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mammemuemuys 5L 0E ENE N_ OLOELOAEINT hnd â€" 1 SAMUEL _ NIEMI (AS sent in by Pearl Arnold) in May 1970 As far as our ancestors can be located not move back to Waters until the spring of 1917. our mother‘s parents were the first to come to Our youngest brother Veikko was born in July 1919. Canada from Finland. They had a boarding house Winter was my favourite season, although we in Copper Cliff and were among the first enjoyed swimming in the old river by Jacobson‘s. Finnish farms to settle in Waters Township â€" But we had a lot of fun sleighing and skiing in the Lahti family. winter, We used to slide down hills with sleighs Father â€" Samuel Niemi left Finland about 1892 with one lying down on the lead sleigh with his and first went to Ohio and Sault Ste. Marie, feet hooked in the ropes of the next one and we Hichigan. Then he worked his way by railroad loaded up and away we went like the wind? â€" Many construction and bush camps to Copper Cliff. a farmer‘s team we scared off the road. Father He worked at the old Copper Mine in Copper Cliff made skis for all of us and we made use of then. and quartz mine in Waters Township. He met our We never had a tobaggan but a piece of cardboard mother Wilhelmina Lahti in Copper Cliff and or roofing tin and a slope or hill was all we they were married in Sudbury in 1902. Their needed, Snaring rabbits was fun too, and digging first child, Senja, was born in Copper Cliff caves in the huge snow drifts. We used to dare in February 1904. They lived briefly in Waters each other to runlarefoot from the steambath to and their second daughter Lempi was born in the house, with the snow piled above our heads May 1906. Father worked in the mines at Garson, on both sides of the path. &c. and took his family for a visit to Finland. Senja and Lempilad the school cleaning job their first son Edward was born there in when the Waters school was by the cemetery. Then December, 1910. When they returned to Canada the girls all took turns at it when the school father bought the 40 acres bush lnd at the was built in its present site. southeast corner of Black Lake Road and Soo Mother passed away in January 1922 and father Highway. He cleared the land up to the sold the farm to our uncle Victor Niemi, so we highway; built a house of lumber, a barn of moved into our grandparents‘ old house as they logs and stables. They housed 2 horses, 2 had built a new one. Then Father moved on to the cows, calves and chickens. And of course he lot then owned by Bill Moxam, and this is when he suilt the sauna, which was a ritual every took over the post office. When my lrother left Saturday night, blizard or rain or fair. home I had to do all the paper work as father Father also bought a farm near the old quertz could not write English. He only had the Post mine, which was sold to Mr. Jaakkola in 1914. Office for three or four years. When the older The first child to be born on the farm was a children left home, father moved to Black Lake daughter Helmi (Pearl) in January 1912. Next where he lived until my husband Morley and I was Annie, born May 1914. Times were very bad; moved into the Township, and he lived with us the crops were poor, so father went back to until his death in November, 1942, work in the mines in Garson, and mother stayed Senja: married Matti Pakkala in Copper Cliff in on the farm with the children until fall. 1923 and lived there most of her life. She When it became too cold she decided to take the passed away in February, 1967, and her husband children and join father for the winter. She in October, 1969. They left 13 children, 9 girls harnessed the horse, bundled up the children and 4 boys. The yungest son has been with the in the cutter and drove to Garson, which was Copper C1iff Post Office for many years. about 31 miles. Lempi remembers the trip very Lempi: married John North in December 1941 and well. She says we left at dark 8"4 arriveds is living in Willowdale, Ontario. They have 1 son there in the dark, very late, We stopped at and 1 daughter. Sudbury at friends to feed the children and Helmi: (Pearl) married Morley Arnold in February rest the horses. The youngest daughter Hilja 1930, and has 13 children â€" 9 girls and 4 boys and was born in Garson in 1915. She was a 26 grandchildren as of 1970. delicate child so the family had to stay in Garson until she was well, so the family did _ L L nnnamnanrnireneren t eniinnnnanne