A Finnish Family in North Dakota

A Finnish Family in North DakotaThis family memoir focuses on the Moilanen family in their early years after emigrating from Finland in the late nineteenth century. In this family memoir, I have woven together Beatrice (Moilanen) Statons stories that she shared with me over the years, her journal, her brother Charles Moilanens stories, a couple of memories from another brother, Albert Moilanen, her sister, the editor's grandmother, Matilda Patrons, journal, and recollections from

This family memoir focuses on the Moilanen family in their early years after emigrating from Finland in the late nineteenth century. In this family memoir, I have woven together Beatrice (Moilanen) StatonÕs stories that she shared with me over the years, her journal, her brother Charles MoilanenÕs stories, a couple of memories from another brother, Albert Moilanen, her sister, the editor's grandmother, Matilda PatronÕs, journal, and recollections from other members in the family, primarily those of Helen and OÕNeil Rainsberry, as well as CharlesÕ widow, Erva Moilanen, and their daughters. This memoir gives a picture of life on the Moilanen farm in the early twentieth century. The memoir relates the importance of Finnish language and culture through the family's assimilation into American society.