By Jane Lepisto
My father, Ted Hill, was too young to serve in the military in World War I and too old to be drafted in World War II. As part of the war effort, he and his friend, John Ronn, went to Portland, Oregon, to seek work in the shipyards in 1944; Portland is where they were hired as welders. When Dad learned that work was available for Mom in the shipyards, she decided we would make the 1,900-mile trip in our 1939 Plymouth panel delivery van. Yes, it had a farm license! John's wife Sylvia joined my mother, my brothers Ted (14) and Roy (13), and me on our adventure.
We set out on the 1,900-mile journey. The speed limit was 35 miles per hour. There were no interstate highways, no seat belts, no radios or video screens, no GPS units, no cell phones, no air conditioning, no power steering, no automatic windshield washers. We had our paper map, our tire patch kit, and our Finnish sisu.
We arrived safely in Portland and were reunited with Dad and John. Ted continued on to Astoria on the Pacific Ocean coast, lived with Pastor Kaskinen and his family, and worked in a fish cannery. Roy stayed in Portland to care for me while Dad and Mom worked as welders in the Albina Engine and Machine Works Shipyards.
This was my first of many moves. I have lived in 23 cities or towns in 10 states and attended 13 schools or colleges in seven of those states. All have provided new experiences, friends, challenges, and rewards.
Editor's note: Jane (Hill Saarinen) Lepisto has lived in Richfield, Minnesota, for 12 years.