In honor of his having been one of the founders of ACLU of Alaska 40 years ago, and for his “important contributions in guarding Alaskans’ individual liberty and civil rights,” Niilo was among 40 individual and group awardees at the 40th Anniversary Liberty Awards Gala, January 22, 2011 in Anchorage. While he wasn’t able to attend himself, friends and family attending the gala were reminded how much difference he and other champions of civil rights have made.
Of course, it is an ongoing effort. As Niilo used to say, “Onward!”
Heather
Chena and Heather,
I have been thinking a lot about all of you of late, your dad and mom, especially; so I thought I would look you up on the web, and lo and behold, here you are. It’s nice to see that, even with Niilo’s declining health, that you are all still close. My mother passed away not long after we left Fairbanks and moved to Yakima, Washington. My dad joined her about 26 years later.
Do you still have horses? I have had one or two off and on all my life, except that I had to have my last one put down last summer and haven’t had the opportunity to get another yet.
I know that this is primarily a blog about your dad and his health, so I want to share a memory of him. I remember being up at your house for dinner one night and as we all sat around the table he was telling us about his parents. How they had met in Finland and moved to the US. How his mother had been born in the US of Finnish parents who then took her back to Finland. He said that she spoke Finnish with an American accent and English with a Finnish accent. I thought that was so funny.
I remember, too, how wonderful your house used to smell. I’ve wondered ever since what it was that your mom did to give it such a sweet-lemony scent. I’ve tried leaving cut lemons on the counter, but it doesn’t work. I alway felt very welcome in your home.