7th Finglish trip September 2008 #38
June Lahti’s father came from Kivijärvi to Michigan with his parents at the age of two. Her mother was born into a Finnish immigrant family in America. June went to work in a bank in New York City at the age of 18. Her young husband Heikki did not want to let her into the city alone and so the couple moved to the corner of 2nd Avenue and 123rd Street in Harlem.
Many Finns lived there at the time. At the 5th Avenue Hall in Harlem, they were entertained by June’s sister Viola, who played the accordion. Viola Turpeinen later played dance music to Finns in halls and saloons all over the United States.
June Lahti retired at the age of 63 from the Bankers Trust Company. Heikki died in 1995, having worked as a bridge builder on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, among other bridge projects.
Next Allan & Sylvi Hentilä Perl River New York USA