience.

Lodge #124 also held our usual busi-ness meeting on the 10th of May. It was avery special occasion. We usually celebratespecial birthdays. This May we were fortu-nate to have two members who were cel-ebrating their special birthdays. Inga-BrittKarlsson turned 70 years young, while MiiaKronholm turned 90! Both ladies lookedwonderful as they shared the cutting of thecake and enjoyed the singing of “HappyBirthday.” Inga-Britt is a newer memberto our group, while Miia has belonged since1973. Both are wonderful additions to ourLodge. We wish both ladies many morehappy years of birthday celebrations.

In June we will once again join in thefestivities of the Scandinavian CommunityCentre for the 16th Annual Mid-SummerFestival June 18th and 19th, 2011. This is awonderful event that spotlights all of theScandinavian countries. Each year a guestcountry is invited to bring something oftheir culture to the program. This year’scountry will be Japan.

The May pole, covered with beautifulleaves and flowers, is lifted on Saturdaymorning with lively dancing and singingaround the pole after its hoisting. Ofcourse, there will be food, continuous liveentertainment, and country informationalstalls, vendors, children’s centre, and evena Viking Village. On Saturday evening,Abba-like performers will entertain. Sun-day morning features a mini-marathonrun; while in the afternoon, in traditional

Miia Kronholm was born on the 4th of May, 1921, in Kuusankoski, Finland. She wasone of three children in the family. In 1957 at the age of 36, she, her husband Harry, and two teen-age children, son Kariand daughter Sari, moved to Vancouver, Canada.

Kari married a young lady, Seija Flink from Finland in 1970; and their daughter Mariwas born in 1974. Sari married Claudio Chiabai in 1971, and their daughter Christiinawas born in 1973.

Shortly after these very happy family events, Miia endured a series of tragedies in avery short time span. Her husband Harry passed away in 1974, before the birth of grand-daughter Mari; son Kari died in 1975; and daughter Sari in 1985.

In spite of losing all of her family so tragically, Miia found strength from high above,as well as her own character and was able to go on with her life. She continued being veryactive in the Finnish community of Vancouver and beyond. She sang in the LansirannikonKuoro (comprised of singers from Canada and the US), the Runeberg Choir, as well as achurch choir. To this day she continues singing with both the Runeberg Choir and theEmmaus Choir.

Miia is a very independent kind of a person, still lives in the family home by herself,and has a valid driver’s license.

On the 7th of May there was a surprise (and it totally was!) 90th birthday party forMiia at Seija and Jari’s (Seija’s “new” husband) Coquitlam home. In addition to a largegroup of local friends, there were some very special ones as well. Granddaughter Mariand great-granddaughter (4 years old) Katri came to celebrate all the way from home inFinland, as did Miia’s cousin’s daughter and husband. A program had been arranged inhonor of Miia, and it included performances by the Emmaus Choir, Pohjan Pojat Quar-tet, and a poem by a long-time friend. A blessing and a prayer were said by the Emmauspastor, and a wonderful time, food, and fellowship was enjoyed by all. Respectfully submitted

Seija KronholmMember, Lodge #124

Finnish fashion, the annual wife-carryingcontest will take place. The winning teamreceives the “wife’s weight” in beer! Thisfamily event is one that no one wants tomiss. The culmination of the festival is theraffle for the coveted first prize of airlinetickets for two to Scandinavia.

As we move into July, we always lookforward to our annual B.B.Q Picnic. July17th finds our members at the Centre butoutdoors in the Beer Garden. For severalyears, it has been a catered affair so all canenjoy. In the past, we have shared the areawith a German club who bring their live in-struments to entertain their group. As we

are in close proximity to their event, theyenjoy playing for our picnic as well! Lastyear, one entertainer came over to join usfor a little visit and some close-up music! Iunderstand they will be sharing the outdoorarea with us again this year.

With the arrival of summer, most ac-tivities end until we meet again in Septem-ber. This year many members will travel toSweden and Finland. We look forward tohearing about all their travels when we re-convene in September!

Until then, enjoy your summer travels,the summer heat, and perhaps a beautifuland bountiful garden. Fraternally,

Annabelle Kergan

Longtime member of Vancouver lodgecelebrates her 90th birthday!

LODGE NEWS

Miia Kronholmcelebrating her90th birthday withAnnabelle Kerganon May 2011.

Miia Kronholm seated,standing left to right areSeija Kronholm-Vuorensivu(daughter-in-law),Mari Kronholm-Salonmaa(Finland guest and grand-daughter),and Mira Vuorensivu (honourarygrand-daughter) All are membersof our Vancouver Lodge.

Miia Kronholm

(

6 June 2011

Lodge #205New Haven, Connecticut The lodge held their summer picnic on June 4th at the homeof Sirpa and Ari Aho. It was a beautiful day filled with sunshineand good food. Submitted by Stew Lyons

Lodge #105Butte, Montana

It is with deep sorrow that we report the passing of our Lodgebrother

Joe Buddwho passed away May 2, 2011, in Anaconda, Montana.Joe was born May 5, 1930, to Roy and Doris (Harrison) Budd.

He grew up in Big Timber and Anaconda, graduating from Ana-conda High in 1949. He joined the Army serving most of his timeoverseas. After returning from the Army, he worked as a tinnerfor the Phillips and Ohmans. He joined the Anaconda police forceand retired as assistant police chief after 21 years of service. Hethen worked as a correctional officer for the Montana Departmentof Corrections, retiring after eight years of service.

Joe married Dolores Stanich, and they were blessed with fourchildren, later divorcing. In 1982, he found and married hissoulmate, Shirley Mangan-Black.

Joe loved spending time with his family in the great outdoors,skiing, snowmobiling, camping, hiking, hunting, and fishing. Joealso loved faceting stones and was a member of the gem club inButte. He also was a member of the Search and Rescue, AOH, andRuneberg Lodge. He loved to tinker, starting new projects and leav-ing many unfinished.

Mass of Christian Burial was held Friday, May 6, 2011, at theHoly Family Catholic Church, Anaconda.

Military honors were accorded by the Anaconda American Le-gion Post 21 and the Montana Army Honor Guard.

The members of Lodge #105 extend their deepest sympathy tohis family.

Resolution CommitteePat McCabe

LODGE NEWS

SFHS at FinnFest 2011The Swedish Finn Historical Society is pleased that FinnFest

committee has made a special effort to bring Swedish Finnperformers and exhibits to San Diego’s event August 10–14.

• Tove Jansson created the Moomins, and the books have beentranslated into nearly 40 languages. Moomins will visit Finnfestin San Diego August 10–14. A Dancing Moominvalley Art Exhibi-tion, including the Musical Landscapes from Moominvalley, mu-sical performance. Moomins will be at the Tori and Moomin vid-eos at the Children’s Corner and media room. SFHS sponsors alecture about Tove Jansson’s Moomins and their relationship toFinnishness.

• Pia Helsing Trio: The Helsings are an exceptional musical fam-ily from Munsala. Older sister Ann Marie is a conductor and vio-linist. • The Walentinkör with director Johan Sundquist fromHelsingfors

• And SFHS is exhibiting a display “1820–1920 A Century ofSwedish Finns in California” in the Torg/Tori, with 4 computerson which the staff can search databases and Internet for roots inFinland or Sweden.

See you there?Syrene Forsman

From Finlandia University:Greetings from Michigan’s Copper Country, a place the early

Finnish settlers called Kuparisaari (Copper Island). Mid-July willbe an exciting time to visit the region because during one week thearea will host the Finnish Folk Music Camp, a Finnish-Americanopera “Rockland,” lectures, concerts, and the Aura Jamboree—anacoustic music festival.

July 12–14 the first ever Finnish Folk Music Camp will take placeat Camp Lahti on the shores of Lake Superior. Instruction will in-clude kantele, fiddle, guitar, mandolin, bones and spoons; as well,there will be a class on building one’s own kantele, Finnish cook-ing and crafts classes. Each evening the camp will have a concert.

On July 15th and 17th the Finnish-American opera, “Rockland,the Opera,” will have its North American premiere. The Finnish-American story is based on actual events that occurred in the Up-per Peninsula during the heyday of the copper industry, when Finn-ish-American identity and labor issues became polarized to thelevel of nation attention. Set in the mining community of Rocklandin 1906, the opera is based on the recently discovered diaries of aFinnish immigrant caught up in the struggle.

Pine Mountain Music Festival, which commissioned the opera,is also offering a variety of lectures, a concert by the brass band“Ameriikan Poijat” and other special, Finnish-related events.

James N. KurttiHonorary Consul of Finlandfor the Upper Peninsula of Michigan

601 Quincy Street, Hancock, MI 49930(906) 482-5300www.finlandia.edu

P.S. If you happen to visit the above events,you will be very close to Copper Harbor which is whereGeorge and Brenda Nousiainen(New Haven Lodge members) have an ice cream shop.Stop by and see them at “The Berry Patch” and enjoy some ice cream.

Left to right: Kaarina Lyons, Roy Kosonen, Robert Berke,Liisa Lindholm, Doug Davie.

Seated in front, left to right: Liisa Lindholm,Glenn and Sandy Havumaki. In the back, left to right:Kirsti Langbein, Dottie Bjork, Tuula Berke, Doug Davie,Stew Lyons, Klas Bjork, Robert Berke, Roy Kosonen.

Ari at the grill.Dottie and Sandyat the dessert table.

7 June 2011

A Gentle ReminderDo you have your family’s emigrant(s) information included in

the Swedish Finn Historical Society database?The Society has an extensive collection of names for their vision

statement of “Documenting Every Emigrant” from Finland toNorth America. They need our help in order to collect as muchinformation as possible. Perhaps you have already submitted yournames to the Society or the names have been obtained from backcopies of the Leading Star. Forward your information via theirwebsite, www.sfhs.eget.net/portal/. Look for “Documenting ev-ery Emigrant” under the Main Menu. Fill out the form and press,“submit my Emigrant.”

If you do not have access to a computer, fill out the form belowand mail it to the address provided. If you are not sure if yourname(s) have been included, send in the form anyway and theywill check their records. If not included, your information will bethen added to their database.

A Lodge may wish to gather such information and submit allpapers together in one package and that would be workable also.One person may act as a liaison and forward all filled-in formswith one mailing. Also, a member can help directly with their da-tabase. Please contact the Society if that is your interest.

The Order of Runeberg has a wonderful opportunity to assist inthis project. It requires a minimum amount of work, but willensure that future generations will has access to our ancestry.

Thank you for your help in this valuable undertaking. Completed forms should be mailed to:

Swedish Finn Historical Society1920 Dexter Avenue N.Seattle, WA 98109

Desired Information for AllSwedish Finn Emigrants Emigrant Information in Country of Residence• Emigrant’s last name:• Emigrant’s given names:• Country of immigration:• Primary city of residence:• Primary state, province or area of residence:• Emigrant’s spouse’s name (if known):• Emigrant’s children (name and year of birth/death):• Primary occupation:• Emigrant’s date of death:• Emigrant’s location of death:Emigrant Information from Finland

• Emigrant’s Finnish surname or farm name:• Emigrant’s Finnish patronym:• Emigrant’s Finnish given names:• Emigrant’s Finnish village of birth:• Emigrant’s Finnish parish of birth:• Emigrant’s Finnish date of birth:• Emigrant’s Finnish father’s name and date of birth:• Emigrant’s Finnish mother’s name and date of birth:• Emigrant’s year of emigration from Finland:Other Emigration Information (if known)

• Port of origin (e.g. Hangö):• Port of destination (e.g. Ellis Island or where):• Steamer line used:• Passport (date and where given):• Contact:Source of Information:

• Your name: ____________________________________________• Your address: __________________________________________• Your email: ____________________________________________• Your telephone number: __________________________________• Other Information: _______________________________________

ObituaryLloyd F. Anderson Lloyd “Andy” Frederick Anderson, 88, of McLean, VA, formerlyof Peoria, IL, died in Arlington, VA, on Friday, Sept. 17, 2010, fromnatural causes. Born on June 8, 1922, in Eureka, CA, he was the eldest son of thelate John “Fred” Anderson and Edith Kaino, Swedish-Finn immi-grants who met in a logging camp in Eureka. He was forever proudof his Swedish-Finnish heritage. He was the loving husband of the late Dorothy Gladys Scott Ander-son (Oct. 2, 1919–Oct. 8, 2007) of Syracuse, NY. Lloyd grew up in Bronx, NY, and graduated from Roosevelt HighSchool in 1941. His summers were spent at Hillside Lake near Wappinger Falls,NY, in a Swedish-Finn summer enclave. He earned a swimming scholarship to Syracuse University, wherehe met Dorothy. World War II erupted during his college years andhe enlisted in the Marines and then the Navy, with Naval training atColgate University. They were married on July 22, 1944, the daybefore he shipped off to the Pacific (Iwo Jima). After the war, hereturned to Syracuse and earned a B.A. in business administration in1947. He began his 33-year career with Caterpillar Tractor Company thatresulted in living in different states and Switzerland, while travelingall over the world in international sales. Lloyd and Dorothy retired in New Mexico in 1980 until moving toDenver in 2005, where Dorothy passed away in 2007. In 2008, Lloydmoved to Virginia, where he enjoyed his many friendships at theMcLean Senior Center and Sunrise Assisted Living. Lloyd was a devoted father (and father-in-law) to Ingrid (Raymond)Florman of St. Louis, MO; Jan (Robert) Avallone of Lexington, MA;Todd (Peggy) Anderson and Leslie Anderson of Denver, CO; andAllison (Kurt) Baca of McLean, VA. He was a beloved brother to thelate Elin Anderson, the late Elenor Anderson, and J. Robert (Pat)Anderson of Minden, NV; a loving grandfather to Britta (Matthew)Rice and Kerstin Florman of Kansas City, MO, Michael Avallone ofLexington, MA, Matisse Anderson of Miami, FL, Claire and EmmaAnderson of Denver, CO, Alexandra, Scott (Diana) and GabrielleLee of Denver, CO, and Alexander, Andrew and Christine Baca ofMcLean, VA; and a great-grandfather to Scott Lee of Denver, CO.He was a loving uncle to Linda (Reid) Slayden of Carson City, NV,Eric (Cheryl) Anderson of Shingle Springs, CA, and Kristin Ander-son (George Duncan) of Los Gatos, CA, and many nieces and neph-ews in the Scott family. Lloyd will forever be remembered for his great intellect, love offamily, and kindness to others. His children will always be gratefulto him for placing his family above all else. Lloyd will be interred in Arlington National Cemetery in Arling-ton, VA, in a private ceremony where he will join Dorothy, who alsoproudly served in World War II.

8 June 2011

C rnerohome to father and mother; they wouldhave helped you to get home. No, we wentto manage on our own and we experiencedmany poor years. Some people from thegroup enlisted on ships to be able to escapeto America and continued there as run-aways.

Fride sold his small banana plantationto two boys from Helsinki. The paymentwas to be made by installments to the bank.The long journey to Cape Horn started.

The banana farmer from Lytzbacka wasnow working as a deck hand on a shiploaded with wheat on its way to SouthAmerica. It was work and work. A free tripwas his salary. After the load had been un-loaded in South America, there was still afive-day voyage to Seattle on the Americanwest coast. The captain watched his crewcarefully; it would cost him $1000 per manif he let anybody escape. And Fride hadplanned that. He knew that the cousinsfrom Rymbacka lived someplace in this partof the United States. But where?—that wasthe question.

He managed to get ashore. He then wentto the Finnish Consulate and asked forRymbacka. He experienced the most excitingmoments of his life. A “yes” meant he couldcontinue his journey toward new goals.

A “no” meant that he had to return toAustralia. It was a “no.” The cousins fromRymbacka had changed their names. SoFride sailed back. His hopes about a futurehad come to naught both in Australia andAmerica.

He prepared to leave the ship in Sydney.The brusque captain had noticed that Fridewas a good worker, one that he would haveliked to have in his crew on his ship. “Maybeyou’ll succeed next time getting intoAmerica.” The guarantee money of $1000he was willing to lose next time. But Fridecouldn’t be persuaded. He grabbed hisbundle and signed off. How much could youtrust a captain’s persuasion when it camefrom a cold heart?

Fride didn’t stand very long on the shoreto say farewell to the ship. Life had to goon. It would be interesting to visit the boysfrom Helsinki at the banana plantation. Hehurried there. But what had happened whilehe was gone? There were new owners there.He had been a victim of deceivers. Whenhe went to the bank, he just had to face thefacts: he had lost everything. What re-mained now was the endless wanderingfrom one place to another looking for work.

In such circumstances, it was difficult towrite home. What would you tell? Many lostcontact with friends and family. You con-tinued walking, as an outcast, a stranger,abandoned by everybody. The story goesthat one of these Australian emigrants said:“It took me 12 years to earn so much moneythat it would have been enough for a tickethome.”

In a song we sing: “We will overcome,we won’t stop.” That’s how it was with Fride.He met two brothers from Munsala. They

were called Back and they had emigratedbefore Fride. One of them was energetic andsuccessful; and the other, Karljon, wasn’tfinancially successful, but he had a goodheart. And Karljon had work for Fride butno money.

Once more Fride worked as a deck hand.This time the destination was Finland andhome. If you didn’t work enough, becauseof being seasick or otherwise, it was calcu-lated carefully before signing off and in theworst case you could lose your last dollars.Fride signed off in Norway and from therehe went to Turku. Four years had passedsince the 16 emigrants had arrived in Aus-tralia. Some of them had returned sooner,others found their fortune elsewhere in theworld and some of them never returned.

A circle of four years as an emigrantcame to an end for Fride. He was prettyempty-handed when he returned, rich innegative experiences. First, he went toPargas (Parainen) to find his uncle andbring greetings home. He had heard that hismother had died, but he was shocked tolearn that his father had also died. Now hecouldn’t escape the thought: he had tochoose his path and adjust his life accord-ingly. After working a winter in the forestand floating in the spring, he had his an-swer clear. In spite of all bad luck and sac-rifices, he believed that Australia would oneday be the land of the future. It wasn’t easythe second time either. The labor situationhadn’t improved and it was a rerun of look-ing for a job. But perseverance does it. “Iknow that I’m stubborn and dogged,” Frideused to say.

He started with a banana plantationagain. He, also, had a dairy farm. The prof-itability was low to start with. But then thesecond World War broke out and soldiersfrom America started pouring into thecountry. Bananas and milk went like hotcakes. Finally, Fride saw better days.

When I wrote this about Fride, he wasabout 90 years old and hale and hearty forhis age. About 15 years ago, he moved backfrom Australia for good. He is the only onealive of the 16 emigrants who left Terjärv65 years ago. All the others are dead andtheir lives have been forgotten. They wouldhave had so much to tell!

Now, Fride can spend his final days inhis native district, which he has alwaysloved. Fride, with his kick-cycle, can be seendaily in Terjärv village where he goes exer-cising. “Things are good now and my neigh-bors give me a feeling of safety,” Fride sayswhen I visited his home in his small apart-ment by Lake Heimsjön. The home is deco-rated with photos of his closest relatives.

I noticed a bookmark which is placed ontoday’s date in his prayer book. He has kepthis childhood faith in spite of constant at-tacks from the evil. Every Sunday, his bi-cycle is parked at the church fence and onlytwice during the past ten years has he beenabsent from the brethren meeting. In ahymn, we sing: “There is a place for me inthe pew and it’s only mine.” Fride has foundsuch a place next to the pillar below the or-gan balcony, from where he can quietly cel-ebrate service in the church of his nativevillage.

By Hilding Widjeskog“Storbacka and Manderbacka.Groups of Houses in Småbonders”English translation by June Pelo

continued from page 3

Welcome to Opening Ceremonies at4pm Wednesday, August 10th–and join ina California BBQ & pool party afterwards!

We invite you to beautiful San Diego,California, to take part in the 28th annualFinnFest, an event highlighting contempo-rary Finland and celebrating the uniqueFinnish-American heritage. FinnFest 2011brings together everyone with a connectionto Finland and all those interested inNewsweek magazine’s #1 ranked “BestCountry to Live In.”

The Mayor of the City of San Diego hassigned a proclamation declaring August2011 to be the Month of Finland in San Di-ego. Throughout August, several exhibi-tions and events will take place across SanDiego showcasing the many sides of Fin-land. FinnFest 2011 will take place duringAugust 10–14 and feature the traditionallymulti-faceted schedule of programs andevents. After Opening Festivities on August10, FinnFest 2011 offers four days of eventsspanning the spectrum of entertainment,cultural, educational, sport, family-focusedand business programs. Thousands ofNorth American, local and internationalvisitors are expected to attend the eventsand browse the Tori Marketplace brimmingwith Finnish products.

Most FinnFest 2011 events will takeplace at the Town & Country Resort whichis ideally located near major San Diego at-tractions, public transportation, and the ex-pansive Fashion Valley Shopping Center.

Come “Catch the Finnish Wave” in fourmain program streams featuring modernFinnish contributions in:

Education–Gain insights into whatmakes Finland a worldleader in educationaccording to the global PISA ranking (Pro-gram for International Student Assess-ments).

Well Being–Discover the physical andmental health benefits from Finnish foods,drinks and Finnish sauna as well as uniqueFinnish sports.

Clean Technology–Learn about thepioneering work of the Finnish CleantechCluster, recently ranked in the top threewith the world’s best Green Tech Clustersby the international Cleantech Group(USA).

Arts & Culture–Enjoy a wide spectrumof entertainment, Finnish music, dance,theater, arts, photography, and much more!You will find traditional FinnFest favoritesside by side with the next generation ofFinland’s best.

Welcome — TervetuloaAugust 10–14, 2011San Diego, CA