Tanja Paasikas Stanaway

Tanja Paasikas was born to Olavi and Kirsti Paasikas and raised in Kokkola, Finland. As a girl, her mother befriended a woman named Hilja Oja, whom they believed was a relative and who lived in Princeton, Michigan, just outside of Gwinn. She would send gifts to Tanja and her family from the U.S. and Tanja dreamed of visiting America. When she graduated from high school in 1970 and received her “White Cap” known as a Ylioppilaslakki, Hilja Oja sent her a plane ticket to America as a gift. In 1971, she arrived in Michigan and stayed until her four-month tourist visa expired.

While she was in Michigan, she met a young man from Negaunee and they started to correspond long distance. He then sent her a plane ticket the following year encouraging her to return to Marquette County and hoping she would stay permanently. Five weeks after she arrived in 1972, they were married and she began the process of getting her “Green Card” for permanent resident status.

Over the years, she worked in many jobs including as a manager of a Finnish gift store (Finn Kraft), a nurse’s aide at Acock’s Medical facility. She worked in many offices including Miner’s Bank and PCBM Management in Ishpeming and in the CPA office of Argall, Makosky & DeCaire. Since 1979, she has taught Finnish language classes at the NICE Community School adult enrichment program and has led trips to Finland for many local people.

Tanja is best known for being a musician, specializing in playing traditional Finnish music, and has performed at festivals and events across the U.P. In addition, she often is spotted at events selling Finnish folk items, such as coffee and candy from her stand. She is an absolutely integral part of the Finnish-American cultural landscape in the U.P. and beyond.

In the end, Tanja sees herself as a United States citizen but Finnish by nationality. Her mission is to help keep Finnish heritage alive in the USA.