Oliver was my uncle, his brother Veikko was my father. They were 2 very different men. I admired both for different reasons. My uncle could pass as a college professor. Well read, knowledgeable about many topics, eager to start a conversation, and willing to take financial risks. He wore glasses, dressed well, and had a taste for finer things. He was discriminating in his food and drinks (had to be Wild Turkey). He drove a Mercury when my father drove a Ford. He served on the Electric Light Commission and other committees in town. He was a chair builder and a finish carpenter at Simonds Saw & Steele, retired from Simonds at 55, and started a real estate business. My father sold his share of my grandfather's farm to my uncle for $1. That was a better deal than he could have gotten from Harry Rice. My uncle lived to 96 and died with no $ left to his estate. A well lived, well planned life.
Oliver was my uncle, his brother Veikko was my father. They were 2 very different men. I admired both for different reasons. My uncle could pass as a college professor. Well read, knowledgeable about many topics, eager to start a conversation, and willing to take financial risks. He wore glasses, dressed well, and had a taste for finer things. He was discriminating in his food and drinks (had to be Wild Turkey). He drove a Mercury when my father drove a Ford. He served on the Electric Light Commission and other committees in town. He was a chair builder and a finish carpenter at Simonds Saw & Steele, retired from Simonds at 55, and started a real estate business. My father sold his share of my grandfather's farm to my uncle for $1. That was a better deal than he could have gotten from Harry Rice. My uncle lived to 96 and died with no $ left to his estate. A well lived, well planned life.