JAMSA

Original Jamsa Homestead

Jamsa Windmill put up by Henry Jamsa

Original Windmill put up by Henry Jamsa in 1892
House built by Robert Jamsa and sons in 1973

History of the Jamsa Homestead written by Robert Jamsa

We, Robert and Margaret Jamsa, are now farming the Jamsa homestead. We had 7 children: Connie, Colleen, Darrell, Robert(deceased) Pauline, Ralph and David.

Henry Jamsa, born in Finland 1861 was a millwright working on a sawmill when he decided to come to the United States. His employer in Finland gave him a letter of recommendation in three languages: Swedish, Finnish and English. Henry was also a lay minister, a carpenter and built coffins.

Henry married Liisa (Roberg) Hietala in Finland and after having two children Amanda and Henry came to North Dakota. Here they had three more children:

Lula, Waino, and Hilda. He homesteaded the S. W. Quarter of Sec. 12 in 1892.

Henry's wife died shortly after the fifth child was born. Henry married Eva Kyllonen and had ten children: Olga, Sylvia, Elmer, Kathryn, Alvira, Vienna, Joseph and Martha. Two children Jenny and Ida died. Henry married Eva's sister Anna after the death of Eva, who died from the flu of 1918.
Shortly after the death of Henry Jamsa his son Waino took over the farm in 1937. Waino was married to Helmi Ilkka in 1922. They had 8 children, Viola, Bernhardt, Robert, William, Duane(deceased) Edla Pearl(deceased) Donald, and Arne. The Waino Jamsa's farmed until 1944 at which time they moved to Grand Rapids, Minnesota.The farm was then sold to Oscar Loken. He farmed the land until it was bought by myself. The house was lived in for a time by Oris Robinson after it was sold to Oscar. The house was torn down In the 50's and a quonset and granary were built.

We bought the farm in 1970 and shortly thereafter began to rebuild. The house,a two story, was built on the same spot where the old home sat. A sauna and small barn were also built where the old used to be. There is a new shop where I do machine and welding.In 1946 after returning from the war, I came to see Oscar to see if he would sell me the farm. He said no, but when I sell, you will have first chance. Twenty-four years later my dream was realized. Farming remains the best life has to offer.

 

                  ~Robert Jacob Jamsa

Jamsa Homestead Brocket, North Dakota, 1975
 

                

Henrik Juhonpka Jamsa in front of the barn he built on the Jamsa farm Clara Township, Brocket, North Dakota. The barn held 16 horses and 10 or 12 milk cows. This picture was taken in about 1921-22

Henry Jamsa was born Sept 13, 1861 in Handiputalla, Oulu, Finland to Johan Kaisarpka Kemila Pikkujamsa & Walborg (not sure if that is a first or last name). When Henry was four years old his mother died.

Henry was a millwright worker on a sawmill in Finland. When he left Finland his employer gave him a letter of reference in three languages: Finnish, Swedish and English.

He immigrated to America in about 1891.(I haven't found the ship records yet). According to our records, it was 1892 that he homesteaded land in Clara Township near Brocket, North Dakota.

The Henry Jamsa family belonged to the Finnish Lutheran Church, which was near Pelto, North Dakota. Church was usually held when the traveling minister came around. But at times when the minister could not make it Henry would lead the sermon; he was a lay minister.

Henry's wife, Eliisebet, "Liisa", was born Dec 13, 1858 in Haukipudas, Oulu, Finland. Her parents were Pekka Pekanpka Roberg Hali and Greta Jaakontr Junkkonen. (We do not have any pictures of Liisa)

According to Canadian passenger lists, Eliisabet "Liisa" Pekantr Hali Heitala Jamsa and her two children Amanda and Henry sailed on the Laurentian ship and arrived in Quebec on May 8, 1893. Henry & Liisa had three children born in North Dakota: Lula, Waino and Hilda. Liisa died in early 1900 sometime after giving birth to her fifth child Hilda Jamsa.

After Liisa's death Henry married, Eva Kylleneon they had 10 children: Katharine, Elmer, Elvira, Olga, Jenny, Ida, Silvia, Vienna, Joseph, and Martha.

 Great Grandpa Henry Jamsa first had four oxen and a plow on the homestead. Waino had memories of Henry working with the oxen. Then in the teens or early twenties grandpa Henry bought three - five horse hitches to plow the fields. He had 16 stalls in the barn for 15 work horses and one stallion. When using the plow he had two horses as the front team and three horses behind them. When using the harrow he had five or six horses wide.

In the 1920's (maybe not sure of the time frame) Henry bought a Wallace tracker Bob thinks it was a 1922. The tractor could do the work of all the horses combined. It had a 25 horse power; he also bought a Case Company Steam Engine and a Threshing Machine. You would pitch bundles of grain such as wheat, oats, and barley into the trashing machine to separate the grain and chaff.

Henry was a very progressive farmer but when the crash of 1929 came he eventually lost the farm because he co-signed a farm loan for his eldest son. He had to have an auction sale. All he was able to keep was one team of five horses to work the farm. He sold his tractor and thresher but the steam engine didn't sell. Robert remembers it still being on the farm when they moved there in 1937.

In about 1941 Waino bought a 1928 tractor was a 1020 (means horse power) McCormick Dearing Tractor. Robert is now restoring the same kind of tractor. It is a 1928 McCormick Dearing.

 Henry Jamsa died Feb 6, 1937 of a heart attack

  (death certificate & obituary)                 

 Waino & Helmi Ilkka Jamsa wedding day

In 1937 Waino & Helmi Jamsa moved on the homestead and took over farming. Waino took out a loan through the PCA Production Credit Association for $600 to buy out his step-mother Anna. They stopped farming in 1944 and moved to Grand Rapids, Minnesota, where Waino worked in a furniture factory.

Henry, Lula, Amanda
Three oldest children of Henry and Elizabet Jamsa

Amanda (standing left ), Lula (sitting middle), Henry ( standing right), Waino (sitting left), Hilda (sitting right)
picture courtesy of Jeff Melia and Siobhan Jamsa

Bob Jamsa third from the right with the boots. I think front row sixth from the left is Bill Jamsa. Fourth from the left Bernie Jamsa? 

Waino driving Horse-Drawn School Bus in front of Ilkka House

This is the type of horse drawn School Bus 

sleigh that Dad (Bob Jamsa & his brothers & sister) 

road from the farm to school...inside is a wood

 stove to keep them warm.

Pioneer Village- Stump Lake

Bob still fits inside the bus!

In 1950 Bob bought his first tractor; it was a 1936 John Deere. He later sold it to Margaret's brother Bud Roberts. It was 30 years later (top picture) Bob bought it back and restored it (bottom picture).

In 2004, when Bob was nearly 80, he built a John Deere HR with parts from seven different machines, including old combines, trucks, and tractors.

•Rear Wheels from 21A Massey Combine

•Steering Wheels from 92 Massey Combine

•B John Deere Radiator

•Steering Sector from 1954 IHC Pickup

•Front Spindles 1051 Chevy Pickup

•Front Axle from S Case Tractor

•Special Iron from IHC K Grain Drill

•U Joints from ¾ Drive Socket Set

•Iron from my Scrap Yard

•Hood and Venders fabricated in our Shop

•Painted by David Jamsa

•Stenciling by Darrell Jamsa


 

Bill, Waino, Bernie, Arne, Don, Viola, Helmi, Bob

Bernie, Bob, Bill, Don, Arne
The Jamsa brothers

Bill, Viola, Bernie, Waino, Helmi, Bob, Arne, Don