Hi Mary, ... My g-grandfather, Johan Israelimp HEISKA (b.1821-Isokyro, d.1891-Ylistaro) married twice. His 1st wife, Helena Matintr, (b.1824-Isokyro, d.1860) bore him 5 children; Maria, Daniel, Hedvig, Lisa, and Johan Gustav before her death. On 1 Apr 1861 he married my g-grandmother, Lisa ,Johanintr e Kolli, (b.1837 Ylistaro d.1908) and they had 9 children; Susanna-1862, Jacob-1864, Isak-1866, Justina (my g-mother)-1867, Matts-1870, Jakob-1872, Suanna-1876, Essias-1879, and Saloman-1882.
Justina went to America 1892 and, on 28 Apr 1894, married Anders Kuusta (August) Kaanta (b.30 Jan 1879 Toholampi, Vaasa, FIN) in Hanna WY USA. They had 5 children; Maria Eliina-1894, Alma Elisabet (my mother)-1897, Otto Ewald-1899, Eino August-1903, and Vilho Leonard-1903. My father, Anders August, died 30 Jun 1903 in a mining accident. Soon after. Justina took the kids back to Ylistaro. Both Eliina and Vilho, eventually returned to America, as did my mother who, in 1923 married Onni Matias Peltola in Ylistaro, and immigrated to Canada in 1923 and then to Grand Rapids, MI, USA in 1926. Otto Ewald,1899-1946, chose HEISKA instead of KAANTA for his surname and remained in Ylistaro .
Do we have a possible connection? You may e-mail me direct if you so wish; <
mrroguska@comcast.net>