BRANDT, Lyyli (Fitchburg, MA)

LYYLI BRANDT

UPDATE - Lyyli Brandt has been claimed and is going home!

IDENTIFICATION ON PHOTO:  "Lyyli Brandt, my Godmother, minsta kummilta" and on front "My Godmother, Finland" written in the margins
PHOTO TAKEN: photographer Richard Kautto, 811 Main St, Fitchburg MA, circa 1904-1918
PURCHASED: 2016 Cottage Grove (Oregon) Timeless Antiques

Click for larger image.

I have translated "kummilta" as meaning "Godmother" or "project sponsor" in Finnish. I may have the first word "minsta" incorrect.

There was a photographer named Richard Kautto in Fitchburg at least from 1912-1921 (possibly earlier and later), based on City Directories.

This is a photo postcard which can be dated to between 1904-1918 based upon clues found on the back of the postcard. 

I have enlarged the upper right corner of the back of the postcard, so you can more clearly see the stamp box. You will see the words "Place Stamp Here", and the word "AZO" on each side of the box. Also there is a marker in each corner of the box.

The upward-pointing corner markers on the stamp box indicate a specific time period of production.

This information (below) about what an AZO Stamp Box is, and how to determine the general age of the postcoard using the AZO Stamp Box, was found on the "Webfooters Postcard Club" website. 

I find that there was a Finnish Brandt family living in Fitchburg Massachusetts in the early 1900s.  In fact, there were quite a lot of Finnish immigrants in Fitchburg at this time.

After getting some extra eyes on the back of the card, I can see now that the lady's name is LYYLI BRANDT (I had originally thought it might have said LYYTI or LYXLE.)

There was a Lyyli Brandt born in Finland in 1911, to parents Andrew and Elsie Brandt, who came to America at a very young age. She was married in Minnesota to John Ikola in 1930 and they raised a family there for about 20 years, eventually moving to Cottage Grove Oregon (where this photograph was acquired). Her husband John died there in 1969, and Lyyli was remarried in 1970 to Carl Sudrow. Lyyli died in Cottage Grove in 2006.

There is an excellent biography for "Lila" at her memorial on the Find-a-Grave website.

While she cannot be the woman in the photo, I believe she had this postcard in her possession, and was perhaps named in honor of the woman shown therein. Perhaps the person I am seeking is an aunt of the Oregon Lyyli Brandt.

It is also entirely possible that the woman in the photo is NOT Lyyli Brandt at all, but has some other name, and merely wrote Lyyli's name on it when it was presented to the younger woman.

I shall keep searching.