I can't find any info on one of my grandfather's brothers. My grandfather was Otto Tarvainen 1910–19

LegacyUser

I can't find any info on one of my grandfather's brothers. My grandfather was Otto Tarvainen 1910–1995 GM63-CPS. Depending on where I look it shows that my great grandfather ,Aleksander Johansson Tarvainen 1875–1938 L61N-RM7, had 6-8 children.

Actually, I believe he and my great grandmother Sofia Siltaniemi 1873-1938 LR5S-1CM, had about 11 children. I believe I cant find records on 2 infants (I believe a total of 3 died as babies, but only 1 is listed) Anyways, my grandfather's brother Arne/Aarne is not listed any where in my searches. It makes me very sad that he was an adult, married, father, etc. But he isn't listed with his siblings. Arne/Aarne (it's possible to be a middle name) was born approximately 1914.(the sister before him was born 3 Oct 1912,Aino Eliina Tarvainen, GM63-DX3 ) He and his wife were both deaf. He was probably born in Ullava since that is where my grandfather and most of the siblings were born (Lempi-tati, and I believe 2 or 3 babies were born in Michigan, USA) One of my friends said to research in the deaf community in that area, saying deaf communities are very close-knit. With me being in the United States, and not knowing the finnish language, that is near impossible.

Thank you for you time. I just really don't want my great uncle to be forgotten.

Heidi Kuosmanen

You definitely should add your great uncle and his family into FamilySearch Family Tree with that information which you have. You know that he lived, so you can add him, then others will know him also!

 

I am trying to find sources where to find information of family of Aleksander Johansson Tarvainen. It seems to be very hard. In Finland it is quite difficult to find any information on people who have lived on the last 100 years because of strict privacy laws we have.

 

I have found out that one of the brothers, Aleksander Tarvainen died during the WWII, he had a wife and two children but those names I have not found. I added sources to him in Family Tree.

 

I also found couple books that might help in search, they are in Finnish and I might get hand on them in the university library close to us.

LegacyUser

I knew my great uncle Aleksander died in the war. I guess I never knew he was married with children.

I've read that it's hard to get info within 100 years. I was hoping that since Arne was born over 100 years ago, it might work.

It all gets confusing too because my great grandparents, Aleksander and Sofia went BACK and FORTH between US and Finland. They came to the US in I think mid 1890's, had 4 or 5 children. Lempi(1998) and Aleksander(1901) survived. They moved back to Finland sometime before Impi(1903) was born. Then in 1910, my great grandfather came back to the US. He couldn't have been here too long because Aino was born in Oct 1912 in Finland(I believe on great father came to US in 1910) I don't know how to find records of people from Finland going back to Finland from the US. And Lempi-tati's birth certificate, US, is the only record I've come across online.

I've recently sent in an ancestry dna kit. My results haven't come back yet. That my lead to more connections. Thank you so much for your help

Heidi Kuosmanen

Biggest problem you have here is that church records, communion books after 1865 and birth records after 1887 have not yet been digitized. I don't know why because usually parish books have been digitized until 1899 and some even until 1919.

Even the privacy laws effects records within 100 years, but digitizing is done by volunteers and there is still lots of work to do. If there are no digitized records yet, only option is taxation records (Henkikirjat) they might help, or write to the parish (they will charge something for providing the information)

Heidi Kuosmanen

I looked taxation records (Henkikirjat), they were kept yearly and they will tell you who lived in certain place at the counting time. It will tell you the names of person over 15 years and status in society and number of under age persons, but no names. It contains also the names of people who did not pay taxes.

 

Taxation records tell that Aleksanteri Tarvainen bought a piece of land at 7 April 1903 in Videnoja, Ullava 2, Ullava, at that time he had one boy and two girls.

At 31 March 1906 he had 2 boys and 2 girls

At 24 March 1908 he had 2 boys and 3 girls

At 28 Febr 1911 he had 3 boys and 3 girls

At 24 Febr 1913 the ownership of his property had changed to Aatu Hirsikangas and Aleksanteri Tarvainen is not any more mentioned in Ullava taxation record. And that means that Aleksanteri Tarvainen with his family had moved away from Ullava some time between 9 March 1912 and 24 Febr 1913.

His daughter Aino Eliina could have been born in Ullava At 3 Oct 1912, but your great uncle Aarne did not because I looked taxation records for years 1914 and 1915 and family did not live anymore in Ullava.

 

While Aleksanteri Tarvainen arrived to USA at 23 Jun 1910, he travelled back to Finland same year, because he is counted to be present at 28 Febr 1911.

Heidi Kuosmanen

There is the Migration Institute of Finland but their records are not available at this moment.

https://siirtolaisuusinstituutti.fi/en/materials/digital-materials/

LegacyUser

Those numbers of children line up with the children that are listed online.

Is there any immigration info on when Aleksander and Sofia came to the US in the 1890's? I've only seen immigration papers online when Aleksander came alone on 1910.

Juho, first child listed, lived less than a year. Just last winter I found out that he and another young male sibling are both buried about 70 miles from where I live. And I also found out that another baby died at sea on their journey back to Finland. ​

When I spoke to my mom on the phone this evening, I asked if she knew that grandpa's brother Aleksander that died in the war, had a wife and 2 children. She didn't know, and asked their names. I told her info just says wife and 2 children.

My mom was only 8 when her family came from Finland in 1952. So she has little memory. Her mom died about 6 weeks after they got here. I think she was traumatized, so remembers even less.

Lempi, born 1898, has a daughter still living. My mom says she will try calling her. That cousin is in her 90's. Hoping she may have some info.

Is it unusual that Aleksander and Sofia moved here, moved back to Finland, and then he made the trip here again? That just seems like it would have been SOOOO difficult. ​Even after coming across on a ship, it would have been 1000 miles or more to where they came here in Michigan.

I am in touch with one of my mom's cousins in Finland from her mom's side of the family. He remembers that as a child, he met Aarne. I will see if he has any knowledge of where Aleksander and Sofia moved when they left Ullava..one of my mom's older sibling may have some info.

Thanks again so much for your help!!!! ~Lisa​

Heidi Kuosmanen

In taxation record (Henkikirjat) at 1 May 1896 Alexander Tarvainen and Sofia with one boy child are still living in Ullava, farm number 8, as lodgers. That doesn't match the information in Family Tree that their first child died at 24 March 1896, because he was still living at 1 May 1896.

In next taxation record 3 May 1897 their family is living abroad.

 

I found a immigration record for Alex Tarvinen at 7 June 1896, he is married, but no family is mentioned:

https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/1075/images/m1464_1-0423?treeid=&personid=&rc=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=tKc204&_phstart=successSource&pId=3926248

 

US Census 1900 also says that they immigrated at 1896.

 

There is the possibility that Aleksander moved first and his wife and child followed later that year.

 

It was very common that people traveled back and forth between US and Finland. Usually it was the father or sons, not so often the whole family.

Heidi Kuosmanen

I have good news for you!

 

I found grave stones for Aleksander and Sofia AND also for their missing son Aarne Johannes Tarvainen born 24.6.1915 and his wife Helmi Dagmar born 22 April 1916.

 

I added their information and sources into the Family Tree

Aarne Johannes Tarvainen

1915–1992

 • G4LM-5X5

 

Then I also had a thought and that was right.

I thought that because Aleksander's and Sofia's son Aleksanteri was a farmer and house owner in Toholampi when he died at war, there was a possibility that the family moved from Ullava to Toholampi about 1912-1913 and Aleksanteri was farming family's land after father passed away.

 

Yes, I found that father Aleksander (Aleksi Tarvainen) got a ownership of a farm called Salo at 15 Febr 1913 in Toholampi.

 

Here is the map from the year 1923 which shows the farm place:

The farm still exists.

This is Finnish map service: https://asiointi.maanmittauslaitos.fi/karttapaikka/

Click the magnifying glass on the left upper corner. Write to the Haku: Salo, Toholampi. Then you will get one result: Salo, Toholampi, Talo, click it and you will see the farm in the map.

LegacyUser

Oh my gosh! That is so exciting! I was coming on to say I found out they moved to Toholampi, but that's all I knew.

I have a photo of Alexander and sofia's gravestone, but didnt know the location of the cemetery.

I'm just on my phone now. I'll look all this over better when I get on my laptop.

THANK YOU!!!!!​

LegacyUser

The stuff about 1896 is REALLY confusing. Especially since I assumed Juho 1895-1896 was one of the ones buried in Michigan. But based on that tax information, he must have been born in and died in Finland? And maybe the boy listed in May 1986 in Finland, passed away in Michigan, along with yet another.

Do you have facebook messenger? Much easier to use. It takes many steps when I come back to find my questions. LOL😄

LegacyUser

I forgot to say that I don't have a paid subscription to ancestry, so it won't let me view the link

Heidi Kuosmanen

https://www.facebook.com/heidi.kuosmanen78

Heidi Kuosmanen

Here is the image of that Immigration record: