Born on February 26, 1946, Helen Anne Paajanen was the fourth of seven children born to Wilho Armas and Vieno Johanna Linnus. She grew up in Westminster, Massachusetts where she created many fond memories with family and neighborhood kids bicycling, swimming, skating and playing softball. There were family rides for ice cream, Sauna Saturdays at Ukko’s (her grandfather on her dad’sside) and lots of time with Aiti (her grandmother on her mom’s side). A special memory was a family vacation to Washington D.C. when Helen was 11 years old. Her parents often laughed that they had wanted to show the kids the important sites, but the kids’ priority was to find a hotel with a swimming pool!
She graduated from Oakmont Regional High School in 1964 where she had played on the varsity basketball team and was a gifted player. In the following year, she trained alongside two of her sisters, Amy and Katy, at Burbank Hospital School of Medical Technology where she received her certificate as a lab technician. After meeting her husband, Wesley, at the Finn Hop Finnish Folk Dances, they were married in 1965 and moved to Alaska in 1966 “to see what it was like for three months.” They settled in Eagle River, Alaska where they built their own home, raisedthree children and welcomed seven grandchildren into the world. They were an adventurous couple and spent nearly every weekend out of doors hunting, fishing, camping, taking pictures and enjoying God’s beautiful creation in Alaska.
For the first few years she worked in various doctor’s offices until Alana’s arrival upgraded her title to “Mom.” For the next several years she turned her attention fully to homemaking and raising her little ones. She and Wes began construction on their home in Eagle River and welcomed their next child, Daniel, into the world. From there, she was very active in her family and community –volunteering in her kids’ schools, serving as a poll worker in local elections, working with little ones in various church ministries, and so much more. She also maintained strong ties with her family back home with frequent phone calls and visits back to Massachusetts as often as she could.
Fourteen years later, she and Wes had their third child, Lori. (She later said she had never wanted to go through “empty nest syndrome.” Between her children and her grandchildren, her “nest” was always full.) During this time, she entered the homeschooling community and had the adventure of schooling her youngest child from pre-school up through high school graduation. She was smart, creative and fun, and consequently an excellent educator. She also got involved in a local food co-op and has taught many in her community how to bake their own bread and granola and various other foods.
Once her grandchildren came along, she transitioned fully into her final title of “Aiti.” When the discussion arose of what her official “grandmother” title would be, she struggled to find just the right fit for a name, but with such fond memories of her Finnish grandmother, Aiti (which is the Finnish word for “Mother”), she determined that, with her sisters’ approval, she wanted to do her very best to carry on that title. There was rigorous scrutiny, as Aiti left large shoes to fill, however, Helen, to her delight, passed the test with flying colors. Like Aiti, she got farm fresh eggs whenever possible, ground her own grain and baked fresh bread to share with friends and family, picked blueberries and made her own pies and jams, knitted dish cloths using the string from grain bags, and carried kindling wood for her sauna. And, like Aiti, she embodied a strong portion of living SISU that she passed down to her kids and grandkids. She was keeping the traditions alive, and everyone agreed she made a wonderful Aiti.
She loved each one of her grandchildren dearly and supported them in every way she could. She attended as many games, plays and various functions as she was able to –sometimes even flying across the state or country to do so. She thought of their futures, encouraging them to make wise and thoughtful decisions and offering practical support as well. And she always supported and encouraged her own children (their parents) in their parenting journeys as best she could.
She filled many roles and will be greatly missed by all who knew her. Her main hobby was her people, and we all knew who was her absolute favorite… every single one of us. She died peacefully at her home on Tuesday, March 19, 2024. Helen is survived by her three children and their families; Alana (Lenn) Davis, Daniel (Jenny) Paajanen, Lori (Nathan) Davis, and grandchildren, Aaron (Sam), Abel, Aeia, Anabella, Malachi, Asher, and Orson; as well as her sisters June, Amy, Katy and their families. She is preceded in death by her husband, Wesley, and brothers and sister Ray, Peter and Victoria.
