Into the wee hours of the night, I searched for clues to my children's family history. Intrigued by the bits and pieces I found, I kept looking and scribbling notes to myself.
Genealogy is definitely a tedious process. An occasional birthdate or year to help expand the search is a celebration, and it may take hours to unearth that one clue. Patience is mandatory.
At midnight though, I hit the jackpot. I followed the link to a grave searching for dates for my husband's great- great grandfather. There was an article attached from the Lead newspaper regarding the events of December 27, 1907. Rauvala had fallen down the shaft to his death (all details of the investigation included). He had only arrived a year earlier. He left an expecting wife and small child almost destitute. The Finnish Temperance Hall would take care of arrangements.
He rests in the Lead cemetery in an unmarked grave.
The young couple immigrated from Finland around 1905. When they landed in Massachusetts their first daughter was born, and they immediately set out for Dakota territory.
A young couple taking a chance in life--trying to make a better life. I, too, once was a young miner's wife, so I felt a powerful connection to this young widow that would soon have two little girls. She would work hard her entire life--the mine employed her as a "janitress" according to the census. I suspect that it was their feeble attempt to keep the family of the man who died in their mine fed. Then she would supplement her meager income by ironing for the office employees.
The story haunted me, so I woke Ron up to tell him the story. He groggily responded before drifting off to sleep again. Of course, the next morning he called wanting to know what I had said :)
As I shared the story with our children, Kade immediately responded, "We need to mark his grave."
Me? I want to spend a couple days in Lead unearthing the rest of the family story. I want to sit in the library and pour over the newspaper. I want to find the mine employment records--not just for great-great- grandfather, but on the other branch of my husband's family for a great-grandfather and grandfather. Of course, my husband started mining there too--though unaware of the full family history. Mining brought his family to America and Dakota Territory.
I want to find that unmarked grave too...and the one of his daughter that died in her 30s...and the matriarch that outlived them.
I want to walk on the street where they lived.
I want to honor the immigration legacy of hardship and tragedy by pausing to remember and teach my children from whence they came.
