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Eva Sipila
August 23, 1916 ~ March 2, 2013 (age 96) 96 Years OldShare using:
Biography (Eva) Helmi Susannah (Lillqvist) Sipila was born in Alahärmä Finland on 15 February 1914 to Kustaa and Amalia Lillqvist. Her parents had immigrated to the United States in the late 1880s; and her first four siblings were born in the United States. Then her parents returned to Finland in 1908 and purchased a dairy farm in Alahärmä. The family continued to grow until Helmi had 10 sisters and brothers. As a young woman, she worked on various dairy farms in northwestern Finland.
In 1938, Eeva, Helmi’s younger sister, decided to immigrate to the United States. However, at the last minute, Eeva changed her mind, so Helmi decided to take her visa, her name, and her birthday, and immigrate to the United States where she joined some of her brothers and sisters who had already immigrated to the U.S. She initially worked as a cook for various families in the Providence RI and Hartford CT areas.
In 1943 Helmi met a young Finnish sailor in the U.S. merchant marines, Yrjö (George) Sipila. They were married on 1 April 1944, bought a poultry farm in Brooklyn CT where she worked as a housewife and farmer until her husband retired in 1970; she then went to work for a local textile manufacturing company for several years before retiring herself. They have resided on their purchased land ever since.
Helmi became a resident of the Pierce Memorial Baptist Home in July 2012. Helmi was preceded in death by her husband, Yrjö in October 1996; she was also preceded by most of her siblings, i.e., brothers, John, Kalle, Eino, and Erkki Lillqvist, and sisters, Ida Hakkila, Vieno Aho, Ellen Krokki, Eeva Huhtanen, and Katri Kamppila.
Helmi lived a wonderful life. She enjoyed baking Finnish breads and sharing these with family and friends. She was an avid bowler who frequented Friendly Bowl soon after it opened in the late 1950s. Helmi was proud of her Finnish heritage and continued to be an active member of the Finnish American Heritage Society in Canterbury CT where she was one of the founding members.
She leaves behind a son, George and his wife, Jane, who live in Brooklyn CT, and a daughter, Pearl and her husband, Woods McCahill, of Lake Placid NY. She also leaves five wonderful grand children, William Sipila of El Cerrito CA, Lynn Sipila of Brighton MA, and Erik Sipila of Centennial CO, and Kate McCahill of Santa Fe NM and David McCahill of Innsbruck Austria. She is also survived by her brother, Otto Lillqvist of Oulu Finland as well as several nieces, i.e., Aili and her husband, Val Galasyn, of Canterbury CT, Anita and her husband, Jack Smiley, of Preston CT, and nephews, Eero and his wife, Margaret Hakkila of Tonto Verde AZ, and Jack Hakkila of Anchorage AK, to name a few that live in the USA; the remaining 50-60 others live in Finland and Sweden.
In lieu of flowers, it is requested that donations be made to the Finnish American Heritage Society, P.O. Box 252, Canterbury CT 06331. A memorial service celebrating Helmi’s life will be held at the Finnish American Heritage Society on Saturday, 9 March at 2:00 pm.
In 1938, Eeva, Helmi’s younger sister, decided to immigrate to the United States. However, at the last minute, Eeva changed her mind, so Helmi decided to take her visa, her name, and her birthday, and immigrate to the United States where she joined some of her brothers and sisters who had already immigrated to the U.S. She initially worked as a cook for various families in the Providence RI and Hartford CT areas.
In 1943 Helmi met a young Finnish sailor in the U.S. merchant marines, Yrjö (George) Sipila. They were married on 1 April 1944, bought a poultry farm in Brooklyn CT where she worked as a housewife and farmer until her husband retired in 1970; she then went to work for a local textile manufacturing company for several years before retiring herself. They have resided on their purchased land ever since.
Helmi became a resident of the Pierce Memorial Baptist Home in July 2012. Helmi was preceded in death by her husband, Yrjö in October 1996; she was also preceded by most of her siblings, i.e., brothers, John, Kalle, Eino, and Erkki Lillqvist, and sisters, Ida Hakkila, Vieno Aho, Ellen Krokki, Eeva Huhtanen, and Katri Kamppila.
Helmi lived a wonderful life. She enjoyed baking Finnish breads and sharing these with family and friends. She was an avid bowler who frequented Friendly Bowl soon after it opened in the late 1950s. Helmi was proud of her Finnish heritage and continued to be an active member of the Finnish American Heritage Society in Canterbury CT where she was one of the founding members.
She leaves behind a son, George and his wife, Jane, who live in Brooklyn CT, and a daughter, Pearl and her husband, Woods McCahill, of Lake Placid NY. She also leaves five wonderful grand children, William Sipila of El Cerrito CA, Lynn Sipila of Brighton MA, and Erik Sipila of Centennial CO, and Kate McCahill of Santa Fe NM and David McCahill of Innsbruck Austria. She is also survived by her brother, Otto Lillqvist of Oulu Finland as well as several nieces, i.e., Aili and her husband, Val Galasyn, of Canterbury CT, Anita and her husband, Jack Smiley, of Preston CT, and nephews, Eero and his wife, Margaret Hakkila of Tonto Verde AZ, and Jack Hakkila of Anchorage AK, to name a few that live in the USA; the remaining 50-60 others live in Finland and Sweden.
In lieu of flowers, it is requested that donations be made to the Finnish American Heritage Society, P.O. Box 252, Canterbury CT 06331. A memorial service celebrating Helmi’s life will be held at the Finnish American Heritage Society on Saturday, 9 March at 2:00 pm.
A service summary is not available
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