Church: Longwood Lutheran Finnish Picnic (Jun 1977)

Transcriber: Stan

Surnames: Hautamaki, Mattila, Kangas, Keskimaki, Niemi, Jablonic

---------Source: Owen Enterprise (Owen, Clark County, Wis.) 29 Jun 1977

Approximately ten families enjoyed the Finnish Juliannus (Mid-Summer) picnic at the Longwood Lutheran Church on Saturday, June 25, 1977.

Mr. and Mrs. Hautamaki told interesting highlights of their trip to Finland. They visited a coffin maker and mentioned that embalming was not practice in that area. With the midnight sun a paper could be read with no light at midnight. Mr. Mattila of Toivola, Michigan and his family, who were guests of the Wally Kangas family, also told of his Finland trip.

Much good help was received by Mrs. Keskimaki on the names of second generation Finns on a chart she is working on. Discussion on “family trees” was most interesting. Mrs. Shirley (Niemi) Kangas told of a book tracing her mother’s family back to the 1600’s.

A delicious potluck dinner of conventional picnic foods and a large pastry, with a tasty crust with sour cream and egg, was made by Mrs. Shirley Niemi. Irma Jablonic contributed Finnish rice with a topping of raspberry “velli,” which recalled childhood meals to many present.

A fine time was enjoyed by those present, and hopes that this might be the start of an annual affair for those of Finnish decent.