November 20, 1944 Brita Lagerlöf. Photo taken a few hours before her death.

Ma Brita started to teach me Swedish systematically. She acquired guides meant for tourists. She used both languages as best she could and actually became quite proficient in Finnish. She needed the skill during the Lappish War. The vicarage was full of evacuees from Finland. When she was dealing out the clothes, she asked fluently: Kuinka monta ("how many")? I was not allowed to be an interpreter for fear of infectious diseases. The correspondence with Oulu was translated by Karl Lund, a shoemaker born in Vaasa who was known as Uncle Finland.

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