Finland

Finland

Intro

Work in Progress

Folded

The Land of a Thousand Lakes

Picture of Finland

Map

Description of Landscape

Vaasan Laani, Western Finland

Ostrobothnia

Towns of Isokyro and Vasa

The Hummer Family Stories Copy for Revisions

White Russia "Grandpa (Edward) Hummer's accent was not a Finnish accent. Fellows on the dock, even our choir director, to this day, have asked me, where did your father come from? Because he never talked like everybody else." Edward's birth certificate said he was born in White Russia. What is White Russia? What was Edward's life there as a boy? And what was the experience of coming alone to America? These are some of the mysteries that we find ourselves wondering into the night. The Internet says White Russia was a name given to the present day country of Belarus, or Belorussia as it was called in the 1800's. Is this the same White Russia on Edward's birth certificate? Why is it called White? Is there a Black Russia? Belarus is on the western edge of Russia, south of Finland. Check out the map. Perhaps one of the family could help us discover more clues to this Hummer Mystery.



CLUE? When Lil was very young, she remembers Edward's mother coming to Ashtabula. We found record that Edward had two half sisters. Their married names were Heikkila, of Negaunee and Ruhala of Florida. But that's all we know.

Aunt Lil: "Grandpa had two half-sisters, but no brothers. Grandpa Hummer came over all by himself when he was 14 years old. He was in steerage. The only thing that he ever, ever told us. We didn't question. Sometimes they didn't want you to know."

Uncle Dave: "I don't think Grandma wanted to talk about it. Grandpa's mother had children with different fathers. That's why Grandma never talked about it."

Aunt Lil: Grandpa Hummer's accent was not a Finnish accent. Fellas on the dock, even our choir director, to this day has asked me, where did your father come from? Because he never talked like everybody else. He came from Finland but his birth certificate said White Russia. Finland was under Russion rule at one time and Grandpa lived right on the line. He was from Vaasan Laani.

When Grandpa Hummer smiled, it was a celebration...We heard him sing once, just one time in my life time. Grandpa sang a lullaby in Finnish that he had heard. Grandma asked him to sing it. Grandpa was very stern, but most of the time it was put on. Ten children. He had to show some authority."