(Nonni posted this as a comment, but I am moving it to stand alone. You folks might not know how much meaning your caring has for us….C)
I am so glad that people are posting their memories of Dad. When I read Deirdre Helfferich’s comment about introducing her invisible dragon, George, to the principal I was brought right to the scene and I cried. There is so much that we didn’t see in his life. Or that we remember right off. It is wonderful to get glimpses now.
Nonni
Oh boy! That’s what Dad says a lot these days, Nonni, as we help him get in gear for lunch or whatever.
Dad and Mom had 5 kids, and Nonni is the oldest He remembers sitting on Dad’s lap on “Little David” the bulldozer as Dad cleared the homestead. Yeah right, I’m so jealous! All of us kids have different memories, even though we are only something like 7 years apart in age. Dad sure loves us all and has so many different connections with us. Nonni was so super smart and even tempered (In My Humble Opinion) and so many people look at his picture now and wonder if it is a picture of Dad when he was younger.
To continue the jealousy angle…I thought Nonni was the favorite. It must be hard for him to be so far away (in Vermont) all these years, because Nonni sure loved Alaska and did so much helping Mom and Dad in the 1950s homestead years. We all look up to him.
-Chena
Heippa Koponens: Glad to see that the old boy is back at home and hearth. Familiarity does NOT breed contempt. I may venture to call sometime Sunday and perhaps exchange a word or two with the Main Man himself. I see the Koponen’s rogues’ gallery in your new website heading. Some of identities I can guess, but not all. Can you give me a rundown as to who’s who from left to right? Kiitos. I had a surpise blast from the past myself the other day. I got a phone call from Florida from an old teen-age crush of mine, a Finnish-American woman whose parents and my parents were good friends. It was fun talking to her, kidding around like we did way back in the early 1940s or so when we were young squirts. She was widowed about 3 years ago when her husband of 59 years had passed on. She used to live in both Westminster and Gardner, Mass, when i knew her. I’ve been sending you emails that you might like to downlaod for Niilo. Love, Harry
Top pictures, from left to right: Chena, Gary Newman (Chena’s husband and family tech support, etc), Ben Newman, Heather, Joan, Niilo, Alex, Dane (Heather’s son).
Maybe we can add pictures of the others somehow…
(submitted by Heather)
Hei Hei Yourself Harry! The Rogue’s Gallery was put up by Gary (kiitos) and is Kops and related who are in Fairbanks. We love all Kops! Hope to put up Nonni and Sanni and Katya (aka Kotty) and Peter and Danny and Nonni’s kids (lotsa them) in the future….Today though: Left to right: Chena Bean, Gary Newman (Chena’s hub of thirty some odd years), Ben Newman (grandson of NEK), Heather Koponen (the Doing All Daughter of NEK who lives at the house), Joan Koponen (NEK’s wife), NEK HIMSELF!, Alex (aka Niilo William Alexander the Great Koponen), and Dane M. Koponen (grandson, son of Heather, fire fighter).
Who knows what you guessed? Switch Chena and Dane and it is a riot, eh?
Love blasts from the past, especially from Florida. Dad’s bestest kindergarten friend lives in Florida and visited a few years ago. We thought he was a fabulous person and loved having him. Nothing like old friends going way back, huh?
Yes, Harry, I’ve been getting your May Day and other emails. Some of them I print out and read to Dad and others I roll my eyes and say glad you old geezer can still keep on fighting the good fight. Me, I’m gonna mop the floor this second….Keep on sending, because Dad keeps on thinking this is a political world, perhaps….not a clean world.
I am thinking that if widow if from Massachusetts, she has to have possibilities. Go Harry! You are still a squirt, no doubt.
–Chena
Actually, the photos on the top of the http://koponenalaska.wordpress.com blog only include those Koponen family members currently with residence in Alaska. After all, that’s what the blog title is :-). Due to the limited format size, it was a stretch getting just those in. There are other kids and grandkids that aren’t shown who don’t live in Alaska. If they choose to move back, we’ll find a way to scrunch them in.
— Gary