#26 - Large Losses of Ida Paavola (Antilla)

Large Losses

Nothing is worse than losing a child. In the not-so-distant past, my husband's gr-grandmother suffered the pain of her children's death.
Ida Paavola's Losses
Ida Maria Paavola, my husband’s mother’s paternal grandmother was a Finnish immigrant who married another Finnish. 

Several of her children died--and like many immigrants, she had no support other than her husband and her immigrant community. She didn't learn the language right away for she got married "off the boat." Only 4 children survived survived to adulthood.

Ida Maria Paavola was born in 1875 in Reisjärvi, Oulun Laani, Finland to Veino Maria Wilhelmina, age 20, and Andrew Paavola, age 25.
She was christened 19 Jul 1875
She took either her communion or communion or confirmation in 1880 in the parish of Sippolo, Viipurin (county: lääni), Finland
I found no school records.
She lived there until her departure for the USA about 1893.

Ida Paavola arrives Boston May 1893

  ** A UK Departure record has her leaving Liverpool for Boston on 5 May 1893**
I also found her arrival in Boston for later that month--as well as an arrival for Antilla.
Shortly after arriving in Boston, she got married.
On 22 May 1893 when she was 17  years old (though she says she was 18), she married Heikki (Henry) Anttila in Fitchburg, Massachusetts.
Their Children:
1 Her son Johan was born on August 23, 1895 and passed away that same day. Fitchburg, MA
2 Son Vaino Ilmair was born on October 3, 1896, in Fitchburg, MA (1896–1969)
3 Daughter Jennie was born in December 1898 in Massachusetts
4 Her daughter Veino - (later she went by "Vienna") was born on March 15, 1900 (1900–1973) in Minnesota.

In Minnesota they lived in Eveleth & Sparta Villages, St. Louis County.

5 - 1903 Her 5th recorded birth, was Andrew Robert was born on July 11, 1903, in Sparta, Minnesota. (1903–1949)  Sparta, Chippewa, Minnesota, United States

In 1905 they are in St. Louis, Minnesota, in June.

But by 1908, she had her 6th child back east:
6 - Roy Benjamin was born on November 24, 1908, in Troy, NH (1908-1975)

Then, at some point their child, Jennie who was 1 in Minnesota in 1900, (born 1898 in Mass) died before the 1910 Census.

Here is data from the 1910 Census:
They live in Troy, Cheshire Co, New Hampshire
By 1910 Ida was speaking English (the 1900 census said she did not, but Henry could).
In 1910, Ida was 34 and he was 51.
Their children appear in the 1910 Census:
~Vaini was 13 born in Mass.(boy)
~Veino or Vaino was 9 she was born in Minnesota.
~Andrew was 6 yrs, born in Minnesota.
~Roy was 1 year old, born in New Hampshire.

7 - In 1911 Ida was 35 when she had her 7th child.
Etheli Mirjami was born on December 16, 1911. She died on March 1, 1912, when she was less than a year old. (1911–1912)

8 - 1913 Her 8th child, son Tauno, was born on August 11, 1913, in Troy, New Hampshire. (1913–1990)
After 1910 it doesn't appear that they moved back to Minnesota. But lived either in Keene or in Troy New Hampshire.
1919 Keene, New Hampshire
1920 Troy, New Hampshire

Henry (Heikki's) Death: Her husband Heikki died in Troy, New Hampshire on October 5, 1926, at the age of 70. She was 51 years old and they had been married 33 years.

She stayed in Troy until we find her again in Keene, New Hampshire, in 1935.  (She always stayed with her children on West Hill Rd in Keene).

In the 1940 census, she was living in Troy NH in April.

Ida Paavola (Antilla) died 2 June 1940, in Troy, New Hampshire, when she was 64 years old.

#3- The Finnish Invasion – Heikki Anttila and Ida Paavola

 Heikki Anttila and Ida Paavola of Finland

 My husband’s mother’s paternal grandparents (his great grandparents) were Henry Antilla and Ida Antilla from Finland. At the time Ida's immigration, Russia claimed possession of Finland.
VITALS:
Heikki Anttila (also spelleds: Henri, Henry Antilla)
   B. Sept 25 1856, Christened, Sep 28. 1856
   Location:
   Kankaan, Reisjärvi
   Oulun Laanista (Oulu area), Finland)
   D. Oct 5 1926, Buried  Oct 14 1926 in Troy, NH (70)
   
Naturalized as a US citizen:  26 July 26, 1904 in the County of St. Louis in Minnesota
 
Married: May 22, 1893 Fitchburg, Mass-marriage cert-by  Rev. George S Butters, Methodist Episcopal Church, 58 Oliver Street, Fitchburg, Mass.
 
Ida Maria Johanna [?] Paavola [also spelled Pavola, Poavola and Pavlova]
 B Sep 9 or Oct 10, 1875 in Hietala, Viipurin Msrk, Finland
 D. June 2, 1940 Troy, NH (65)
Children:
 1 - Johan  Aug 23, 1895- Aug 23, 1895, Fitchburg, MA
 2 - Väinö (Vaine) Oct 3, 1896-Feb 20, 1969 Fitchburg, MA
 3 - Jennie  1898 -?
 4 - Veino  1901 in Sparta, Minn-1973
 5 - * Antti (Andrew) Jul 11, 1903 in Sparta, Minn-Aug  25, 1949
 5 - Roy Benjamin Nov 24, 1908 in Troy, NH-Mar 20,1975
6 - Etheli 1911-1912
7  - Tauno Aug 27, 1913 Troy, NH- Nov 26, 1990 Peterborough, NH

* Antti ( or Andrew) Antilla married Marion Lottie Cook
Heikki and Ida were immigrants from different areas of Finland. Heikki changed his name to Henry and Anttila was anglicized to Antilla.  

When they married, Ida was a good deal younger: Ida gives her age as 18. Her father’s name as Andrew; her mother’s name was Eva.  At 35 Heikki was at least 17 years older than she (if you do the math, he would have been 37 that year). He gives his father’s name as John and his mother as Tinancy.

Heikki apparently immigrated with little or no English. If he was schooled, it wouldn't have mattered much. He worked for some years in Sparta, Minnesota in a granite mine. Records indicate that that granite mine was full of Finnish laborers.

They eventually moved back to New Hampshire. There was a small community of Finnish immigrants is southern New Hampshire and the Mass border.  The Finnish Lutheran churches (and other Finnish churches) were in existence to serve that group of people for a period of time. 

 

Heikki Anttila, Sparta, Minn

 

 

 

 

 

 

I haven’t found a draft record for Henry and, being a hard-drinking man-as many Finns where, he died on the young side. It seems life was hard on Heikki. According to the 1910 census, Ida and Henry had a total of 9 children born to them, you can see several children did not reach adulthood.

 

Ida (Paavola) Antilla & dog, Troy, NH

Ida, according to Ruth Antilla (a granddaughter), was extremely fond of animals. She was very good with birds at calling song birds to them. She seems to have had a way with animals—a trait that many in the family continued to have. The only photo I have of Ida, she’s with a dog. 

 

Ida Anttila (widow)1927 Troy NH city directory

 

Antilla brothers in New Hampshire. Andrew Antilla is on the far right - 1950s
 

Aili Anttila - an "aunt" - photo from a relative in Finland