Elmer Alexander Forsberg 1883-1950
By June Pelo Elmer Forsberg was born in 1883 at Yxpila in Karleby, Finland, son of Adolf Alexander Forsberg and Signe Katherine Bonde, and emigrated to…
Learn about culture, traditions, and history.
Swede Finn Junction
Fattiggubben
From an article by Anja Smolander.Translated by June Pelo. Since the time of the 1600’s there were hundreds of carved wooden figures of old men that…
Grand Duchy of Finland, 1809 -1917
By June PeloData as of December 1988Based on information from Hugh Seton-Watson, “The Russian Empire, 1801-1917”, Oxford, 1967, 774. Russia planned at first to annex Finland…
Bombardment of Helsinki
Helsingin suurpommitukset helmikuussa 1944 Sent by Fredrik Forsberg to June Pelo. Finland, which against its will had become involved in the first war, and then a…
Bror and Gunnel Hedman – War Children with Good Memories
From Historiska nedslag by Ole Granholm.English translation by June Pelo. Siblings Bror and Gunnel Hedman from Karleby traveled in 1941 to Gällinge in Halland, Sweden as…
Children of Labor
June Pelo’s information gleaned from: Excerpts from “Children of Labor: A Finnish-American History” & from author, Mayme Sevander’s three books: “They Took My Father”, “Red Exodus”…
Departure of Emigrants
Written by K. A. JärviSubmitted by June Pelo This is an interesting description of events in the late 1800’s as emigrants waited to board their ship…
Ellis Island
Excerpted from “Ellis Island” by B. Colin HamblinBy June Pelo Ellis Island is a place of names. Here millions of immigrants called out theirs for the…
This and That about Finland
Translated from Swedish by June Pelo 1984. The country is divided into counties (lan), districts (härad) and parishes (kommun or socken). Districts are subdivisions under the…
Country Store in Olden Times
Reinhold Heikkilä, Karleby, 5 Jan 1955Karlebynejden No. 42, 2011English translation by June Pelo The following is based on my father’s stories from my childhood. I am approaching…
Castles in Finland
Excerpts from an article by Elias Härö, in “Finland – a cultural encyclopedia”. Translated by June Pelo Finland’s political and social history in the medieval period…
Early Industries in Finland
Excerpts from “Finnish Folk Culture” by Ilmar Talve, ISBN 951-746-006-6June Pelo Tar Burning One of the early industries was tar burning and places can still be found…
