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Linda Kivela's avatar

Loved this! The Rose Somero that Dottie spoke about was my Dad's sister, my Aunt. Dottie and my Mom Dorothea taught school together in Peterborough, Na

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Joshua Salmonson's avatar

I have to think Martin is my grandmothers sister.

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Bill Niemi's avatar

I need your help here, correct me if I'm wrong. Your father was Martin and coach of the Babe Ruth league, Fred was head of the electric commission, and Oscar was doing road maintenance. Nice to hear that Rose made it to the top of her class. I became valedictorian of my class in Greenville, the only student in the class with a Finnish name.

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Bill Niemi's avatar

On the topic of marrying a Finn, my mother's story has some similarity Dorothy's. She met my father at Duval's store next to her home. She saw this tall handsome 20 yr old man with black hair and grey eyes and was determined to get him. She was 14. On one of his visits to the store she started a conversation with him. That led to a date at the movies and a series of love letters (2 of which I found in a box of papers). My father never made to high school but the letters were well written with proper grammar and better handwriting than I ever had. They married when my mother was 17. I was in college and I had a mother in her 30's. At the time I thought over 30 was over the hill.

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Linda Kivela's avatar

My Dad was Walter (Butch) Somero. Martin Somero was his cousin. Fred Somero was a cousin too. My Dad coached little league and babe ruth. Oscar was my Dad's brother, my Uncle.

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Bill Niemi's avatar

MY wife and I, and Ollie & Gretna, visited Finland in 2013 found Finland to be as pretty much as Dottie describes it. I wouldn't mind living there. On coffee, we drank a lot of it on the Niemi farm. Freshly ground and perked on a wood stove served with donut balls that had apple sauce inside.

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