HISTORY OF THE AHO FAMILY - 1930-1939

1930

LILLIAN GOES TO MILWAUKEE

When Lillian had just turned 17, on May 8th, 1930, she heard there were some people going to Milwaukee, so she asked if she could come along. She sat in the rumble seat all the way to Milwaukee.

Well, it was hard to get a job there, but she finally got one at Globe-Union, but they kept her there for only 3 weeks.

That August in Milwaukee Lillian joined a marathon dance. Tyne and Tom had some friends from Chicago that had won the second prize, so they thought maybe Lillian could make a lot of money too. She danced for only 24 hours, but she got too tired and left.

After she left the dance, she didn't know where to get the bus, and there were some guys trying to pick her up. Lillian didn't want to take a ride with the boys, because she was always warned not to pick up rides. So she walked along the ditch to get away from them.

Then she went up to a filling station and asked a lady where to get the bus, but the lady just walked away from her without answering. She finally found her way to Tyne's and was so tired that she slept for 17 hours straight.

When Lillian was living at Tyne's, all the little kids used to like her. They would run after her for blocks, calling her sweetheart and honey. They were only 6 or 7 years old. There were plenty of guys who tried to pick her up too.

ANDREW GETS A STROKE

That year, Andrew suffered a stroke, while giving dried hay to the cows.

LILLIAN GOES TO DULUTH

So then Lillian wrote a letter to Hjalmer in Duluth, asking if he would come and get her and take her home. It was in November, and her father had had a stroke already, and she just wanted to go home. But Hjalmer said no, that she should come to Duluth and get a job, because she didn't hardly have any clothes to wear. She looked like a beggar.

So Lillian went back to Duluth and was there about 3 months, but she just felt she wanted to get home before her father died. She did housework in Duluth.

Lillian moves

Lillian moves to Milwaukee with Tyne and Tom.

Andrew has a stroke.

1931

LILLIAN RETURNS TO DULUTH

Lillian finally got back home in April of 1931.

When she was home, at age 17, there was a boy that was real crazy about her in Clifford. He always talked like he wanted to get married. Well, once Lillian had a date with him, but she didn't care for him anymore, so she went upstairs and told her mother to tell him that she had gone to Milwaukee. He felt pretty bad and went to the dance by himself and got drunk. And he was crying. His name was Paul Haikinen.

ANDREW DIES

On March 6, 1931, Andrew died at the age of 60. Andrew died just one week before Lillian's 18th birthday.

WAYNE LOSES HIS TEETH

When Tyne and Tom came from Milwaukee to Andrew's funeral on March 8, 1931, they were shocked when they saw how bad Wayne's teeth were. The teeth were yellowed, and his gums were all swollen. So after the funeral they took him back to Milwaukee and sent him to a dental school. The students then pulled all of Wayne's teeth out. Wayne was 17 years old.

HJALMER TAKES FAMILY TO DULUTH

Since they were just renting the farm, they moved out. About two months later, Hjalmer took the Hulda, Einar, and Lillian to Duluth to live with him. Hulda didn't like it at all in Duluth. She was sorry she ever left Clifford. Hjalmer was only 24 then.

WAYNE GOES TO DULUTH FROM MILWAUKEE

Since it was during the depression, and Tyne was pregnant, Tom couldn't afford to keep Wayne at their place. Tom's sister, Marie and her husband, Dr. Lane, were going up to Duluth, so they gave Wayne a ride there. Wayne moved in with Hjalmer and the rest of the family there.

LILLIAN STARTS TO WORK

Lillian stayed a little while with Hjalmer, and then she found a job doing housework that she kept for 3 years.

After Lillian had turned 18, everybody used to say how beautiful she was. She didn't think she was so good looking, but she was happy to hear that, though.

PARTY AT HJALMER'S

One day, Hjalmer had a party at his place. He had a 17 year old girl as his date there. She and Wayne started to drink gin, and soon they started kissing to beat the band. And Wayne didn't have a tooth in his mouth.

Hjalmer takes Lillian back to Clifford. 9. Andrew dies in March. Funeral on Mar. 8. 10.Tyne and Tom take Wayne to Milwaukee to have his teeth fixed. 11.Hjalmer moves family to Duluth. Hulda, Einar, and Lillian. What happened to the farm? Was it rented? 12.Wayne moves up to Duluth to stay with Hjalmer.

1932:

LILLIAN MAKES FRIENDS WITH HELEN

Lillian met Helen Majeski at a dance. She asked me if Lillian worked for that Shakwee and she said she did. They got to be the best of friends. They used to chum around together, and later they went to Milwaukee together.

LILLIAN FALLS IN LOVE

One time Helen and Lillian went gone to the dance at Campbell Hall in Duluth, but they didn't have any fun there, so they left. While they were waiting for the bus, two guys in a car stopped and said they'd drive them home. Lil went in the back seat with this one fellow, John Anderson, and Helen went into the front.

It was love at first sight for Lillian. As soon as she went in the back seat and saw this fellow, she fell in love. She said she never had that feeling afterwards. He made a date for the next Tuesday, and Helen had a date with the other guy. But she didn't like him at all, and that spoiled the fun.

The next week, John made another date. He came to see Lillian at Hjalmer's, and he said that he just can't leave her. Apparently John was in love with Lillian too. But for some reason, it just didn't last too long.

HJALMER PICKS LILLIAN UP FROM WORK

Helen worked in the house next to the one where Lillian worked. Hjalmer used to pick her up at 1 o'clock in the afternoon, and Helen used to think, "Boy, is she lucky to have someone to pick her up at work every Thursday."

Hjalmer was late once, so Lillian thought She'd fix him, so she just left. But afterwards she was thinking, when Hjalmer stopped picking me up, how lucky she had been to have someone get her.

HULDA WORRIES ABOUT WAYNE

Hulda always worried about Wayne, because she didn't think he was very bright. She wanted Wayne to be taken care of.

One day, she got very sick. She then said to call Nick to meet us, because if she happened to die that Wayne would be taken care of.

Jim born to Tyne

Jim was born to Tyne on May 10. 6. Hjalmer marries Margaret. What was Margaret's maiden name? When did they get married? 7. Wayne moves out from Hjalmer's and moves to Milwaukee. He can't find work there, so he moves back to Clifford. Was this in 1932 or 1933? D. 1933: 1. WAYNE GETS A JOB

Later Wayne got a job delivering newspapers for Paavia Lehti (a Finnish newspaper). He did a lot of drinking on the job.

LILLIAN MOVES TO MILWAUKEE

Then a week before Lillian's 20th birthday, Helen and her decided to go to Milwaukee, because the weather was so bad in Duluth. When they got to Milwaukee, they almost froze there. It wasn't so cold, but it was damp, and it just penetrated a person.

Lillain got a job as a cook for Kekefers, and she worked there for 2 years.

HULDA WRITES TYNE ABOUT EINAR

Hulda wrote Tyne a letter saying that Einar can't find a job and that his shoes have holes in them.

Einar was still staying with Hjalmer at that time. He was 22 years old.

Hjalmer moves to Ironwood.

Takes Hulda along.

a) When did Wayne move back with Hjalmer?

b) When did Hjalmer move back to Duluth?

1934

HJALMER GETS MARRIED

In 1934, Hjalmer got married a 25 year old woman of Norwegan descent, Margaret. Everyone called her "Muggs". Hjalmer was 27 at that time.

WAYNE MOVES BACK TO CLIFFORD

After Hjalmer and Muggs got married, they wanted Wayne to move out. That nearly broke Hulda's heart, since she felt Wayne couldn't take care of himself.

Tyne told Wayne to come to Milwaukee. But he couldn't find a job there, so he went back to Clifford and worked for Manty's on their farm.

Tom's brother, Carl, was building a cabin in Ironwood, so Wayne went up there to help him. Together they did a lot of drinking.

HULDA STAYS WITH EINAR

That winter, Hjalmer and Margaret decided to move to Minneapolis, so Hulda stayed with Einar.

1934

DULUTH AND IRONWOOD

Hjalmer moved to Ironwood, and Mother begged Wayne to come back with them.

At that time Wayne slept in the same bed as Einar. Wayne would keep a bottle in bed with him, and when he would wake up, he would take a snort from it.

Lillian moves to Milwaukee at age 21. F. 1935: 1. 1935-1938: HULDA STAYS WITH HJALMER AND MARGARET

When Hjalmer and his new wife Margaret came back to Duluth from Minneapolis, Hjalmer had Hulda stay with them. Einar and Wayne were out of work, so they both stayed with Hjalmer and Margaret too.

Margaret especially resented having Hulda in her household. She preferred to start off their marriage alone.

Hjalmer was working at the newspaper. Hjalmer essentailly just added Margaaret to those he was supporting, when they got married.

They'd get a pot roast on the weekend and have pot roast all week. Hulda helped out in the kitchen, too. Margaret would have to get the groceries, because Hulda couldn't speak English.

Then Einar finally got a job. He was making $5 or $6 dollars a week delivering the Finnish Daily. Then he got into the mailing department, and he was making more money, so he was paying Hjalmer and Margaret about $6 a week room and board. But it was a help no matter what little someone brought in.

Hulda was very good with children. When she went to visit Nick, she would give each child a dime. She felt that you should always give the children money or something.

1935

LILLIAN -THINKING ABOUT BOY FROM DULUTH

I always kept thinking about that boy from Duluth. I kept thinking he was the only one. Then when I had been in Milwaukee for a year, and he had gone to work on a boat, he sent me a letter. But I had quit my job, so the letter had come to Bush's. But I finally got it.

I wrote him back, and he came to Milwaukee, and we met at Gimble's on Wisconsin Avenue. We went together for a while, but then I found out that I really didn't care for him. I found out that he was sort of a mean person, saying all sorts of insulting things to you.

1935

LILLIAN -TOOK TRIP TO DULUTH WITH HIM

That winter, he drove back to Duluth to see his parents, and I went along with him. I stayed at Hjalmer's. But then he didn't even call me up. Instead, he just went around seeing his old friends. That burned me up, so I took a train back to Milwaukee.

He was really sore about that. He had come up to Hjalmer's and found that I was gone. For a long time he didn't even write to me.

Tyne has trouble with Tom's drinking. G. 1936: 1. 1936 LILLIAN -PARTY AT TYNE'S

One day he came with his brother over to Tyne's. He got real drunk, and we were all having a good time. So then his younger brother kissed me, and he saw that and got really sore. He left, and I never saw him after that. I was 23 at the time.

1937

LILLIAN WORKS FOR BUSH

In 1937, Lillian went to work for Mrs. Bush, of Nunn-Bush Shoes. She worked there for a year as a cook.

1938

COSTS DURING THE DEPRESSION

The prices were so different in those days. Since she had five people living with them, Margaret kept a budget of what was spent. For a week, the grocery bill was about $6.

They could get coffee for 34 cents, chops 22 cents, 2 pounds of spinach 10 cents, 2 quarts of milk for 24 cents, steak for 24 cents, and so on.

LILLIAN GETS A DIFFERENT JOB

In 1938 Lillian worked for Westien and worked there for two years.

HULDA GETS A STROKE

In 1938, Hulda got a serious stroke. She was 65 years old. She couldn't even talk, except by motioning. Also, one of her arms was paralyzed, but she was still able to walk around.

Hulda has stroke at age 65. She was still living with Hjalmer. Wayne also lived there and helped dress Hulda. J. 1939: 1. 1939-1941: TAKING CARE OF HULDA

When she was under her stroke, Wayne used to dress her. He was drinking real heavy at that time. Once, she wanted to have a dress put on, but Wayne was real crabby, so she pointed her finger to her head and went round and round, meaning he is drunk.

She would save cigarette butts for Wayne. She saved Hjalmer's and Einar's cigarette butts for Wayne, because he wasn't working.

Once when Ceil visited Aho's, she saw Wayne feeding Hulda, and she almost cried, because she thought Wayne was so good to his mother.

Hulda was a real good natured, jolly person, who used to laugh alot. She loved company and always wanted to have somebody around her. She hated to be left alone. She was afraid to be left alone.

Once, when Lillian visited her in Duluth, everyone was all going out, and she was motioning - she had the stroke - who was going to be with her?

So Lillian pointed to the cat. That the cat will be with her. She just shook her head. Lillian always liked to joke around.

And when all her children were around, she acted as if it was the happiest day of her life.

Hulda believed in God, but she never got to the church, because nobody brought her there.

LILLIAN - OTHER YEARS

GOING TO THE DANCES

We went to the dances Thurday and Saturday night. I went there with another girlfriend I had. Her name was Helmi. We went to the Miller High Life. It was a a hangout for the younger crowd.

MET FELLOW AT DANCE

Well, there I met another guy that I liked. His name was John Beeran. I would meet him there, and later he would bring me home, but he would never make a date. Later I found out that he had been going steady with a girl for two years, and then he got married. I felt pretty bad about that.

History of Aho Family