Eino Alestalo was born in the family of Emil and Lyydi (Lyyli f. Juhola) on February 9, 1929. Eino was the only child of the family and the future owner of the farm.
A global recession was about to begin. The Finnish economy was almost stagnating and the New York stock market crash was not yet in 1929 much visible in the Finnish agriculture-dominated economy.
In the early thirties, Eino was a very lonely child in Sarva, followed mainly by adults. In the summer, however, the children of summer guests came to playmates and Eino missed them very much when they returned to their homes in the autumn.
Europe in February 1929
– Frosty climate is affecting Europe. In Central Europe measured -34 ° C.
– Finns succeeded in the Zakopane World Cup. Finland’s Veli Saarinen and Anselm Knuuttila took a double win in 18 km of cross country skiing.
– The Soviet Union, Romania, Poland, Latvia and Estonia signed a non-aggression agreement.
– The Vatican renounces the Church State and becomes independent. The Vatican and the Fascist Italy make an agreement.
– The number of unemployed in Germany is up to 3.2 million.
Eino went to school at the Paimela Primary School in 1936. The first two classes he did at home with the help of a teacher (due to a long school trip) and the next four classes in the Paimela school building itself. Dad Emil, uncle Edvard and probably other Emil’s siblings also attended the same school earlier. Paimela Primary school was also attended by one Liisa Taarasti – though at that time she was three classes lower than Eino.
Eino continued his school at the Lahti Secondary School during the second world war in 1942 and completed the middle school after the war in May 1948. Eino had a dream to go to Tampere Industrial School like his uncle Edvard, but there was no chance for that to happen. The farm needed a lot of work from Eino, even though there were uncle Anselmi and other servants. Father Emil kept the farm things tightly in his hands and also mother Lyyli held her only son firmly on the farm. The industrial school’s spending did not come to thinking. Eino did not get anywhere else either. Of course he often had to go to Lahti and the surrounding areas to get the supplies and so on. But all other things kept Eino at the farm and due to that Eino for example did not travel abroad with the exception of visit in Sweden.
In the autumn of 1951, Eino visited EVO Forest School Forestry Course. Otherwise, he was a self-taught metalmaker and carpenter whose handicrafts can still be admired in different parts of the farm. Eino did not want the standard products from the store when he knew how to make substitute products from wood or metal himself.
Eino in the Army
Eino was invited to the army in Lahti on 30 September 1948. (Fitness class A1, length 174 cm and weight 70 kg).
He took the office in Santahamina on January 7, 1949. First in the AntiAircraft Team and then at AUK. He first became a corporal on June 22, 1949. He was demobilized on December 2, 1949 after 330 days of service. The front eligibility was marked: good.
Transferred to the reserve on 23 March 1950.
For Eino the army was a remarkable and good experience. Leadership training was useful in his subsequent civil projects. The 330-days he spent in the army is probably the longest time he was away from Sarva’s farm. In day off days from Santahamina he also had the opportunity to visit uncle Edvard in Tammisalo. Main thing was the opportunity meeting and getting to know new friends from all around the country and that itself greatly expanded the views of Eino.
Eino became the master of the farm in Sarva
Eino’s father Emil died on 3rd March 1966. In the previous year he had handed the farm to Eino – the actual handover was managed through a deal with parents Emil and Lyyli Alestalo. The monetary transaction price was FIM 20,000. Added with a generous list of commodities that were supposed to be delivered to the parents. The list was actually the same which was used in the transfer from father to son in the early 1900s.
Within the decades Eino began to meet with her former schoolmate Liisa Taarasti from the neighboring village of Noitala. Liisa Taarasti was a teacher of history. She worked mostly in Hämeenlinna’s girls´school.
On 13 August 1977 Liisa and Eino were married. Raija Halme and the mothers of both spouses were witnesses of the event. The ceremony took place in the hall of the main building and the ceremony was delivered by vicar Helmer Harves from the Hollola parish. Liisa moved into the house, but stayed for weekdays in Hämeenlinna and weekends and vacation times in Sarva. Of course, the holiday was never a off day for anyoneb at Sarva, because there was always plenty work on the farm. In addition to this it was at the times fairly challenging for Liisa to live together in a house with Eino’s the aging mother Lyyli. Old hostess Lyyli lived for a long time and died at the age of 96 in 1996.
During the Eino’s management the farm’s forest area in particular grew:
Jussi´s Forest 8,6 hectare forest in 1973 in Sarva. On the farm of Joenniemi in Heinola, 1977, with 46.6 hectare. Laitola’s status as a changeover in 1981 and the connection of the Korvenpelto to the Alitalo farm in 1996.
Acquisition of Kivijärvi farm and Purnunkivi in 1997, 58.5 hectare from Korpilahti.
The Oinasaari beach plot, 1.1 hectare, was annexed to the main farm during 2006.
The master is away
The Master of the farm is not with us anymore. Eino Alestalo died 18.2.2015, exhausted by months of illness. He had just had his 86th birthday.