Oiva Salli, 88, of Wakefield died Tuesday morning, December 18, 2012 at his home from
complications of a heart condition. He was born in Kimball, WI on May 20, 1924 to Gust
and Olga (Lehtola) Salli. He attended the Kimball School through eighth grade and
graduated from J.E. Murphy High School in Hurley, WI in 1942. He served in the U.S.
Army Air Corps from September 1943 to February 1946 and was stationed in the
Southwest Pacific Theatre on the islands of Guam and Iwo Jima. After his discharge, he
worked in the area woods, at the Montreal Mine, and until his retirement at the White
Pine Mine. He is remembered as being stronger than the trees he cut down, as solid as the
ore he pulled from the ground. On April 12, 1952, he married Rauha Korpela at First
Lutheran Church (All Saints) of Wakefield. Oiva was a member of All Saints and
enjoyed attending cultural events at Little Finland in Kimball. He spent his time reading,
gardening, fishing, hunting, and harvesting wood and liked to say with a twinkle that his
first love was his tractor. Survivors include his wife Rauha; two sons, Robert of
Milwaukee, WI and William (Laila) of Sun Prairie, WI; three daughters, Donna (Bruce
Eastman) of Brainerd, MN, Doreen (Chris Nelson) of St. Louis, MO, and Diane (Steve)
Crang of Ann Arbor, MI; and six grandchildren, Alisha Salli of Eagle, CO, Justin and
Michael Salli of Sun Prairie, Samantha Nelson of St. Louis, and Alexander and Eliot
Crang of Ann Arbor. Surviving siblings include brothers Waino (Elsie) of Wakefield and
Arne (Nancy) of Wausau, WI and sister Fannie Wehmas of Saxon. Also surviving are
brothers- and sisters-in-law and numerous nephews, nieces, and cousins both here and in
Finland. Besides his parents, Oiva was preceded in death by sisters Rauha Ylitalo and
Vieno Sivula and brother Tarmo, as well as brother Urho and sister Ruth who died in
infancy. Cremation will take place. A private memorial will be held at his farm outside of
Wakefield. Lakeside Memorial Chapel is in charge of the arrangements.