This is my great grandfather, my grandpa is Veikko and he passed away before I was born, my mother also passed when I was 11 so I haven’t heard much about my family. I know my grandpa was born in Finland but not much else. Not expecting much just curious if I still have some relatives in Finland. I come from a dominant Dutch area in America so my Finnish heritage has always intrigued me more. Don’t see much of it on tv but I loved the episode of no reservation with Anthony Bourdain
Do you know when he emigrated from Finland?
Ellis island database suggests 1888 or 1950, but those both might be wrong. If he did come in 1950’s, he probably served in some war and there would be a record of that in the national archives.
My father-in-law has access to these I am pretty sure. I could ask him to dig up something.
The Nikolai second name I have never seen before, that is different. I wonder why Joensuu is in parenthesis for a male relative? I noticed that for women as it would show their maiden name. Erkinpoika is very Finnish but with the patronymic Swedish style which is common on the western coasts, son of Erkki. I have relatives from similar areas, not Swedish speaking but with similar patronymic name variations, “son of Antti” traditionally eastern Finns do not have that and their last names end in, “nen” I am not a native, so anyone with more info to add/update please feel free to correct me.
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This is my great grandfather, my grandpa is Veikko and he passed away before I was born, my mother also passed when I was 11 so I haven’t heard much about my family. I know my grandpa was born in Finland but not much else. Not expecting much just curious if I still have some relatives in Finland. I come from a dominant Dutch area in America so my Finnish heritage has always intrigued me more. Don’t see much of it on tv but I loved the episode of no reservation with Anthony Bourdain
Do you know when he emigrated from Finland?
Ellis island database suggests 1888 or 1950, but those both might be wrong. If he did come in 1950’s, he probably served in some war and there would be a record of that in the national archives.
[Ellis island database ](https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result)
https://sukuhaku.genealogia.fi/default.asp?op=Search&%5Bs-c%5Detunimi=Matti&%5Bs-ct%5Detunimi=ColumnValueText&%5Bs-ca%5Detunimi=enabled&%5Bs-c%5Dpatronyymi=&%5Bs-ct%5Dpatronyymi=ColumnValueText&%5Bs-ca%5Dpatronyymi=enabled&%5Bs-c%5Dsukunimi=Westerback&%5Bs-ct%5Dsukunimi=ColumnValueText&%5Bs-ca%5Dsukunimi=enabled&%5Bs-c%5Dsyntymavuosi=&%5Bs-ct%5Dsyntymavuosi=ColumnValueNum&%5Bs-c%5Dkuolinvuosi=&%5Bs-ct%5Dkuolinvuosi=ColumnValueNum&%5Bs-c%5Dpaikkakunta=&%5Bs-ct%5Dpaikkakunta=ColumnValueText&%5Bs-ca%5Dpaikkakunta=enabled&%5Bs-c%5Dtalokyla=&%5Bs-ct%5Dtalokyla=ColumnValueText&%5Bs-ca%5Dtalokyla=enabled&%5Bs-ca%5Dfreetext-material=enabled&%5Bs-ca%5Dfreetext-ocr=enabled&step-selection=root
My father-in-law has access to these I am pretty sure. I could ask him to dig up something.
The Nikolai second name I have never seen before, that is different. I wonder why Joensuu is in parenthesis for a male relative? I noticed that for women as it would show their maiden name. Erkinpoika is very Finnish but with the patronymic Swedish style which is common on the western coasts, son of Erkki. I have relatives from similar areas, not Swedish speaking but with similar patronymic name variations, “son of Antti” traditionally eastern Finns do not have that and their last names end in, “nen” I am not a native, so anyone with more info to add/update please feel free to correct me.