This year, 30 mothers received a White Rose Class I medal at the official Mother’s Day ceremony at the House of the Estates on Sunday.
When Sanni Mustajärvi, 92, received an invitation to her mailbox to attend the official Mother’s Day ceremony in the House of the Estates on Sunday, she thought she had received a letter with another bill in it.
“I thought, what on earth is this?” she said with a smile after being escorted down the steep stairs by her son’s wife, Hanna, and grandson, Markus, with a White Rose Class I medal shining on her lapel.
Mustajärvi traveled to Helsinki from her home, a small municipality called Karvia in the region of Satakunta. It’s located about 280 kilometers from Helsinki in Western Finland.
That’s where when her husband got hurt in a car accident, Sanni took care of him and their five children. That and a farmhouse, taking care of cattle and other duties.
“My mother told me the hardest job was to clean my clothes,” Veijo, her eldest son, who worked as a welder, said with a smile.
President Sauli Niinistö honored Sanni with the medal for her exemplary efforts. And 29 other mothers received their medals for their accomplishments, too.
