Life in Duluth (cont.)
He [Jim] started “kindergarten” at the Nettleton School near 6th
St. and 1st Ave E. His good friend, Ray Skarbakka started school
then too on the same day. This was in 1933.
That
Spring, in May, my mother Emelia Tikkanen, died in her home in Oulu of cancer
and other complications. She was cared for by her children, Waino, Elizabeth
and Eino, who were at home. I couldn’t be there too much, as we had Grandpa and
Grandma Uusimaa with us in Duluth to care for. Ike was on the road for the Brach Candy Co.
But Jim and I were there for about a week before she died, Jim would bring her
small bouquets of early wild flowers – he was her only grandchild. My
mother was only 58 years of age then.
In
1940, on the 4th of July, we moved to 819 E. 5th St to a house which
we had bought for approximately $3000 – 25 foot, low lot. Later, we bought an
adjoining 25 foot lot. It was a duplex and we lived upstairs.
Jim was
rather disgusted at the move – he was then 12 years old and was to start school
at Washington Jr. that September, which would have been close to 25 E. 3rd.
And his “pals” were left there! One day, he even cried, as there were no nice
friendly boys in the neighborhood. So, he walked a lot in those days to school
and also to be with his old pals in the old neighborhood.
About
1938, Ike had our name legally “Americanized” to Newland. He had then quit the
candy co. about that time, I don’t exactly remember the date. He worked then at
various other sales jobs, also went into siding and roofing work for others and
then on his own. Jim sometimes help[ed] on those jobs.
My
sister, Elizabeth had married Oscar Simi in Dec. 1939. They now have one
daughter Myrna, born in 1943. She married Arthur Hase and has two children,
Debbie and Kenneth.
Dec.
1942, my brother Eino married Sigrid Korhonen – they have two boys, David and
Rudy. David now has 4 children and Rudy has a daughter.
Waino
married Irene Gronroos* in June, 1943 and farmed the old Tikkanen home in Oulu.
Their marriage produced 4 children, Alice, Norman,** Brenda and Donald.
We
enjoyed driving to Oulu and we always felt welcome there. The children seemed
to like to have us come and we would often bring them, by turns, to town with
us, as they considered that a “treat.” Not one of my nieces or nephews ever
said a mean or sassy word to us – I have always loved them all.
Neither
one of my brothers had to go to W.W. 2 – as Waino was both farming and sailing
and Eino was sailing – ore shipments were considered vital to the “war
industry.” In my estimation it took the war to get the country out of the
depression in which it had been for many years. That does not speak well for
our “Democracy.”
Jobs
were difficult to find before the war broke out. Once my brothers went to the
wheat fields of N. Dakota to work – for $2 a day and board! And jobs on the
boats were at a premium – one had even to do some “bribing.” Waino once had
walked past the man who was doing the hiring and slipped $5 into his hand – no
word spoken. Next day the man had winked at Waino, among the men waiting at the
“hall” and asked is anyone wanted to go on half a trip? Half a trip meant that
you were left at the other end of the trip – no one really wanted that. Waino
went, and sailed all summer!
There
were “Hoovervilles” all over the country then. Jobless men in makeshift shacks,
scouraging for food. Soup lines were long. People were near revolution –
something had to be done – as granaries were full – pigs and cattle were killed
to keep prices up – milk was spilled on the ground. (Man’s inhumanity to man.)
F.
Roosevelt got in as President – and all sorts of government jobs were created
artificially to quiet the population. CC camps for youths, planting trees, etc.
WPA jobs for adults.
We
managed “on our own,” I am glad to say. From childhood, we had always been
raised sensibly and never felt deprived of anything.
*My grandparents!
**PapaTK!
*My grandparents!
**PapaTK!
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