Mother’s farewell letter to her eight children still read by family 80 years later

A Finnish mother of eight wrote a detailed farewell letter to her children from her deathbed in 1943, offering guidance that continues to support her descendants today, reports Finnish public broadcaster Yle.

Saimi Happonen, a 42-year-old farmer’s wife from Heinävesi, composed the 17-page handwritten letter in February 1943 while hospitalised in Helsinki with terminal cancer. Addressed to her eldest daughters, Silkka and Helvi, the letter begins: “To my dear children, I feel myself weakening, so I write while I still can—almost as a farewell.”

Happonen, who left behind seven daughters and one son—her youngest just a year old—provided precise instructions for managing daily life after her death. She advised on household chores, clothing repairs, and even which dresses to save for special occasions. “Patch all the old woollen socks of the little girls so that when they get wet outside, you can change into dry ones to avoid catching a cold,” she wrote. “Travel without sheets to save the rags for more important guests until we get new fabric.”

Though Finland was at war, Happonen made no mention of the conflict, focusing instead on practical survival. Her eldest daughters, then 17 and in their early twenties, took turns returning home to care for their younger siblings.

The letter, passed down through generations, remains a source of strength. “It radiates peace, gratitude, and hope,” said Liisa Sälliluoma, Happonen’s granddaughter, who never met her grandmother but inherited the letter. “She carried concern for the next generation, not herself.”

Happonen also expressed deep affection, unusual for the era’s reserved Finnish families. “You, my dear children, cannot imagine how happy I am, even though I am so ill,” she wrote. Her strong religious faith sustained her, and she urged her children to choose their life partners wisely and prioritise their health.

The family still reads the letter today. “Don’t dwell on the hardships we’ve faced,” Happonen wrote. “All the shadows have been wiped away. Just remember your mother’s advice, given in my weakness, for your whole life.”