HISTORIAN'S NOTE:

Gladys Simponin is also present.

MOORE:

Good Afternoon, this is Kate Moore for the National Park Service. Today is the 27th of June, 1994 and I am in La Conner Shelter Bay Washington at the home of William and Gladys Simponin with Saima Hendrickson who came from Finland in 1919 when she was eighteen years old. Can we begin by giving us your full name and date of birth? What is your full name?

HENDRICKSON:

Saima [not understood] Limnell.

MOORE:

How do you spell Limnell?

HENDRICKSON:

Just like I say it (laughs).

MOORE:

(laughing) Okay we'll get that later and what…

HENDRICKSON:

Only two L on the end.

MOORE:

Two L-L's on the end. And what, what is your birthday?

HENDRICKSON:

( Laughs) January 12. Isn't it, Gladys?

MOORE:

January 12th and what year were you born?

HENDRICKSON:

1901.

MOORE:

January 12th, 1901. Your maiden name then was?

HENDRICKSON:

Saima [not understood] Limnell.

MOORE:

Limnell, right. And where were you born, what town?

HENDRICKSON:

Pori.

MOORE:

In Pori, Finland.

HENDRICKSON:

Bjorneborg

MOORE:

Yeah, what - describe Pori, what kind of town was Pori? What was the major industry in Pori?

HENDRICKSON:

Oh there's was lot of industry in Pori. Oh there was Mechaniverstus [ph][Finnish], Sawmill …Rochalevy [ph], [speaks in Finnish]…

MOORE:

Oh they built boats too, wow. What was your father's name then?

HENDRICKSON:

Uno Limnell.

MOORE:

And how do you spell his first name?

HENDRICKSON:

U-N-O.

MOORE:

And what did he do for a living? What was his occupation?

HENDRICKSON:

My goodness, he had come this country first time when I was eighteen months old. And he had so many occupations. (laughs)

MOORE:

Well, give us an example, what was one example that he did? What type of work did he do here?

HENDRICKSON:

Oh, fisherman, I guess.

MOORE:

Oh fisherman then? Did he work in the woods? Did he work in -

HENDRICKSON:

No, not that I know.

MOORE:

Alright. So he's a fisherman okay, what did your father look like? Can you describe him?

HENDRICKSON:

(laughs) He was very handsome man.

MOORE:

How tall was he about?

HENDRICKSON:

He wasn't too big. He was a five foot eight or something like that. He had a very - very beautiful blue eyes.

MOORE:

And what about his hair color? What color hair?

HENDRICKSON:

Dark.

MOORE:

Dark hair.

HENDRICKSON:

Dark brown, real dark brown.

MOORE:

And what about his personality, what did he look like, err, what was he like in temperament?

HENDRICKSON:

I don't know very much of him. Oh, he was inventor.

MOORE:

An inventor?

HENDRICKSON:

Yes, he placed rounds and boarding houses, and-and last he built -- like a camping ground and cabins to rent out. It's still there in Vittsport [ph] and the name that he gave "Faircrow" is there. There was few acres and he built lot of cabins there and rent them out. And he had little grocery store there. And he also sabultiskala [ph].

MOORE:

So he smoked fish and he sold it.

HENDRICKSON:

Yeah, in his store.

MOORE:

In his store. And where was that store he had?

HENDRICKSON:

Vittsport.

MOORE:

Uh-huh.

HENDRICKSON:

That's a -- hundred and one.

MOORE:

Here in Washington? Okay.

SIMPONIN:

Oregon.

MOORE:

Oh in Oregon.

HENDRICKSON:

Oregon, yeah.

MOORE:

And is there a story about your father that you remember? That your mother or your family told you about your father? Any stories?

HENDRICKSON:

Oh he left America when I was eighteen months old first time. Then he came when I was a four years old, but he only stayed one year. And we went to Kemi and he was aha [speaks In Finnish].

MOORE:

Yeah.

HENDRICKSON:

And I remember that. And I was four years old when we went there and I was five I guess when we came back.

MOORE:

And is that some of the first memories you have, or do you remember before? What do you first remember about your father?

HENDRICKSON:

(chuckles) I don't know, how I can remember what was?

MOORE:

What about your mother's name? What was your mother's name?

HENDRICKSON:

Ida, Ida.

MOORE:

Ida, I-D-A.

HENDRICKSON:

Yeah.

MOORE:

And what was her maiden name? What was her—

HENDRICKSON:

Oh… that was hard to say because that time his father was buying and farmhouses you know and selling and buying and they always took the name of the house. So she -- she had many different names.

MOORE:

Hmm, do you have any one of them? Do you remember any one of those names?

HENDRICKSON:

Oh, Tarkala. That was the last one, my grandfather's place.

MOORE:

And what was her occupation? Your mother.

HENDRICKSON:

Oh I guess I say a cook.

MOORE:

She was a cook?

HENDRICKSON:

Yeah she keep borders and when they built the (foreign word) she had in this a inteners they live in our house and she give them board and room.

MOORE:

For the cotton factory?

HENDRICKSON:

Hmm?

MOORE:

For the cotton factory?

HENDRICKSON:

Yeah.

MOORE:

In--in Pori?

HENDRICKSON:

Yeah, and uh, she went to cooking school before that and she have to have a (??) prepared in Finn, you know twelve o'clock they have two hours for eat, middle of the day they ate the main meal. She had a roulette prepared that was different and then she had another table where she served the hot dishes.

MOORE:

Mhmm. And is there—and what about your mother's personality and temperament, how would describe her?

HENDRICKSON:

Very energetic person.

MOORE:

Energetic?

HENDRICKSON:

Yep.

MOORE:

And what did she look like?

HENDRICKSON:

Well there's a picture of her in the bedroom.

MOORE:

How would you describe on tape for us?

HENDRICKSON:

Oh she, she was good looking woman, very good looking woman.

MOORE:

How tall was she about do you think?

HENDRICKSON:

Oh she was a coupla inches taller than me, she was Gladys' size.

SIMPONIN:

Five two.

MOORE:

About five two or so?

HENDRICKSON:

Yeah.

MOORE:

How about her hair and eyes?

HENDRICKSON:

Hmm?

MOORE:

What color hair?

HENDRICKSON:

Dark brown, natural curly.

MOORE:

Naturally curly?

HENDRICKSON:

Wavy.

MOORE:

And her eyes?

HENDRICKSON:

And I remember she had little tiny curls on her neck here when she put her bun here on the top.

SIMPONIN:

And we're the old ones.

MOORE:

Ah yeah with blue eyes, she had blue eyes too huh?

HENDRICKSON:

Yeah.

MOORE:

Beautiful.

HENDRICKSON:

Yeah.

MOORE:

And um, do you have a story at all about your mother that you tell? That you remember about your mother?

HENDRICKSON:

In this country or Finland?

MOORE:

Anywhere, any story you have.

HENDRICKSON:

Oh here she used to make lutefisk and send it to all her friends as a Christmas present. (chuckles).

MOORE:

So she liked to cook?

HENDRICKSON:

Oh yes.

MOORE:

What about brothers and sisters? How many brothers and sisters did you have?

HENDRICKSON:

Oh I only had one brother.

MOORE:

And how old was he? Older or younger than you?

HENDRICKSON:

Younger.

MOORE:

Younger?

HENDRICKSON:

Five years younger.

MOORE:

Uh-huh and what was his name?

HENDRICKSON:

Leo.

MOORE:

Leo, right, and um do you remember your house in Pori where you lived. Do you remember much about your house where you lived as a child?

HENDRICKSON:

Oh yes, we had very, very nice big house and my grandmother has same kind of house on other side of the yard.

MOORE:

And what kind of house was it, what was it made of?

HENDRICKSON:

Wood.

MOORE:

It was a wooden house.

HENDRICKSON:

[ph Finnish words] And uh five feet long stone.

MOORE:

Foundation?

HENDRICKSON:

Foundation.

MOORE:

Stone foundation.

HENDRICKSON:

Yes.

MOORE:

And what color was the house? Was it painted?

HENDRICKSON:

Oh yes. It was uh, tan.

MOORE:

Tan colored—

HENDRICKSON:

Yeah -- Like that fence over there.

MOORE:

Right, or natural or tan colored. And how was it heated, your house in Pori?

HENDRICKSON:

Oh we have a coke flume; we have a heating stove real beautiful, made out of tile in that airy room.

MOORE:

In the corner.

HENDRICKSON:

Yeah.

MOORE:

And then—

HENDRICKSON:

It wasn't in the corner, in all the rooms. MOORE Then where was it?

HENDRICKSON:

Some room -- oh, they were on the back wall, middle of the back wall.

MOORE:

And what did you - how did you heat it? You put wood inside those? You put wood inside those fireplaces.

HENDRICKSON:

No, they have a [ph] wulni.

MOORE:

An oven yeah.

HENDRICKSON:

That was made out of (foreign word) [ph Finnish words] routa in wulni. Yeah not too big.

MOORE:

The pieces of wood.

HENDRICKSON:

Yeah.

MOORE:

Yeah. And what about the lights, how did you light the house.

HENDRICKSON:

Oh first when I was little we have oil lamps. And I remember when electricity came.

MOORE:

When was that?

HENDRICKSON:

Oh I was about five years old, I guess.

MOORE:

So about 1906?

HENDRICKSON:

Yeah, something like that. And I remember, you know how they have a--a streetlights and a man with little a stop ladder and an oil can came every --you know before it got dark, late afternoon and light them. And then, eleven o'clock he came and blow them out.

MOORE:

And what about you said, in, you said you had oil lamps and electricity, what about plumbing. Did you have indoor toilets?

HENDRICKSON:

No, no, no but we have—but we have a big outhouse and uh, and then we have two houses together had this big building. And this side, port side was same they and then in the middle they have—a place where everything went.

MOORE:

Hmm, yeah I see.

HENDRICKSON:

Yeah.

MOORE:

And where did you get your water then? What about water?

HENDRICKSON:

Oh we had to get the water; it was about three blocks away. And uh, we collect with the pail car and saw in winter time. And summer time we have like a wheelbarrow and-and sorry that, like a big bucket. And then we had a very good water in a—in a some kind of natural waterfall there in [ph] Kilcopushto. And there in the evenings you know, for evening walk to get the real good drinking water from some pail.

MOORE:

How did you take, how did you wash yourselves then?

HENDRICKSON:

Sauna.

MOORE:

So you had a sauna then?

HENDRICKSON:

No, public - public sauna.

MOORE:

Ah you had a public sauna.

HENDRICKSON:

Yes. And the funny part was that the public sauna where we went, that was closest to us. The first room was like a pursetoi [ph] that- there you left your overcoats, and then you went to next room and there was men's dressing room. And back of that was ladies dressing room, so woman always have to go through men's dressing room to their own dressing room. Then sauna was both men and women, men was right side and woman be left side. Allowed that. Same thing they wash under there, it was the same room though. But they never --looked and they saw nothing. And womans who had husbands stay there on man's side to wash their backs. (chuckles)

MOORE:

To wash the men's backs yeah.

HENDRICKSON:

They're husband's back.

MOORE:

And where was that sauna, do you remember where the sauna was, the nearest sauna for you? Where was it?

HENDRICKSON:

Oh it was Barracks a Sosa [ph]

MOORE:

How far was it from your house?

HENDRICKSON:

Oh it wasn't too far, it was about - three four blocks.

MOORE:

And how often did you have a sauna then?

HENDRICKSON:

Every week.

MOORE:

Every week?

HENDRICKSON:

Mmhmm.

MOORE:

And um, what about - did you have a garden?

HENDRICKSON:

It—we have a Shevernibushkare [ph Finnish]. [Speaks in Finnish.]

GLADYS:

lilac-lilac.

HENDRICKSON:

Lilac bushes.

MOORE:

Lilac bushes.

HENDRICKSON:

Now we had Maya out of lilac bushes, middle of the yard. And inside that was table and chairs and we used to drink uh afternoon coffee there summer time.

MOORE:

And what kind of furniture and how big was your house and how many rooms was your house?

HENDRICKSON:

Oh, inside rooms we have a - oh some apartments were only two rooms -big kitchen and big living room. And some have three rooms.

MOORE:

And your house, where you lived with your brother and mother, how big was that?

HENDRICKSON:

We have a - we live in a different apartments in that house. When mother had a boarders we had a pick we live - we rented one room out and a we had another room and then there was a dining room and kitchen. About five rooms.

MOORE:

About five rooms.

HENDRICKSON:

And some had only two rooms.

MOORE:

What kind of furniture did you have in--

HENDRICKSON:

Beautiful, beautiful furniture. My father had a pools that were made a beautiful furniture it was--

MOORE:

A carpenter made it?

HENDRICKSON:

Yeah beautiful furniture -the fact that we past a with it via. The bed was that you could put together about the size of this table and you pile all the bedclothes on top of it for daytime.

MOORE:

So you would draw the bed out at night? And it would be a sofa in the daytime?

HENDRICKSON:

No no, no that wasn't sofa. That was bed. We had sofa-beds too.

MOORE:

Oh I see. (laughs)

HENDRICKSON:

I don't know what you want to know of those things.

MOORE:

No, we're trying to find out about life in Finland before you came. And then we'll walk you now through others.

HENDRICKSON:

(laughs)

MOORE:

Okay your mother, who did the cooking in the family, your mother?

HENDRICKSON:

Sure.

MOORE:

Did you help at all?

HENDRICKSON:

No. Oh I guess I peel potatoes thats about all what but here in this country I did.

MOORE:

And what was your favorite food as a child? Do you remember?

HENDRICKSON:

Yes - Latkes, hotcakes.

MOORE:

Mmm… and uhm and what about the kitchen, what was meal time like? When you had borders did they eat with your family? How many meals a day did you eat together?

HENDRICKSON:

How many meals? Three meals. Yeah.

MOORE:

What did you have for breakfast?

HENDRICKSON:

I don't remember, I suppose oatmeal or some kind of porridge.

MOORE:

And um, what about your grandparents? Where did they live? You said across the yard. You had one set of grandparents, your grandparents.

HENDRICKSON:

Yeah that was my father's mother.

MOORE:

Father's mother.

HENDRICKSON:

Mmhmm.

MOORE:

What about your mother's mother and father? Where did they live?

HENDRICKSON:

Oh, they-- they were dead.

MOORE:

Oh I see. And were you close to anyone? Who were you closest to in the family would you say?

HENDRICKSON:

That time you mean?

MOORE:

Yeah in Finland?

HENDRICKSON:

After my mother left I was closest to her sister's family. Her sister was ten years older than—than my mother.

MOORE:

And what was her name?

HENDRICKSON:

Her name was Sophi Narebuka[ph]. [not understood].

MOORE:

And—and did you see them often, did you live with them when your mother left?

HENDRICKSON:

No, no I live with other relatives for while and then they—they have to sell their house to the school because it was next to the schoolhouse and they have to make the school bigger. And they move far away, close to Rauma so I went to my a grandmother and my aunt's house to live.

MOORE:

Which was where?

HENDRICKSON:

Across--across the yard from my home.

MOORE:

Across the yard right. Do you have any stories about your aunt or your grandmother that you can tell us?

HENDRICKSON:

(chuckles) Oh I have one fun-funny story about her ah theres a lot of stories about her. She she had a [ph] rueswin in one her a ankles and leg. And uh she always had a seat (not understood) where she sat. She had lot of pillows and salts. Then she had another--another - [ph] tory for where she keeps her legs straight. And that had lot of pillows and blankets she had. And um one time it was that time that food was rationed and a she sold milk in the mornings and uh and she was very friendly with all the farmers a who bring the milk and other farmers and a—a we had a-a ticket that time that we have to buy our flour and bread and everything. (Not understood) And--and a this time- so we didn't truck there to having it. The people who had farms and bring milk for her to sell always bring us plenty flour and one time a—a somebody have use-bought whole sack of flour, big sack about size of this chair. And uh some kid from other side of the house, you know the another apartment- some kid from over there says that they have a [ph Finnish word] that they have examiners who come over the house that you don't have any more then you supposed to have. And boy, I guess everyone else got awfully excited because grandma says that "Take that chair away that - chair without a-a back where she used to sit and in place put that sack of flour. Then put down the pillows and--and a ropes over and she sat down that sack of flour and have her another leg on that another stool that didn't have no back. And a-a that's the way they came and they didn't find…

MOORE:

(laughs)

HENDRICKSON:

--oh that's one of the funny-funniest stories…

MOORE:

The grandmother.

HENDRICKSON:

Mmm.

MOORE:

Smart. How about church did you go church at all?

HENDRICKSON:

Oh yes we had a big church, beautiful church in a Pori. And I went to a-a confirmation school and uh-uh I was baptized and yeah I went to church.

MOORE:

Did you father/mother go to church very often?

HENDRICKSON:

Oh I wasn't with them very much.

MOORE:

Mmm because they were away. And what denomination was the church, what type of church.

HENDRICKSON:

Oh Lutheran.

MOORE:

Lutheran. And how far away from your house was the church?

HENDRICKSON:

It was—our (not understood) cried to the church but there was a river and then there was a bridge you know that have to cross it wasn't too far.

MOORE:

And did you say prayers before you ate? Did you say grace ever?

HENDRICKSON:

No, we didn't use to. Everybody say itself but not out loud.

MOORE:

I see but you-alright. And how about before you went to bed? Did you say prayers?

HENDRICKSON:

Oh you can say yourself but we didn't a say aloud.

MOORE:

Mhmm. What was your favorite holiday? Your favorite -

HENDRICKSON:

Oh Christmas of course.

MOORE:

And why?

HENDRICKSON:

Why? Because (laughing) that was a best holiday - you get some presents and a good food and a lot of visitors and lot of visiting. And a get to go to church a.

MOORE:

What type of food did you make at Christmas?

HENDRICKSON:

Oh all kinda—all the best foods that we could have.

MOORE:

Like what would an example be if we were recording this. What would be an example Christmas meal?

HENDRICKSON:

(laughs) MOORE: How is it different from here?

HENDRICKSON:

Oh we have rice pudding, that was main thing. And then we have mashed potatoes and maybe meatballs. And I don't remember if we have vegetable or not, I don't remember.

MOORE:

And what about Santa Claus?

HENDRICKSON:

Oh Santa Claus was like we have here. It - [recording goes wonky] some man stands in the Santa Claus suit and he went to every house and the folks know him and give what there was for him to drink.

MOORE:

And did you go to church on Sun-on Chris- at Christmas?

HENDRICKSON:

I don't remember. When I was with my um with my mother's sister we went to church on Christmas.

MOORE:

When you say there were visiting - who did you visit on Christmas?

HENDRICKSON:

Oh relatives.

MOORE:

Relatives?

HENDRICKSON:

Whoever, yeah.

MOORE:

So you did a lot of eating?

HENDRICKSON:

Yes. Christmas we didn't visit anybody. The day after Christmas we visit.

MOORE:

And when you went to visit what did they serve you?

HENDRICKSON:

(laughs) I don't remember.

MOORE:

What about school did you go to school in Finland?

HENDRICKSON:

Of course. All the Finnish people go to school. They all know how to read - everybody didn't know how to write, but everybody knows how to read.

MOORE:

Mhmm. And where did you go to school?

HENDRICKSON:

In Pori.

MOORE:

In Pori and which school—

HENDRICKSON:

(not understood)

MOORE:

And um… (pause) could you tell me about school life then in Finland? When you were small, when you were in…

HENDRICKSON:

Oh I went to kindergarten ph[Finnish words]. It was playschool. When I was five years old I guess when I went there. I was there two years in playschool and then when I went to real school first year I uh my cousin went too and--and a first year real school I thought it was still like the playschool I didn't I-I didn't do that seriously anything. And I didn't learn anything. My cousin was smarter than me I guess and he read the lessons and I listen then I always know my lessons, but I wasn't able to read for memory. (laughs) I told them I did that two years and then I went to live with other people. And there was two girls there and they were older than me and we play school that summer and they found out that I didn't know how to read and I didn't know arithmetic or nothing. I a, I did it but I didn't know how. I used do it from memory. And my they got awfully scared what was going to happen when I go school there. They have very--very strict teachers and they have to teach me that whole summer they teach me to a-a alphabets and arithmetic. Otherwise I don't-they won't even take me to school.

MOORE:

And do you what was the name of the school that you went to in Pori?

HENDRICKSON:

Oh (not understood).

MOORE:

And - and you remember any teachers?

HENDRICKSON:

No.

MOORE:

No. And a

HENDRICKSON:

No.

MOORE:

And what was your favorite subject finally?

HENDRICKSON:

I don't remember. (laughs) Oh I like to draw, I guess you can put that.

MOORE:

You like to draw. But... you draw pictures. Did you learn any English before you came here to the United States?

HENDRICKSON:

No there was anybody to teach English there.

MOORE:

What did you do…

HENDRICKSON:

That was war time anyway. I had a ticket two years and I didn't even get a—letter from my mother or anything after I got that ticket. And uh two years there was no mail.

MOORE:

What years were those, what years were those?

HENDRICKSON:

Oh I don't know. It was First World War time.

MOORE:

Was it like 1914?

HENDRICKSON:

Yeah. 1914 to 1916 I didn't get any mail or money or nothing. And the banks are busted there in Finland and I lost all my money. My mother had left me plenty money when before she left this country because her father was rich. And she inherited lot of money and a I must been able to go Helsinki to buy the school and everything and I lose all the money.

MOORE:

Um, going back a bit. As a child what kinds of games did you play for fun?

HENDRICKSON:

Oh I don't remember - [ph Finnish] moshgrota. (laughs)

MOORE:

What is that?

SIMPONIN:

(away from microphone) Hopscotch.

MOORE:

Hopscotch? Hopscotch.

HENDRICKSON:

Yeah.

MOORE:

(laughing) Did you jump rope at all?

HENDRICKSON:

Oh yes.

MOORE:

And uh, do you have any childhood stories (phone rings). Now?

HENDRICKSON:

My father had come a-a from Mount Everka, from Third Street and a he went to Kemi that's the town far north in Finland. (children can be heard in background). And a he was a [ph Finnish word] some kind of past in the lumberyard. And a I suppose mother made the coffee and lunch and put the we even had thermal stalls. With the coffee in pot and that pot in heavy socks, wool socks to keep hot. And a then I guess I had a pack of sandwiches too. And I went there and I was looking my father in that lumberyard and all around and I guess before I got there I have to go wee-wee and I have a kinda undershirt or something that and there on side. And the band see - we couldn't buy any underwear there, they have to be all sewn and made out of material. And I had the underpants and underpants had a buttonholes, you know on both ends. And this one tore-tore on both sides of the pants and it was hard to get in. It was cold my hands were cold and I couldn't, I had to I was someplace and wee-wee'd some place and I couldn't get them to tear back to the button. So I hang you know, hang - and then I went all over the lumberyard looking my father. And of course the men were laughing because my pants was hanging down and and um so finally I found my father and gave me little licking. For being so lazy and not to put my pants up.

MOORE:

(laughs) Now you said your father first came to the United States. Why did he come here?

HENDRICKSON:

Because (recording error)

MOORE:

Oh.

HENDRICKSON:

All the Finnish from (not understood) had to go Russian Army for one year. And he was married and he didn't want to go to Russian Army.

MOORE:

So he came instead to the United States?

HENDRICKSON:

Mmhmm.

MOORE:

How did he get the money to come here?

HENDRICKSON:

Oh he had money I guess, I don't know.

MOORE:

And so what year did he come here first?

HENDRICKSON:

Mm…I was five years old…

MOORE:

Nineteen oh…

HENDRICKSON:

No, four years old. 1905.

MOORE:

1905.

HENDRICKSON:

Something like that.

MOORE:

And do you remember your father talking to your mother about leaving? You're very young then, do you remember them discussing this at all?

HENDRICKSON:

No I don't know.

MOORE:

No. And how long was he away then?

HENDRICKSON:

He went two years and then he came back.

MOORE:

And why did he come back?

HENDRICKSON:

How do I know? They had a poor time here that time too?

MOORE:

And where did he come to first? Where did you father come in the United States? Where did he go?

HENDRICKSON:

I don't really know where he came.

MOORE:

Here? Alright, New York.

HENDRICKSON:

New York.

MOORE:

So you mentioned that your mother also went at one time.

HENDRICKSON:

Yeah.

MOORE:

Where did she go and why did she go?

HENDRICKSON:

(laughs) How do I know. I don't know why she but she came to Boston.

MOORE:

Mmhmm when? When did she go to Boston?

HENDRICKSON:

Oh when I was five years old.

MOORE:

Oh when you were five. I see so young. So your father left when you four and then your mother left when you were five.

HENDRICKSON:

Yeah, yeah.

MOORE:

And how long did your mother stay in United States?

HENDRICKSON:

Huh, she never went back to live in Finland.

MOORE:

So you waited and went to school in Finland?

HENDRICKSON:

Yes.

MOORE:

To come here? And when did you decide to come to the United States. When did you?

HENDRICKSON:

I didn't decide to come at all and I didn't even want to come, but my mother sent me a ticket and I had that ticket two years. And then I couldn't even uh before that I couldn't even get the letters or money anything two years and now the banks burst there in Finland and I had this ticket so I thought I come for one year. - And mother had a boarding house that time in Portland.

MOORE:

Portland Oregon?

HENDRICKSON:

Yeah.

MOORE:

Well, um, what was it like being alone those years? Was it, will you, did you miss your mother and father?

HENDRICKSON:

I don't remember.

MOORE:

Now tell me how you came here, did you come alone?

HENDRICKSON:

Yes. I came alone.

MOORE:

And you came here and your mother sent the ticket. And where did you travel from? Where did you travel from, from Pori?

HENDRICKSON:

No, yes I left Pori but I went to Sweden to G-Goteborg.

MOORE:

How did you from Pori to Goteborg?

HENDRICKSON:

How I went with port and I went with the train. And then the port has a name, a-uhm-ah same name. That uh came over the Atlantic Ocean.

MOORE:

Now lets back up a bit. So from Pori you went by, how did you get to the boat. Where did the boat leave from Finland?

HENDRICKSON:

At Pori's fountain part, by lake of [ph] Potnia. And uh oh I went to Helsinki and…and from Helsinki I went to Turku.

MOORE:

How did you go from Pori to Helsinki?

HENDRICKSON:

With the train.

MOORE:

With the train? And from Helsinki to…

HENDRICKSON:

Turku.

MOORE:

To Turku.

HENDRICKSON:

When with the train and then I went with the port to Sweden.

MOORE:

Mmmhmm.

HENDRICKSON:

And then…

MOORE:

How big was that, what was the boat-train, err the boat ride like? From Turku to Sweden?

HENDRICKSON:

Oh I don't remember. (laughs)

MOORE:

Now this was what year, you said 1919 you left?

HENDRICKSON:

Yeah, I guess so.

MOORE:

1919 you were 18 years old.

HENDRICKSON:

Yes.

MOORE:

And did they give you, back home before you left what did you pack to bring with you.

HENDRICKSON:

(laughs) We-we couldn't get the suitcase. We have one heavy box see. We didn't get no letters, suitcase it was—

MOORE:

Plywood

HENDRICKSON:

The box

MOORE:

Yeah plywood box right?

HENDRICKSON:

Yeah.

MOORE:

And what did you put in that box before you left?

HENDRICKSON:

Oh anyway I had a brand new wool dress made, you know to come here. To put it on when I come here. And it was apple green, nice wool.

MOORE:

Mmhmm.

HENDRICKSON:

And it has little frill streaming around the neck. And here that was the style, little brown frill streaming. And there in Goteborg there was eight of us coming from Finland. And we were in some kind a big room, overnight and it was a five woman and two children. And then somebody came and a-a hollered that you have get ready in fifteen minutes, that the boat leaves. And so we all start packing and everything and-- and five woman in one room and two children (laughs) and some way we they hollered that "Hurry hurry hurry". And uh I had that nice wool dress there and the bed, and somebody throw the covers over it or something and I left that dress there. So I had a mini-blouse and pleated skirt and they were, I had to wear the same thing all the time. And came here with them.

MOORE:

What else did you bring? You had a box and what things did you bring with you besides that? What did you fill the box with?

HENDRICKSON:

Oh I had a coupla pairs of underwear, they had to be sewn at that time, you couldn't buy it. And-and the best clothes I had.

MOORE:

Did you bring anything from home that you still have?

HENDRICKSON:

No.

MOORE:

No. Did…

HENDRICKSON:

Oh I have that box still.

MOORE:

You still have the box?

HENDRICKSON:

Yeah in Portland, I mean Seattle. In my house, in the basement.

MOORE:

Mmmhmm. And uh who made that box?

HENDRICKSON:

I don't know I bought it.

MOORE:

Oh you bought it. And before you left, did they give you a party or people come to say goodbye to you?

HENDRICKSON:

Of course. They came there to the train and I had two (Finnish words)…

MOORE:

You mean tulips?

HENDRICKSON:

Tulips. Oh my I had whole…

MOORE:

Armload?

HENDRICKSON:

…lot of armload of tulips. Everybody was bringing them.

MOORE:

At the train station before you left. And who said goodbye to you? Who came to the train station, who came to say goodbye?

HENDRICKSON:

Oh ah my friends…

MOORE:

And your family too? Your aunts…

HENDRICKSON:

My cousins and uh and I had lot of girl and boyfriends.

MOORE:

Mm. Now the trip from Turku to Stockholm…

HENDRICKSON:

Yes and from Stockholm to Goteborg.

MOORE:

By train?

HENDRICKSON:

By train yeah.

MOORE:

Turku to Stockholm how was the trip over? What kind of accommodations do you remember?

HENDRICKSON:

No (laughing).

MOORE:

You don't remember?

HENDRICKSON:

I don't remember.

MOORE:

So you got in Goteborg, you got on the boat; do you remember the boat's name that you left from? (Phone rings)

HENDRICKSON:

Boats name was Goteborg.

MOORE:

Was Goteborg?

HENDRICKSON:

Yeah.

MOORE:

And what type of accommodations did you have on that boat? What was it like?

HENDRICKSON:

Huh- I have a room, atop of propeller. Terrible, it was jumping back like that and I got so seasick that I couldn't get out of the bed.

MOORE:

And was the trip rough?

HENDRICKSON:

No, I don't know if that was any rougher than any other time, but anyway that room that I had it was so terrible because that propeller makes so much noise and--and a—a made that a like move. Maybe it didn't move but anyway that propeller feel like it was moving. (Someone talking on the phone can be heard to say "Yeah")

MOORE:

And were you with other people in that room? Were you alone or with others?

HENDRICKSON:

No there was a-a other girl there, but she didn't get sea sick.

MOORE:

Did you have good bedding and--and linen covers? What type of bedding and things did you have?

HENDRICKSON:

Oh they had some kind of bedding, I didn't have my bedding there.

MOORE:

And how long did that trip take?

HENDRICKSON:

Week I think it was.

MOORE:

And did you, were you able to eat at all during that trip?

HENDRICKSON:

Of course we all the meals but then I was so seasick I concourse so they bring me some food like hardtack (not understood) and they have something like that.

MOORE:

Were other people sick besides you?

HENDRICKSON:

Oh of course there was a lot of sick people.

MOORE:

Did you go deck very much?

HENDRICKSON:

No I couldn't go. The last night then, they had one empty pail middle of deck, sick there are (not understood) and they took me over there because they say that I was so sick they can't understood how I can even get out the port. And uh, I slept there that last night and they brought me food there.

MOORE:

And so do you remember seeing land? (recording goes wonky)

HENDRICKSON:

Oh yes, when we went Ellis Island that-that was first time they went right straight to New York and not to Ellis Island like before.

MOORE:

Did you ever go through Ellis Island?

HENDRICKSON:

No, I never went there. That was first time that they quit going there. The doctor came to the port and examine us and we had to show (Finnish word) twenty dollars. And that was that. Yeah and then there was very--very deep steps down from port. And there was big black nigger you know taking you ---out the steps to the porter. And boy I didn't know, I haven't seen nigger put---the in the boat. And that time when I ate theres it was across the street, across the table from me. And I guess I was looking at him too much and he starts making faces for me, all kind a faces, like they make for kids.

MOORE:

(laughs)

HENDRICKSON:

And-and then there was another nigger that I have to call when I left the port, I didn't know if I call or not. (laughs).

MOORE:

(finishing laughing) And um did you ever see Ellis Island ever in any your travels. Did you ever go through Ellis Island?

HENDRICKSON:

No.

MOORE:

You've never seen it.

HENDRICKSON:

Yeah that was first time that they, and I guess they never went there anymore after that.

MOORE:

Alright. And so what happened after that, you went - where were you going too?

HENDRICKSON:

Oh we went - to some kind of room, I guess. I don't remember. But anyway there was this Mari-captain Lind and he has been in Pori and he no, he talk little bit Finnish, you know, to get along. And I talk Swedish some too, that time. And uh, so he had his friend's sixteen year old girl that he was bringing this country. That girl was born here, and she was eight years old they sent her back to Finland. But she was Finnish-Swede, she didn't talk Fin. And uh, then this Mari- captain Lind (coughing and sneezing is heard) was going to bring her back and then she had a whole - somebody's old mother too that he was bringing back. So here in New York see, I had my ticket two years and uh all the crisis and everything uh, I railroad and all the prices were so much more than they were when my mother had bought my ticket. So I don't know what would happen to me if he wasn't taking care of, he ask if I think that my mother have a money to send - that much more money that I need that a, if he sent a telegram that she would be able to send the money with the telegram. And I said "Yes I'm sure that she have". And so she telegrammed enough money and also that I could get there third, that I could sleep with reckoning of that another girl. And we went to eat in the Dining Room, if it ever walk away if it stop we went outside to restaurant to eat.

MOORE:

What about um, where you went to New York? What was the first job that you had in the United States?

HENDRICKSON:

I came to my mother here in a Portland.

MOORE:

In Portland right. You came by train.

HENDRICKSON:

Yes.

MOORE:

And when you came to see your mother, what was it like after so many years, seeing her.

HENDRICKSON:

No oh I don't remember.

MOORE:

When you got off the train was she there?

HENDRICKSON:

Yeah.

MOORE:

And what was she doing here?

HENDRICKSON:

She was having hotel.

MOORE:

A hotel right. And what-where did you get your first job here then? What did you do?

HENDRICKSON:

No I work for her.

MOORE:

You work for your mom.

HENDRICKSON:

Yeah and-and then I got married and…

MOORE:

And did you marry a Fin?

HENDRICKSON:

No I wasn't married right away, but I met the man that I married right away. He was there in mother's hotel.

MOORE:

And was he Finnish?

HENDRICKSON:

Born here.

MOORE:

Born here.

SIMPONIN:

By Finnish parents.

MOORE:

Of yeah…

HENDRICKSON:

And he didn't know how to talk Finnish, but he learn Finnish much quicker than I learn English, because everybody in boarding house talk Finnish anyway.

MOORE:

And where was that boarding house in Portland, what street was it on?

HENDRICKSON:

Sixteen and Overton.

MOORE:

Sixteen and Overton in Portland.

HENDRICKSON:

Yeah.

MOORE:

It was a Finnish boarding house.

HENDRICKSON:

Yeah.

MOORE:

And so you met your husband and when did you marry then?

HENDRICKSON:

Oh a year after that I guess.

MOORE:

And what year was that then, you were—

HENDRICKSON:

1920 I guess.

MOORE:

1920.

HENDRICKSON:

I don't remember.

MOORE:

And so what happened then, where did you work at, did you always work for your mother?

HENDRICKSON:

Yes, I work, my mother and I keep roomers, I rented two rooms out and the fellas ate there in my mother's place and uh -

MOORE:

And what were the fellows doing? What we the people in the boarding house, what did they do for a living?

HENDRICKSON:

All kind of work there was all kinds of workers. There was-- I didn't know what they all work for. I guess there were some longshoremen and some work in the boots and I don't know.

MOORE:

And what about um, then you met you married when you were 19-20. What did your husband do for work?

HENDRICKSON:

He was a window cleaner.

MOORE:

What was his first name?

HENDRICKSON:

Henry.

MOORE:

Henry. And where did you live then? In the same place?

HENDRICKSON:

Oh we rented house and our house was so close to boarding house that our back yards were together. And I work for my mother.

MOORE:

Tell me a little bit about what happened with your life then with Hen- when you married Henry. Did you have children?

HENDRICKSON:

Yes, we have her.

MOORE:

You had a daughter and her name is?

HENDRICKSON:

Mmhmm, mmhmm.

MOORE:

What was her name, your daughter's name?

HENDRICKSON:

Gladys, Gladys June.

MOORE:

Gladys June, and what year she born?

HENDRICKSON:

What year you was born, 1920?

SIMPONIN:

Two.

HENDRICKSON:

1922, okay.

MOORE:

And—when you now look back your life and you came from Finland and you've lived in Finland, and in Portland, and in Washington - how do you feel? We were just talking about looking back, but you arrived the 28th of January, 1919?

HENDRICKSON:

Yeah, I guess it was 1919.

MOORE:

Or 1920? When did you leave from Pori?

HENDRICKSON:

I guess it was 1920, January 28th when I got to Portland.

MOORE:

Okay we'll check on that. Now when you look back on your life now, and you've lived in these places and Finland first, then in Portland and now you're here in Seattle.

HENDRICKSON:

Oh I've been Alaska and I've been California, and I've been a lot of places.

MOORE:

You lived in Alaska too?

HENDRICKSON:

Two years.

MOORE:

Doing what?

HENDRICKSON:

Oh that was just before ah, second world war.

MOORE:

What part of Alaska did you live in?

HENDRICKSON:

Fairbanks.

MOORE:

And why were you there?

HENDRICKSON:

Why I was there? My husband worked there.

MOORE:

And what did he wh-wh-what did he work at, what was he doing?

HENDRICKSON:

Oh I don't remember the company's name, he was carpenter.

MOORE:

Mmm-hmm. So he was a carpenter, okay so that was your second husband that - in Alaska, (louder) that was your second husband?

HENDRICKSON:

Yes.

MOORE:

Mm-hmm. So you remarried?

HENDRICKSON:

Yes.

MOORE:

And when did you remarry-

HENDRICKSON:

And we went to Alaska then, I married last day 1939.

MOORE:

Mmm-hmm. So when you look back now what do you think about your decision to leave Finland? Was it a good decision - to leave Finland?

HENDRICKSON:

(chuckles) I don't know.

MOORE:

Did you ever get homesick for Finland?

HENDRICKSON:

No.

MOORE:

Have you ever been back to Finland?

HENDRICKSON:

Ten times.

MOORE:

And why do you go back to Finland?

HENDRICKSON:

To visit. I have travel lot and I went there to visit know? I have lot of relatives and-

MOORE:

How did your family, did your mother and father feel about leaving Finland? Did they think it was a good decision?

HENDRICKSON:

I don't know what they feel like.

MOORE:

So have you ever thought about going back to live in Finland again?

HENDRICKSON:

No.

MOORE:

Why not?

HENDRICKSON:

Because it's better here.

MOORE:

Mm-hmm. Well I'd like to thank you on behalf of Ellis Island for this interview and for giving us the opportunity to talk to you. And we'll send you a copy then of this. This is Kate Moore signing off on July- June 27th 1994 in La Conner Shelter Bay, Washington.