Finland - 2-New England got some relatives in the Old Country

 Relatives in the "Old Country"

Nothing is more exciting than a DNA discovery--except for finding new relatives and them sharing photos. We live for this. The most recent discovery is one I'm still working on as I don't know all the naming traditions of Finland, nor their history. 

This most recent discovery has to do with my husband's mother's father's roots (his maternal grandfather). His mother's father Andrew Antilla was the son of Finnish immigrants: Henry or Heikki Antilla and his wife Ida Paavola.
 

The connection came through a Facebook Group: in the group ′Reisjärvi families'  the great grandfather Heikki Anttila Juho's son was born in Reisjärvi on 1856 and moved to USA on 1892. The Finnish relative wrote: "My grandfather Juho Juho's son Heikki Anttila (b. 1863) was the oldest brother."
He added, "I've been curious to read [the US cousin's] stories about the lives of American relatives.  It reminds me that my family [in Finland] was in correspondence with Heikki's son Tauno Anttila [my husband's great uncle] family in the early 1960's. "

He adds, "[But] for some reason we lost contact and America's relatives were forgotten. As best I can, I've tried to tell Rebecca about Heikki's birthplace and relatives here in Finland. Thanks for contacting me! This is a wonderful thing for all of us."

In the picture below is Heikki's brother Juho Anttila (1863-1942)

Juho Anttila (Uncle of Andrew Antilla, bro. Heikki Anttila) 1863-1942

Another another descendant wrote in this:
"Aili Anttila, (Juho and Heikki  sister) always got an American package with such nice clothes that you couldn't wear them here in the country.
She always liked to show them out (off) though. As I recall, the packages came from the American side of their husband's family."

Aili Anttila

References:
Living people shared the photos. I'm keeping them private for now.

Finland Immigrant - Another Anttila (connected to the Cook family by marriage)

 Mystery Photo - Another Anttila

What do you do when you get sent photos that are over 100 years old?  This one had me stumped. Luckily I knew who they were not--and t had a date: Labor Day Trip 1930 on the back. At first I assumed that would be a tremendous help but it actually distracted me. 

Why?  I believed the girl in the photo was a teenager. Part of the reason is the photo quality and part of it is because she is so slight and small.  She's not--she's a 25 year old and a married mother of 3!

I realized the photo came from my husband's mother, Ruth Antilla. 

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The man and woman are husband and wife: the older brother of my husband's grandfather and his wife. The young girl is my husband's grandmother-so related to the couple, but only by marriage. Here is what my sister-in-law told me about the couple:

They are Vaino Ilimar Anttila and Ida Kivimaki Anttila. In 1930 they were living in Forest Hills, Queens, Long Island, NY. But before and after that they live in New Hampshire. 

She said: "I remember my mother telling me about her uncle and Ida living in Queens, NY and acting as cook/chef (Ida was a VERY talented cook - mother reported) and butler. Also my mother gleefully, told of her Aunt Ida riding a motorcycle around inside a huge drum in a carnival or circus. Both Ida and her husband enjoyed some of the finer things in life, living amongst the upper crust folks. I fondly remember both Ida and Vaino."