Finnish American Historical Archive and Museum - Kentsgenealogy ...

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Do you know anything about the co-op in Mass? There was quite a bit ot controversies
surrounding those? There was a co-operative that was a neutr~ist co-op and thr
other was cormnon1.:y' called "red" co-op. i
What do you recall ot the community around 1920 when the mines began closing? What
happened to the various Finnish families? Did most ot them stay around the area
and try farmings or did some leave?
13.
Lydia: Sane left but the ones that we knew, they bought land and started farming, cleared
the land, and started from nothing. But most of the other nationalities moved spmewhere
else where they were mines working.
Iron mines and other areas?
~ia: A lot of the Finns while they were getting ahead in farming, worked in lumber camps.
,
Do you rec~ any favori te s~ngs or stories that your mother or dad used to te~ you
in Finnish, homespun philosophy-type stuff? I
Lydia: My dad used to try to tell us, because we were left as small children at home and
mother was dead and they had to go to lumber camps to work, and one time we got i~to
hassle with neighbor 's children--they were the ones really that started on us-- !
a
and we weren't going to let them get the best of us so the other Finn family si~d
wi th us children and we got into a kind of a hassle there, and someone must have told
Dad when he came home, beca~se he gave us a kind of a speech and he said that, '~on't
try to get even with them, let them do what they want and God will take care of ~hem
and God will take care of you, they can't hurt if God is on your side." I think! that's
one reason our family is--lot of people say, we're too soft, we let people put things
over on us. We're taught that when we're small, that don't fight back.
Art: so/ggu still think that is kind of your philosophy or outlook on life to get aldng
with people!
~dia: I think it is. I always think you don't get anywhere it you're going to argue and
tight. Maybe they'll get wise.
As you think of the Copper Country now as it is and the different people here t
what do you think that the area needs the most?
Lydia: Well, I think work --
(end ot tape)