How can immigrant families retain their history across continents and generations? Four members of the Komulainen family recognized the need to preserve their family’s history and began by capturing the stories of their parents’ generation. Their parents were four of a family of ten Finns and each of their stories is captured in a chapter of this narrative. The oldest of the ten, Ernesti, was born in 1902, the youngest, Pentti, in 1919. They were Finns who grew up during turbulent times of poverty and civil war. Two of them, Ernesti (Ernest) and Yrjö (George) left Finland for a better life in America, both entering the US illegally. Ernest and George had to fight for many years to avoid being deported and to eventually gain US citizenship. The other siblings stayed in Finland, building good lives for themselves and their children in a country that grew wealthy and became known as one of the best countries to live in today.