Matti Lahdenranta, left, and Hannu Penttilä, dignitaries from Finland, recently visited Deep River Pioneer Church.

On Sept. 9, two distinguished gentlemen from Finland toured the Finnish Pioneer Church in Deep River.

Hannu Penttilä, retired deputy mayor of both Helsinki and Vantaa (the fourth biggest city in Finland), and Matti Lahdenranta, retired managing director of Helsinki Mass Transit, were in the Northwest to visit city planning and mass transit officials in Seattle and in Portland.

In an introductory letter to Eva Malerich, Lahdenranta wrote, “I am kindly asking you could it be possible to come to the Deep River Church and see it inside, also. We both have read a book by Karl Marlantes, ‘Deep River,’ and we suppose that the Deep River Lutheran Church is exactly the same church which appears in the book. Certainly it would be very interesting if you or someone you know could have time to tell us something about the church and perhaps something about the Finnish heritage in the area.”

Malerich, who lives in Virginia, passed the request on to Chuck and Roxanne Hendrickson. The meeting was confirmed, and several area residents were on hand to greet the visitors upon their arrival at the church. In addition to the Hendricksons, these included Robert and Marilyn Johnson, Victor and Wendy Liguori, and Nick Nikkila.

Visiting both the Deep River cemetery and the church, the pair commented on the original condition of the interior of the church and the area’s pride in its Finnish ancestry. All enjoyed the food and pastry provided by the local residents and discussion on the church and local area prior to the visitors’ departure to meet with officials in Portland.