Koskela and Krapu imigrated from Finland
Wiljo Fredric Thompson Koskela imigrated from Finland to the United States on August 22, 1901. He Americanized his name to William Frederick Thompson Koskela. He entered through Ellis Island and his paperwork showed that he had a brother currently living in San Francisco, California by the name of Viktor Koskela.
Amanda Salome Krapu immigrated from Kalajoki (Oulu), Finland around 1912. She was the daughter of Kaarle and Anna (Kretta) Krapu. Her brother, Niilo Siivert Kallep Krapu, immigrated around 1906, and Americanized his name to Nickolas S Scott.
Amanda and William married somewhere in the Eureka, California area and had three children – Wiljo Fredic (William Frederick , or Wink, as he was known to family and close friends), Elma Alena, and Kaarle Viktor (Carl Victor). When the children were still quite small the family decided to settle in Washington State in the small town of Kelso. Their home was located on Ostrander road near the tressle crossing. Their ship sailed up the pacific coast towards Oregon and Washington to the mouth of the Columbia River. It was hard getting over the bar and they were stuck there for several days. Carl was one of the few who didn’t get sick; the crew commented that he would make a good sailor when he grew up.
William F. T. Koskela worked in the logging camps and so did Amanda for a while as a camp cook. Her brother, Nick worked for a logging camp in Clatskanie and Delena, Oregon for a short period of time. Nick is listed on the 1930 Oregon Federal Census for Columbia County as being employed as a logger in the area. He is buried in Murray Hill Cemetery in the city of Clatskanie. In the 1930 Washington Federal Census for Cowlitz County, William F. T. is listed as a laborer, Wink as a section hand for the railroad, Carl as a laborer in an auto garage and Elma and Amanda as unemployed.
Listed in Patty (Koskela) Parkison’s geneology notes were other Finnish relatives that immigrated. It isn’t known how they are related as we have all lost contact with them at this time. Nellie Kallio was a schoolteacher from Eureka, California; Theodore “Cogwheel” Kallio, his nickname suggests his occupation was possibly a mechanic, and Eddie Walter Kallio worked for the city water department in Eureka, California.
