• Mother's Day-What'sUP May 15 - 06:15 am

This Mother's Day morning I wanted to find a Shoebox Memory of a great grandmother in the Guest Gallery, and came up with two from the early twentieth century. Keith Meyers has devoted time and energy to preserving the visual history of his ancestors, and it provides us with a window into the past, seeing families who had roots in places like Calumet, Chassel, and Bruce Crossing.

The first photo is Keith's Great Grandma and Grandpa Nurmi and family, holding really still for the camera. (Wonder when photographers started the tradition of saying 'smile!' ?) I'd love to know the story behind the shotgun, or if somebody was just holding it while the boy sat on his lap. The second picture is a wedding photo from 1907, the Sillanpaa branch of Keith's family tree. Notice how the skilled photographer directed the subjects' gaze slightly off-camera (except Rover, of course).

Amazing how our lives have changed in the last hundred years!

Our hats are off to all the mothers, grandmothers, and great- grandmothers whom we honor on this day. We owe more than we could possibly repay, or even begin to express.

Have a good week :o)

Happy Mother's Day Mom!!! And to Moms everywhere.

Happy Mother's Day, Shirley Wetton!!!


Rob & Grace, Jason & Carrie

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to new moms

Kathy Wetton-Lake Linden, MI
Sherry Goulette-Gulfport, MS

I wish I'd have known my great grandma LaRue. She spoiled my grandpa like no one else.

Happy Mother's Day everyone! Have a great day. Raining here today. What a change! But I'll try to have a good one anyway. I guess I'll work on my ark some more. I think I'm gonna need it here eventually.

happy mothers day

Happy Mother's Day to all you Mom's out in Pastyland. Grab a good book, put your feet up and enjoy your day!

Happy Mother's Day, everyone :)

Happy Mother's Day, to all the moms, grandmas,and great-grandmas out there.

I was so happy to see my Great Grand parents pictures. (Thanks Keith) If it wasn't for their SISU I wouldn't have the children I have today.
Happy Mother's day...to all.

Happy Mother´s Day from Suomi also to all there in USA..also they those who is willing come mother but
must not possible.. .tenderly jAPEi

Happy Mother's Day from Hawaii. This is the best place to spend a Mother's Day! Sun is shining, weather is great, going to sit by the pool and soak up the sun.

Thanks for the nice post Charlie! As a little additional information, my great-grandmother Sillanpaa was the former Selma Polkki who came to Calumet from Karstula, Finland with assistance from her brother Oscar who had already come to mine in Calumet (he went by Aaltonen...his wife Sanna and two of his daughters perished in the Italian Hall Disaster). My great-grandfather Sillanpaa had come from Teuva in 1900 with one of his brothers. He worked as a trammer for C & H after which he spent some time in Bisbee, AZ before coming back and marrying Selma. They moved to Paynesville in 1910 where he was a stone mason and she operated their dairy farm. My great-grandfather Sillanpaa was involved with founding of the Settlers Co-op and the Ontonagon Valley Creamery Association in Bruce Crossing. My great-grandmother Nurmi was the former Ida Holappa. She was born in Atlantic Mine, the daughter of Jacob Holappa who had come over from Muhos in the late 1880's. The family went by the name Raisanen in both Kuusamo and Pudasjarvi where the family had come from before moving to Muhos. My great-grandfather Nurmi was from Huittinen. Our family still maintains close ties with our Sillanpaa and Polkki cousins in Finland.

Hey, Happy Mothers Day to my Mom (Beatrice Meyers) and my sisters (Kirsten Olson and Kimberly McIntyre)!

Happy Mother's Day to all mom's out there! I must admit though, our daughter makes everyday Mothers and Fathers Day for hubby and I!

Charlie wonders when photographers said "smile" to their
subjects. I would guess it was after two big developments. First
and most important, "smile" came after dentistry moved beyond
yanking teeth to trying to save them. Mama would not have
looked too cool with several big gaps in her set of teeth.
Second, the speed of film had to improve. It is easier to hold a
serious look than a smiley one.

I enjoy seeing old photos. Those immigrants from all countries were strong,hard working people.

Happy Mother's Day Mom's!

Japai--

What a thoughtful comment. While I was at
church today, I was wondering how hard
Mother's Day must be for women who never
had an opportunity to marry , women who
couldn't have children, women who had given
their children up for adoption, women who had
recently lost their mothers or children to death
or misadventure, or mother's who have been
neglected by their children. So while we wish
a well deserved Happy Mother's Day to our
nearest and dearest, let's be mindful of those
for whom this is not an easy day.

Kosk, So beautifully said! I second it. I know women who have not been able to have children, women who have lost their children and many who have lost their mothers. How sad a day this must be for them. We have to be mindful of that. The day will come for all of us. So therefore our thoughts and prayers are with all of you who fall in this category.

Nice thoughts for Mothers Day Keith. Thank you for them and the pictures. From the other Sillanpää relative in Canada- Joyce

Like Keith (above), I had an ancestor (his last name was Temby--a Cousin Jack) who left the U.P. to mine in Bisbee. Seems like people in the 1880s were quite mobile--with the railroads recently completed, they could move around to follow the jobs.

Mining in Bisbee, AZ: It wasn't just "mobility", remember too, there was a very strong connection between copper mining in the Keweenaw and in Bisbee, AZ, namely the Calumet and Arizona Mining Company, Captain Thomas Hoatson, of Laurium, MI, founder.

See also: Historic Homes - Captain Thomas Hoatson, Laurium, MI,
now the Laurium Manor Inn, Laurium, MI

Also: Mining conditions in Bisbee, AZ - August 29, 1917