Waino Wilson (Vaino Mattila) was born in Vammala, Finland, to Ville and Vilhelmiina Mattila in 1889. As a young man, after returning home from working in the forest, he declared, “Enough, I am going to America.” He left Finland in 1907. Soon after that, he changed his name to Waino Wilson. Maria Esther Okkonen was born…

MATTI AND ANNA EMILIA WINTURRI   Matti Winturri, his wife Anna Winturri (Karialinen) and family (three children) came to Herbster in 1921 and settled on 10 acres, next door to Anna’s brother Jacob Kivisto.  Matti and Anna immigrated from Seinajoki and Kaustinen Finland in the early 1900’s and settled in Fitchburg, Mass. They worked in…

HENRY AND ANNA VIETMEIER (LARSON)   John Larson, Anna’s father, was born in Kumla, Sweden in 1860. He had two brothers, Erick and Louis, and one sister, Anna Marie. Louis changed his last name to Moren when he came to America. Erick and Anna stayed in Sweden and had a large family. Erick’s family, Carl,…

MINNE AND DIEUWKE VANDER PLAATS   In 1912, Minne Hendrik Vander Plaats was smitten with wanderlust and a burning desire to go to America hoping to provide a better life for himself and his family. He left his cheese-making trade behind in Oosterlittens, Friesland in the Netherlands and traveled to Winnipeg, Canada with daughter, Boukje.…

A.J. AND MARGUERITE UEDELHOFEN    In 1916, Aloysius J. Uedelhofen “A.J.” and Marguerite Purcell were married in Chicago, Illinois. They came to Herbster on their honeymoon and eventually with AJ’s parents, bought the property and decided to settle in Herbster. Their property was off Lenawee Road, back in the woods. AJ’s mother and father, Valentine…

PETER SORONEN FAMILY   We’re appreciative of Robert Uedelhofen’s written history in “Cranberry Chronicles” for dates & events of the inhabitants of early Herbster, including our ancestors, the Soronens taking the liberty to use Sr. & Jr. after the Peters’ names to clarify each one. We, the Browne children, (Darlyne, Robert, Sharon, Melodee & Marilee)…

KARL A. AND JOHANNA (JOSEPHSON) SORENSEN   Karl was born in Denmark in 1887. When he was 17, he was in the Danish Army in Copenhagen and served in the Kings Royal Guard for five years. He was engaged to Johanna who was born in Skive, Denmark in 1894. They decided to live their life…

EDWARD AND ROSE PUIG   THE EARLY YEARS Edward Solo Puig, along with his brother Frank, sailed from Argentona, Spain to New York City around 1890. There, they were taken in by a man who fed and housed them in return for hard work. Feeling as if they were captive labor, they ran away. They…

  MATTI AND MARIA OKKONEN   Matti Iikka Okkonen and Maria Okkonen (Saukkonen) were born and raised in Lumijoki, Oulun Laani, Finland.  They were married in Finland in 1890. Their first child, Martta, was born there in 1892. That same year Matti came to America. In 1893 he made arrangements for Maria and Martta to…

EINO AND HELVI OKKONEN   My father Eino J. Okkonen was born near the end of Bark Point in 1903 and lived his entire life of 93 years in Herbster. My father and his brother Uno became commercial fisherman as that was the primary way they could earn a few dollars to survive in the…