Reino Elmer Laulainen

Obituary September 29, 2009 12:00 am • The Daily News(0) Signatures Reino E. Laulainen, 92, died peacefully in his sleep Sept. 24, 2009, in Centralia.

The son of Victor and Greeta (Makela) Laulainen, Finnish immigrants, Reino was born April 27, 1917, in Hazel Dell, Wash. After graduating from Kelso High School, he moved to the Boistfort Valley where he lived for approximately 60 years.

He and his beloved wife, Dorothy Gish Laulainen who died in 1997, raised two daughters, Karen Plummer (Grant) of Port Orchard and Judi Long (John) of Curtis. Judi preceded him in death in 2007.

He was a logger, heavy equipment operator, farmer, carpenter, and the owner/operator of the Curtis General Store and a sawmill in the late 1940's. For the last 10 years of his life, Reino lived in Chehalis.

Reino moved into an adult care home in Centralia, WA on July 2, 2009. He was then taken care of by Hospice.

He started making quilts after buying himself a sewing machine on his 88th birthday. He made 87 quilts since then including a wide variety of styles. The first were simple tie ones. Later he made two Bowties, two Cathedral Windows, and mostly piecework patterns of his own design, He also made piecework tablerunners of his own design, He was an avid cardplayer: pinochle, rummy, and bridge (which he learned at age 80). He travelled all over the world, including several trips to Finland, Norway, Sweden, Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, New Zealand, Australia, South America, and Russia.

Reino was the only one of 12 children to graduate from high school where he earned excellent grades. Due to the Depression he was unable to go on to college. A logging job with Strong McDonald enticed him to move to Lewis County where he met Ray (Gaylord) Gish who was working there filing saws Late in July 1937, the two met at a mutual friend's home where they enjoyed a game of cribbage. Ray invited him home to dinner in Curtis. There he met Dorothy, Ray's youngest daughter.. On their first "date" he took Dorothy and her cousin, Lucile, for a ride in his 1935 Chev coupe. They ran out of gas, and the 2 girls walked to the Curtis store to get some charging it to Papa's bill because Dad didn't have his wallet. He was wearing his cork shoes and stagged-off overalls. Reino went to see her 29 times in 31 days! On March 25th, 1938, they wed by a Justice of Peace in Kelso, Cowlitz County with his sister, Eva, and her husband, George Allen as their witnesses.

While they were on their honeymoon Reino's boss was killed in a car wreck, and the site where Reino worked was shut down. He managed to make $49 during the month of April replumbing a waater line. They lived with Dorothy's parents who gave them a piece of their property . Reino started building a small house in April, They moved in in June. He went back to logging in May. Harold Quist, their brother-in-law who lived in Rochester at the time, , and a neighbor worked on the house for $3. a day each. Reino earned $12. a day logging. In 1939 he worked for Charlie Gould loading logs with a cat in Castle Rock.The following spring he went back to work for Strong McDonald until 1941. Then he worked for Atlas Logging where he was a bull bucker and ran crew. He was Ray's boss. The operation was up Lake Creek where they took out 30 million ft of timber in a year and a half. He worked up Lewis River for 2 summers when I was little.

With the exception of short work-related moves, they remained in Curtis the rest of their married lives. During the War he worked on a housing development in Vancouver for shipyard workers.   He logged, farmed, had a small sawmill, and a grocery store. He helped build the Mayfield Dam.  His last career was as a carpenter. and builder.

Obituary:

Reino E. Laulainen, 92, died peacefully in his sleep on September 24, 2009, in Centralia. The son of Victor and Greeta (Makela) Laulainen, Finnish immigrants, Reino was born April 27, 1917, in Hazel Dell, WA.

After graduating from Kelso High School, he moved to the Boistfort Valley where he lived for approximately 60 years. He and his beloved wife, Dorothy Gish Laulainen who died in 1997, raised two daughters, Karen Plummer (Grant) of Port Orchard and Judi Long (John) of Curtis. Judi preceded him in death in 2007. He was a logger, heavy equipment operator, farmer, carpenter, and the owner/operator of the Curtis General Store and a sawmill in the late 1940's. For the last 10 years of his life, Reino lived in Chehalis.

Other descendants include grandchildren: Bill Plummer (Victoria) Kirkland, Colleen Taylor (Tom) Tumwater, Kelly Ogan(Casey) Port Orchard, and David Long (Pam) Haines, Alaska. The apples of his eye were his great grandchildren: Haley and Alec Taylor, Ragen and Griffin Plummer, Quinn and Kaija Ogan, and Jackson and Selby Long. A great granddaughter, Madison Plummer, died in 1997. He also enjoyed seven "adopted" grandchildren and their children from Finland, Mexico, Chile, Australia, and Norway, and highlights of his life included visits to these "kids" in their home countries. Their love of travel led them to explore Northern Europe and New Zealand as well. After Dorothy's passing, he visited Russia and South America. He also spent several more winters in Arizona as they had enjoyed doing.

His hobbies included hunting, fishing, camping, RVing, card playing, reading, and in later years... quilting. At 89, he bought a sewing machine and taught himself to quilt, completing more than 92 quilts of a variety of sizes and types. He made quilts for family and friends and donated quilts for fundraiser raffles and the Battered Women's Shelter.

Reino was preceded in death by 11 siblings: Tillie Hendrickson, Hilma Gunnari, Vic Laulainen, Tekla Raappana, Esther Raappana, Eva Hand, Walt Laulainen, Elsie Laulainen, Sally Wickstrom, Lillian Hansen, and Ellen Thomsen.

A Memorial Service will be held on October 10 at St. Timothy's Episcopal Church, 1826 SW Snively Ave, Chehalis, at 11 a.m. with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Providence Sound Home Care & Hospice, Hospice Fund, 3432 South Bay Road NE, Olympia, WA 98506 in Reino's memory.

Reino's ashes were buried next to Dorothy's on October 27, 2009, in the Claquato Cemetery, west of Chehalis, WA. The Rev. Glenn Tottman performed the service.

U.S. Public Records Index, Volume 1 about R E Laulainen Name: R E Laulainen Birth Date: 27 Apr 1917 Address: 491 Boistfort Rd # 24, Chehalis, WA, 98532-9116 (1992) [3273 King Rd, Chehalis, WA, 98532-9139 (1982)]

United States Obituary Collection about Reino E. Laulainen (1917 - 2009) Name of Deceased: Reino E. Laulainen (1917 - 2009) Gender: M (Male) Age at Death: 92 Death Date: 24 Sep 2009 Death Place: Centralia Obituary Date: 29 Sep 2009 Newspaper Title: The Daily News Newspaper Location: Longview, WA, USA Birth Date: 27 Apr 1917 Birth Place: Hazel Spouse's Name: Dorothy Gish Laulainen Parents' Names: Victor and Greeta (Makela) Laulainen, Finnish Childrens' Names: Karen Plummer (Grant) of Port Orchard and Judi Long (John) of Curtis. Judi Siblings' Names: Tillie Hendrickson, Hilma Gunnari, Vic Laulainen, Tekla Raappana, Esther Raappana, Eva Hand, Walt Laulainen, Elsie Laulainen, Sally Wickstrom, Lillian Hansen and Ellen Thomsen

Reino Elmer Laulainen Apr 27 1917 - Sep 24 2009 Siblings: Lempi Matilda, Hilma Christina, Waino Victor, Tekla Maria Helen, Helga Esther, Eva Marian, Walter, Elsie Margaret Elizabeth, Sarah Sophia Katherine, Lillian Agnes and Jenny Ellen Partner: Dorothy Evelyn Laulainen (born Gish) Daughters: Karen Dorothy and Judith Lucile

Reino E Laulainen

Social Security Death Index Birth: Day Month 1917 Death: Day Month 2009