    
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Administrative
Information
Scope and Content Note
Biographical Information
Lineage
Selected Search Terms
Partial Interview Transcript
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Information
Resources
Robert A. L. Mortvedt Library
Pacific
Lutheran University
Tacoma, WASHINGTON 98447
Phone: (253) 535-7586 E-mail: archives@plu.edu
New Land
New Lives Oral History Collection
Hilma Laitinen Miller
A Guide to Her Oral History Interview |
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Administrative
Information
Creator:
Miller, Hilma Laitininen
Collection Nr: t080
File Content:
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3 file folders
1 photograph
1 sound cassette
0 compact discs
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Processing Information:
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The
interview was conducted using a cassette recorder. A research
copy was also prepared from the original. To further preserve
the content of the interview, it is now being transferred
to compact disc. We deliberately did not transcribe the
entire interview because we want the researchers to listen
to the interviewee's own voice. The transcription index
highlights important aspects of the interview and the
tape counter numbers noted on the Partial Interview
Transcription are meant as approximate finding guides
and refer to the location of a subject on the cassette/CD.
Interviewed
by Donna Mallonee
Transcribed by Mary Sue Gee, Julie Peterson and Becky
Husby
Encoded by Kerstin Ringdahl & Amity Smetzler
Recording Quality: Good
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Restrictions:
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The
collection is available for research.
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Preferred Citation:
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[Collection
Number, Collection Title]
New Land New Lives Oral History Collection
Scandinavian Immigrant Experience Collection
Robert A.L. Mortvedt Library
Pacific Lutheran University
Tacoma, WA 98447
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This
interview was conducted with Hilma Miller on August 25, 1981
in Astoria, Oregon. It provides information on family background,
marriage and family, emigration, employment, and Finnish heritage.
The interview also includes a photograph of Hilma. The interview
was conducted in English.
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Hilma
Miller was born on January 25, 1893 in Joutsa, Finland, which
is located in the central part of the country. Her parents were
Gusta and Rikkina Laitinen, and Hilma had one sister, Anna.
Gusta also had five other children and Rikkina had another daughter
from their previous marriages. Hilma's family did not have a
lot of money, and Hilma went to work when she was eleven years
old. For seven years, she worked at various farms with her sister.
When Hilma was nineteen, she met her husband and was married.
They immigrated to America one week after their wedding, settling
first in Virginia, Minnesota. Hilma's husband found work at
a sawmill, and they remained there for eight years. During that
time, their first daughter, Lila, was born. The family then
moved to Lost Lake, North Dakota, where Hilma's husband took
care of a farm for three years and their second daughter was
born. In 1922, they moved to Astoria, Oregon, where Hilma's
husband had hoped to go fishing but became a longshoreman instead.
Hilma, on the other hand, worked as a short order cook, making
Finnish food. She also became involved in Peace Lutheran Church
and the Finnish Brotherhood. She returned to Finland once in
1960.
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Full Name: |
Hilma Miller
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Maiden Name: |
Hilma Laitinen
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Father: |
Gusta Laitinen
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Mother: |
Rikkina Laitinen
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Maternal Grandmother: |
Liisa
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Brothers and Sisters: |
There were nine children.
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Children: |
Lila Miller
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This collection is indexed under the following headings
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Personal Names |
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Miller, Hilma
Laitinen, Gusta
Laitinen, Rikkina
Laitinen, Anna
Miller, Lila
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Family Names |
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Miller family
Laitinen family
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Geographical Names |
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Joutsa (Finland)
Virginia (Minn.)
Lost Lake (N.D.)
Astoria (Or.)
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Subjects |
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Family -- Finland
Joutsa (Finland) -- Emigration and immigration
Finland -- Emigration and immigration
Ellis Island Immigration Station ( N.Y. and N.J.)
Peace Lutheran Church (Astoria, Or.)
Finland -- Social conditions -- 1945-
Marriage service
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Occupations |
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Sawmill workers
Farmers -- Finland
Stevedores
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Genre/Form |
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Oral history
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Institution |
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Pacific Lutheran University. Scandinavian Immigrant Experience
Collection
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The
partial interview transcription highlights important aspects
of the interview. Numbers on the left may be used as guides
to important subjects. Two numbers separated by a slash indicate
that the first number is for cassette and the second for CD.
023 PERSONAL BACKGROUND: Born in Joutsa (Youtsa), Mikkelin Lääni,
Finland. Joutsa is in central Finland. Birthdate - January 25,
1893.
105 PARENTS: Rikkina & Gusta Laitinen. Raised food on own
farm. Father fished & sold fish.
173 Left home at 11 to work. Took care of cows & children.
201 BROTHERS AND SISTERS: Parents each married twice. Mother
had 1 girl from 1st husband. Father had 2 girls and 3 boys from
1st wife. They had 2 girls together - Anna & Hilma.
236 CHILDHOOD HOUSE: Very little - one room. Little light -
one window. Piece of steel in the fireplace to hang pots on.
Described how they baked.
278 FOOD: Ate fish and potatoes, Kalamojaka (soup made of fresh
fish), and oatmeal.
303 GRANDPARENTS: Mother's mom called Liisa. Father's parents
died before she was born - can't remember them.
327 SCHOOL: Not much. Had school 3 weeks a year at different
farms.
350 CHRISTMAS: Had butter and meat.
366 WORK: Age 11, went to work in Heinola. Watched cows and
children. Sister worked with her. Worked 7 years at various
farms.
434 Talks about a place called Makkaramäki (Sausage Hill) and
how she like sausage.
451 CAME TO US: When about 20 with husband.
463 HUSBAND: Met when 19. Lived with mother and brothers on
farm.
492 WORK: Hilma worked at a paper mill for a while.
498 Hilma asked husband to go to America.
498 WEDDING: Married before they left for America. Big wedding
- party for 3 days. Her husband's family had money.
518 Talks about being poor in Finland and how people would talk
about this. She didn't like this (Discussion in Finnish - translated
by Donna Mallonee).
545 STORY: Tells about her and her husband being locked in a
building on the farm. Mother-in-law let them out in the morning.
605 TRIP OVER: Husband, his cousin, and Hilma came together.
Stayed in England 1week and waited for the boat. Cousin named
Robert Uotila.
631 Came to New York. Went to Ellis Island. Took train to Virginia,
Minnesota. Lived there 8 years.
660 WORK: Husband worked in saw mills.
665 LANGUAGE DIFFICULTIES: Couldn't speak any English so there
were some problems at first.
673 1ST IMPRESSIONS: Heavy rain. Big buildings. Didn't like
it.
693 After the war moved to Lost Lake, North Dakota. Husband
took care of a farm. They lived there for 3 years.
716 CHILDREN: Oldest daughter born in Minnesota. 2nd daughter
born in North Dakota.
727 Moved to Astoria, Oregon so husband could do some fishing,
but law wouldn't allow foreigners to fish in 1922.
753 Rented a house in Astoria, Oregon. Husband worked as a longshoreman.
775 ASTORIA 1922: Didn't like it. Everything burned. They think
someone started it.
815 Men or women - who works the hardest? She say in Finnish,
"There are lazy men and lazy women."
830 BOARDING HOUSES: Many men lived there working in Astoria
during the winter and went to Alaska during the summer.
841 CHURCH LIFE: Belonged to Peace Lutheran. Mostly Finnish
people.
847 FINNISH BROTHERHOOD: Used to be a member and go to meetings.
875 TRIPS TO FINLAND: 1960 - stayed for 3 mos. "Everything changed."
Still has family in Finland.
895 Has family who comes to visit her in Astoria, Oregon now.
Oldest daughter married a Finnish man. Youngest daughter married
an Englishman.
911 FINNISH FOOD: Worked as a short order cook - made Finnish
food. Cooked Finnish food at home some (Speaks in Finnish).
Story: (Donna Mallonee translates) Finnish fisherman came to
the restaurant wanting salt fish and buttermilk, a Finnish favorite.
939 CHILDREN: Can speak Finnish. Lila (oldest) speaks it.
950 RAISING CHILDREN: Lila going to school. She didn't want
to go.
970 HUSBAND DIED: January 25, 1967.
996 REFLECTIONS ON LIFE IN FINLAND: Hilma liked working in the
paper mill in Finland. She married her husband and left 1 week
after they were wed.
1012 WEDDING: Describes her Finnish wedding. A big platform
built for dancing. Many flowers. Well decorated.
1032 STORY: (Donna Translates) As a child Hilma made marks on
a stick which got her father in trouble because he'd kept track
of his work days on it. Hilma made too many marks, father's
boss became upset and had to leave the job.
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