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Spent the day with my mother discussing the brief history she can gather about my Finnish history. My great-grandmother immigrated to the United States (Wisconsin Farm) around the same time as the Titanic sailed. My mother, Jean Ilona, told me her grandparents missed the boat and came sometime later. My grandmother who was born in Wisconsin was given the name Ilona but when she started school her teacher wanted to give her an "American" name and she was called Gladis. My mother was given the name Juliemar (part of her mothers name and mother-in-law one being Julia and the other Martha) Ilona. My mother did not pass down the Ilona to me but my daughter born 1997 is Cameron Ilona and even though I have shared the history behind her name she sometimes wishes her mother had given her a name that someone had heard of....any Iona's famous in Finland?

This message was edited 9/8/2007, 4:45 PM