Oldest Living Swedish Finn

[LBacklund Registered Find all posts View Profile Close LBacklund]

The honor of being the oldest living Swedish Finn goes to Albert Bask, a resident of Spencer, New York, who had just celebrated his 103rd birthday, according to his friend and neighbor Rainer Langstedt as reported in Norden, August 13, 2009.

Bask was born in Escanaba, Michigan. His father came from Petalax, his mother from Pedersoere. In 1908, the family returned to Finland, but in 1909 the father returned to the United States, and to Finland in 1915, during the First World War.

Bask has hair-rasing stories of living through the 1918 Civil War. He immigrated to the United States in 1922 and this time stayed, working in New York as a carpenter and floorlayer, until in the 1950s he and his wife Sylvia bought a farm in Spencer.

Best wishes to Albert Bask!

[June Pelo Senior Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close June Pelo]

Albert Båsk

Did you read my comment about Albert? He's not the oldest living Swede Finn in the US. My cousin Lorena Volz is 103 and will be 104 in Oct. She is 4 months older than Albert. Here's her picture taken a few years ago.

[Denise Registered Find all posts View Profile Close Denise]

Hi June,
Isn't she lovely? Hard to believe she is 103!

Denise

[June Pelo Senior Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close June Pelo]

Oldest Swede-Finn

I called her and told her that she was older than Albert. She is still sharp as a tack - works 2 crossword puzzles every day and sings to the ladies. The songs she sings are those she learned in her childhood and some of them are so funny. She lives in a home with 4 other women and they all adore her and treat her like a queen.

[Karen Douglas Registered Find all posts View Profile Close Karen Douglas]

The Centenarians

Congratulations to both of the Centenarians! I so hope that someone has done an oral history with each of them somewhere along the way. Just think, historically, of all they have experienced to share with future generations! And, for those of us who are a wee bit younger, maybe it's time to begin recording, writing, or jotting down some of our poignant memories and experiences - if we haven't done so already.

Karen

[LBacklund Registered Find all posts View Profile Close LBacklund]

Centenarians

Dear June, Denise, and Karen:

Thank you for the quick response to my post about Albert Baask.

It's good to know that there are other 100-yr olders among Swedish Finns.

[seele01 Registered Find all posts View Profile Close seele01]

It has gotta be the Scandinavian genes.

My great aunt just died at age 101. Her father, my grt grandfather, died at age 103. His sister (my grt grt aunt) lived to age 100. They were all from Norway, though.

[kivinen1 Registered Find all posts View Profile Close kivinen1]

My grandmother, born in Nedervetil, died a little over a month shy of her 99th birthday.

[June Pelo Senior Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close June Pelo]

Oldest Swede-Finn

I forgot to mention that Lorena's father was 91 when he died, and her sister Lillian was 100. My father was 91 and his sister was 94.

[kivinen1 Registered Find all posts View Profile Close kivinen1]

I'm glad to know that.

This means we have years to still get all of our info out of you!

[June Pelo Senior Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close June Pelo]

oldest Swede Finn

I'm glad to know that.

This means we have years to still get all of our info out of you!

Well, I don't know if I can make it to 100, but I'll try to make it to 90 as I still have some things to take care of.

[June Pelo Senior Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close June Pelo]

Oldest living Swede Finn in US

Norden newspaper has published an article acknowledging that my cousin Lorena Volz is the oldest living Swede-Finn in the US unless someone else contacts them otherwise. I'm very proud to be her cousin.

[seele01 Registered Find all posts View Profile Close seele01]

I forgot to mention that Lorena's father was 91 when he died, and her sister Lillian was 100. My father was 91 and his sister was 94.

That is what I find interesting. While most people that live to extrordinary age just "got lucky", sometimes it seems to run in the family, where multiple generations of family members live to very old age.

They should do some sort of DNA study on families that can document multiple generational longevity. Or maybe they have and I am too lazy to search for it. Whatever lol.

[kivinen1 Registered Find all posts View Profile Close kivinen1]

One of the most thorough studies on longevity and DNA was done in Finland.

You can probably Google it and find it.

[LBacklund Registered Find all posts View Profile Close LBacklund]

Albert Båsk 104

Norden newspaper has published an article acknowledging that my cousin Lorena Volz is the oldest living Swede-Finn in the US unless someone else contacts them otherwise. I'm very proud to be her cousin.

Rainer Långstedt reports in "Norden" that Albert Båsk has celebrated his 104th birthday in Van Etten, New York, near Spencer. His birthday was on February 23. A small celebration was held to mark this great event. Best Wishes to Albert!