Description
A Finnish song, Juuret Suomessa (i.e, Roots in Finland), tells of a young man who leaves Finland to seek his riches elsewhere but always yearns to return to his native country. That describes Isaac Matis (1862-1931) so very well. He left Finland as a brave 20-year-old, immigrating to a faraway. foreign country, America, He toiled under humble circumstances as a miner in Michigan in his 20's and became an American citizen, He and his Finnish colleagues established the successful Black Black gold mine in Telluride, Colorado in his 30's. He was a leader in the Finnish community in his 40's and married a Finnish widow. They raised three sons in rich Finnish culture in Finn Town, Telluride. The Black Bear and other mines went bankrupt in Isaac's 50's and he was not able to fulfill his dream of returning to his native country. Yet he left a rich legacy for his posterity to establish their own Juuret Suomessa, their own roots in Finland. Many have done so, finding their relatives in Finland and learning the language. They have become proud Finnish-Americans and are forever grateful for their brave and industrious ancestor, Isaac Matis