Ancestor of the Week
Peter Hiltunen
I was born Pietari Hiskias Hiltunen on July 27, 1871 in Suommusalmi, Finland, one of ten children of Pehr and Gretha Hiltunen. We lived and worked on a farm called “Hiitola”. Nearby were forests of evergreens, aspen and white birch, along with rivers and lakes. A spruce tree I transplanted in our yard became known as “Hiski’s” tree.
The children grew toward adulthood and it became clear the farm was not large enough to support us all. In Finland, the oldest son would usually take over the family property when parents were no longer able to carry on. Unable to find sustainable work, and concerned with being drafted into the Russian military, my older brother Fred and I ignored that tradition and made plans to go to America. It was 1890, and many young Finns had followed the promise of copper mining jobs and ownership of property in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
I said a sad good-bye to my family, sailed across the Atlantic and eventually found my way to Atlantic Mine. It was a scary, but exciting time adjusting to living in a new land, finding unfamiliar kinds of work and meeting people from other countries. There was also comfort in finding other Finns who helped me adjust to the new way of life. I was soon joined by Fred and my younger brother, Jacob.
The wife in one of the families I knew was struggling to find funds to help her sister emigrate from Finland. I had saved enough to offer them money for her passage. Soon Amanda Kyllonen, an attractive young woman, arrived at her sister’s home. When we met, she seemed aloof and unfriendly toward me. After she had repaid the loan for her passage, her attitude toward me changed. She now greeted me when I visited and encouraged our friendship. On June 29, 1895 we married in Atlantic Mine.
In 1900, weary of our life in the mining town, we purchased property in Laird Township and moved with our two children. We worked our family farm and began logging in the township forests. By 1908, we were able to buy a homestead large enough to accommodate our family of eight.
Amanda and I spent the rest of our lives there, in Nisula, adding seven more children. The farm offered work for all of us as did our logging company that included camps in the area and boasted the first use of Model T logging trucks. Most of our children remained in the township, married and had families. Three died before reaching adulthood. At last count, we had 26 grandchildren.
Tom Hiltunen
Peter's Grandson
Dollar Bay, MI
