Evi Miettinennand

  General Notes:

Evi and Eva have been used for her first name. Her last name has been spelled Miettinen.

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. 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.

Evi Miettinennand left Finland on March 18, 1908.

Lauri Hokkanen described his mother, Eva, as a "short-tempered, strong willed little woman" as well as "kind hearted" in the book "Karelia" written by Lauri and his wife, Sylvia.

  Noted events in her life were:

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

Evi married Emil L. Hokkanen, son of Jahvetti Hokkanen and Miina Laitinen, in Green, Michigan (Upper Peninsula). (Emil L. Hokkanen was born in 1882 in Leivonmaki, Finland, died in 1953 in Sugar Island, Michigan and was buried in Shingle Point Cemetery, Sugar Island, Michigan.)