Mamma's Memoirs Final Part & Giveaway

Mamma's Memoirs Final Part
by Anita Mae Draper

This is the 4th and final post of the memoirs of Tyyne Henrekson.
Part 1 - Mamma's early years in Finland
Part  2 - Meeting and marrying Pappa and emigrating to Canada
Part 3 - Early Life in Canada and Birth of the Children

We left off in 1950 when Pappa and Mamma and their 6 children moved out of the 3 room log house and into the new house, pictured below.

1950 The New House, on the right is a corner of the old log house.

In Mamma's Memoirs, she didn't write about this period - probably because she  was too busy raising the kids and running the farm. If you recall, they had 10 cows and were selling their milk and cream. So the first half of this post is pictures of the children during these years.

Any writing you see on the photos are in Mamma's own hand

The Kakkonen Girls: Miriam, Taimi, Mary

Mary, 13 years old

Mimi 13, Billy 8, Paul 5, and Mamma

Mary 14, Mimi 13, Paul 8

Mary or Taimi? This photo is in dispute as both lay claim to it.

Mary at 16 yrs in Hearst

Mary at 17 at Talbot's General Store and Post Office, Ryland, ON

Miriam and Taimi at Ryland Train Station, late 50's

When the girls got married, I took two Children's Aid boys from Kapuskasing so we had five little school boys.  When the Honey boys were 16 years old, I told the lady (a social worker) to look for a place for them.  During the summer the boys should be learning a man's job. 
My husband was always working at the camp so he wasn't at home to teach them. The boys were taken to Cochrane for work.  They were very good boys, Bill and Bob Honey.

After that I put an ad in the Finnish Canadian Newspaper. For the homeless I would take in feed and care for.

Accident:

We had three girls and three boys.  But after the Honey boys were taken to Cochrane in 1958, we had an accident on the highway, when the gaspipeline was brought to Hearst. 

My husband was driving our Ferguson tractor and he had eleven bags of potatoes.  Our 15 year old boy, Billy, was sitting on top of the potatoes.  From behind, just before the road at
mile 7, came a pipeline tractor trailer very fast.  It was Saturday, the young men were partying in the car.  The car drove beside, but the long trailer went over our tractor, when the driver wanted to turn left.

The men from the car saw the quick bang throw my husband off in the air (he was driving the tractor). Billy's legs were badly damaged.  A neighbour, Mrs. Mouland called for an ambulance.  An ambulance was there soon.  The doctor amputated Billy's legs, but he never woke up.  He was brought to the same room with his dad, and he watched the boy die.  My
husband also was hurt badly.  But I am glad that Billy died instead of being a cripple without legs.  He was a Christian, ready for heaven.

Conclusion:

If I could count all my family now -- but they are so far.  I don't even know all the names of the great, great grandchildren. 

My sister, Bonnie Margaret, 1 yr old, who was born on Mamma & Pappa's farm in 1956.

That concludes Mamma's handwritten Memoirs, but it's not the end of Mamma's story...

In 1980 while still living on the farm, Mamma and Pappa celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. The bulletin board behind them is Mamma's memory board. Photos of children and grandchildren and cards would be put here. Every morning, Mamma would touch each one and pray for that child.

In 1987 we had a family reunion at the Ryland farm when Mamma and Pappa's oldest daughter, Taimi, came back to Canada on a visit from England where she had moved with her young family in the 60's.  I used the opportunity to take 2 precious photos - the first being an updated photo of the 3 Kakkonen sisters...

3 Kakkonen sisters, (L to R oldest to youngest) Taimi, Mary, Miriam, 1987

... and the second, a 4 generation photo with Mamma - Tynne, her 2nd oldest child - Mary who happens to be my mom, me - Anita Mae, and my eldest child - Crystal Anne.

4 Generations (L to R) Mary, Mamma, Crystal Anne, Anita Mae in 1987

In 1992, Mamma wrote her Memoirs - the very same ones I've portrayed over these 4 posts.

In 1995 after almost 70 yrs on their Ryland farm, Mamma and Pappa moved six hours west to a Finnish retirement community in the city of Thunder Bay on the northwestern shore of Lake Superior.
 
Pappa passed away a few months later.

Tynne Hendrickson, 89 yrs old, 1997

Mamma went to see Jesus in 2003 at the age of 94 yrs.

It seems only right to end this post the way we started... in Mamma's own words...

Grandma Henrekson (Kakkonen)  Memoirs -- in English
other books are in Finn language --
I'm not good in English writing -- Never went to school --
only learn a little at home from my children --
-- Thank you Children --
1992.

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to be entered in a draw for a copy of
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