Emil L. Hokkanen

  General Notes:

Emil Hokkanen, who worked at the Kaukas spool factory in Finland, came to Michigans Upper Peninsula and worked in a mine. He then returned to Finland for a visit and met Evi Miettinennand, who lived in Helsinki, and they were engaged. Evi was five feet tall with curly red hair. Emil returned to the upper peninsula in 1907 and Evi followed in 1908. They were married in Green and had two children, a son Lauri, and a daughter Irja. Emil liked music and played the concertina and kantele. He often played for the dances. Evi did knitting - that was her profession in Finland. She knit stockings mostly, and at times would also knit sweaters. In 1921, the family moved to Neebish Island, located near Soo, Michigan. Their home was next to the water and they survived by trapping, hunting, fishing and selling lumber from their land. In 1927 the family moved to Sugar Island. Some of the information above is from the book "Neebish Island Memories" by Irja Hokkanen Harju.

An account by son Lauri in the book "Karelia" states that he grew up on Sugar Island. This would have been the last place he lived with his family. One of his early jobs was working on the lake freighters on the Great Lakes.

From "Green, Michigan and the Kaukas Connection" by Douglas D. Karttunen.
Emil Hokkanen, who worked at the Kaukas spool factory in Finland, left Finland on December 4, 1907 for Ontonagon, Michigan. Emil was single at the time. His fiance, Eevi Miettinen left Finland on March 18, 1908 and they were married in Green.

From the Institute of Migration Emigrant Register Passenger Records.
http://www.migrationinstitute.fi

Last Name: Hokkanen
First name: Emil
Age or age class: 33
Port of departure: Hanko
Place of destination: Ontonagon
State of destination: MI
Country of destination: USA
Price of ticket: USD 67
Ship from Finland: Polaris
Date of departure from Finland: 04.12.1907
Ship from England: Saxonia
Date of departure from England: 10.12.1907
Ocean Line: Cunard Line
Port of departure from England: *
List and page: 64/71
Remarks: * ²⁷

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Picture: Irja, Emil, Evi and Lauri Hokkanen.

Emil married Evi Miettinennand in Green, Michigan (Upper Peninsula). (Evi Miettinennand was born in 1882 in Finland,¹⁶³ died in 1960 in Sugar Island, Michigan ¹⁶³ and was buried in Shingle Point Cemetery, Sugar Island, Michigan.)