I'm looking for information on the family of Phillip Andrew Koljonen of New York Mills, Otter Tail, MN 1895-1988. He died in or near New York Mills and is probably buried in the area. His mother was said to be a LUUSUA, originally from Finland, then emigrated to Norway, and finally Houghton County, MI. I believe that she was Eva LUUSUA and her husband was Anders Koljonen, though not certain yet.

Any information on this family line would be most appreciated!

Philip Andrew Koljonen was born in Leaf Lakes Twp., Ottertail Co., Minnesota, the 8th child of Anders and Eva Koljonen on June 2, 1895. He married Senia Josephine Pesola on Jan. 7, 1919 at New York Mills, MN. They were the parents of 12 children: Sonja Judith, Andrew Wesly, Reuben Daniel, Berneice, Sara, Esther Elizabeth, Drucilla Isabel, Celia Marie, Susanna, Philip David, Delores and Jefta Norman.
As with most people of Sami blood, Phillip was on the short side. As an old man he still had a thick head of silvery gray hair. It is said to be a trait of the Koljonens to gray young. He was a skilled carpenter.

Many of the Finns who came to Minnesota first came to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan but to my knowledge Anders and Eva did not unless he did initially and quickly moved on because they were in Otter Tail County, MN in 1884 when their daughter Anna was born. It isn't something I've heard in the family but I do know my other side did spend many years on the Keweenaw Peninsula.

I would bet that the family came through the U.P. of Michigan, first. Since my first post, I've found many more shirt-tail relation and every one in Otter Tail, MN area either moved back and forth between MN and Houghton/Keweenaw county MI or their parents, siblings, or children did. Some came through Canada, first, then on to the UP, MI or MN.

All of our family oral history spoke of the Fin side of the family and the Sami that was possibly or probably part of it. In my research, I never found the Sami connection with the Olsen-AHOLA (Olson) and LUUSUA side, but found plenty in the Andersen-Petersen (Anderson-Peterson) Norwegian side.

The 1875 census for Finnmark, Norway is available online and with English translations for the basic parts of the search. That year shows the ethnicity of each person in the family, including mixed ethnicities.

Its nice to have such a quick reply, thank you. Can I ask how you are related to the Koljonen and Luusua families? I have found that on my paternal grandfather's side, the Muckala side, they were constantly going back and forth to the upper peninsula. I spent a lot of time reading the New York Mills newspapers on file at the Minnesota History Center years ago. I discovered one of the reasons was church-related. They went up there to study and be confirmed. I think they also had family there although when my great-grandfather moved to Minnesota, all of his children moved too, even those who were already married.
I have not found a Sami connection on that side although they came from the same area in Norway as the Koljonen and Luusua families. My Grandma Rachel kept in contact with the relatives in Norway and I have corresponded with a cousin, Randi-Irene Losoa, for many years. We do have a site on myfamily.com that many of the relatives on both sides of the ocean are on. If you have Luusua, Koljonen or Muckala ancestry I would be glad to invite you. Some members are excellent photographers and there are some great pictures posted every now and then. Fortunately, the Norwegians all speak good English

I am connected to the LUUSUA family through my hubby. It is one of his lines. Phillip's mother, Eva, was a sister to Ida Marie LUUSUA. Ida married Stephan Olsen Ahola and they had 10 children together, before she died of T.B. in Allouez, MI. The children were split up during her illness and after her death. Most of them used the surname of Olson, as their father did, after several years in the US.

One daughter, Jennie P. (Ahola) Olson, went to live with the Anderson family, of Norway, in Calumet. Later she married their only son, who changed the name to Peterson and later, Pederson. My husband is descended from that line. Generations later, some descendants spell the surname as Peterson, others Pederson, and still others - Petersen. A few dropped the name completely and adopted another.

All of the above named people originally lived in the Arctic Circle of Finland and Norway.

PS:

In addition to Eva Luusua being the sister of Ida Luusua, who marries Stephan Olsen Ahola. Eva and Ida Luusua's brother, Thomas Anton Luusua, marries Stephan Olsen Ahola's sister, Kaisa Marie Olsdatter Ahola, in Sor-Varanger, Finnmark, Norway. All came to UP Michigan

I'm so glad to hear from you. So the descendants of Ida did know she was a twin? Was there any contact with their cousins after their mother's death? My grandma Rachel would have been a first cousin to Jennie. She was a sister to Philip whom you know of. Were you aware of him through research or was there some kind of contact. (I would really like to know the names of her children if you would be willing to share them with me.) Ida's mother, Margreta Niemela Luusua, would have been living yet when Ida passed away. Margreta is buried at Woodland Cemetery near New York Mills, Minnesota. She died in 1910. Her husband is buried in the churchyard of Bugoynes, Norway, where Randi Irene lives. I'd be glad to take a photo of Margreta's tombstone if you'd like. We have elderly relatives in the area that we take my mom to visit periodically. Our summer home is only about an hour away.
My aunt, Gertrude, who is 96 and not well has told me that she is quite sure Eva had a brother at Duluth whose wife died leaving him with children, at least a couple of boys and that they were farmed out as well, she said given up for adoption. Do you know anything about this? There are quite a few Luusuas in that are according to the MN death index. My aunt thinks the brothers name was August or Herman. She thinks that there might actually have been two brothers, one of each name. Our cousin Randi, who lives in the little town in Norway where the Luusuas came from is descended from Eva & Ida's brother Mickel Herman, who stayed in Norway. So I wonder if that is the Herman my aunt has heard of?

I just checked my family file and I know that Mickel Herman stayed in Norway as did Greta Susanna. If Thomas Anton, Ida Marie, and Eva Kristina emigrated that leaves Henrik unaccounted for. And of course my aunt is sure there was an August or Herman or both but I have no record of them.

Wow. So much information. So many new questions!

First, I did not know that Eva and Ida were twins. I never looked for that info. Is that something you heard within the family?

Second, contact in this family did occur, but by the older generations that are gone now. I learned of the surnames Ahola and Luusua from a granddaughter of Ida, Leona Olson Allen. She passed away in 2000, but I owe it all to her, for the progress I've made with this family research. Without her knowledge and input, I'd not have discovered that the surname we knew (Olson) had originally been Ahola, or their deep connections to the Luusua line.

Leona would have loved to have had this information and to have shared with you. She was enthusiastic in her response to my inquiries and sent me a handwritten note, in Norwegian, of the baptism of her father. After translating it, I was able to locate the precise place to contact, in Norway, and find the family records there that led to Finland records as well. Leona could rattle off family names, but not always their exact connection. Koljonen was one of those names.

Leona invited my husband and myself to visit them at their summer cabin in the UP of Michigan, about 12 years ago. She told me of "Finn Fest" that was held at the local college and so we timed the visit to her with that as well. From there we travelled to Houghton County and Keweenaw County to enjoy nature, history, and get in a little time for genealogy research. We loved it!

Third, as far as I know, there were 6 children of Abraham and Margaret Luusua (pardon the various spellings of their first names). They were Thomas Anton, Ida Marie, Eva Stina, Henrik, Grethe Susanna, and Mickel Herman. I do not know what became of Henrik, so your story about his wife and children in Duluth is a good lead to check out, next. A descendant of Mickel e-mailed me from Norway. I have a bit from him, as well. The Ahola and Luusua's were intermarried and moved together from Finland to Norway.

For further contact, please e-mail me at mrstanley59 at hotmail dot com.