Sandra Wilson And the Pänttäjä Family

PictureAleksandra "Sandra" Mattson Wilson - Astoria, Oregon
Sandra Wilson was the daughter of Johanna Mattsdotter Runtujärvi. Johanna brought four-year old daughter, Aleksandra Johanna Mattson with her from Finland to the US in 1881. When John Wilson and Johanna Mattson married in 1882 Aleksandra "Sandra" became a part of the Wilson family and was step-daughter to John Wilson. She was an older sister to the first biological child born to the couple, John Edward "Ed" Wilson who was born in 1883. Aleksandra Johanna Mattson was born 15 June 1876 in Gamlakarleby, Sweden/ Finland, her Finish heritage was identified as "Swede/Finn" as was her mothers. 

When she was almost eighteen years old she met and married Isaac Wilhelm Pänttäjä, a citizen of Astoria, Oregon at the time. Later they would move to California and raise their children in Fresno County. Sandra took on the name "Hannah" in her California family. Isaac Wilhelm Pänttäjä took on a job of architect for the Agricultural Building at University of California Berkeley. He maintained an apartment there and traveled from Berkeley to Reedley, California by train. Sadly he developed pneumonia that later developed into tuberculosis and passed away in 1913 at the age of  41 leaving Hannah and their ten children. Their oldest son, Sulo was 18 years old and the youngest, Vieno, just. a baby at two. Hannah Pänttäjä and most of the children worked in the peach orchards and cutting sheds. Life was hard for them after Wilhelm passed away. 

Here are Isaac Wilhelm & Hannah Pänttäjä's  children: