
Photographer unknown, ca. 1951
Lyyli's future mother Maria Katariiina Torkko from Ylistaro to had come to work as a dairymaid at the Orivesi dairy. Heikki Parpola, a farmer, was the dairy's manager and Maria and Heikki soon found each other. Unfortunately Heikki died of tetanus in 1920 when Lyyli was 7 years old. Her mother Maria was now a widow with four children under 13 years old. However, Lyyli and two of her brothers were able to pursue academic studies and Lyyli graduated in 1938 with a Master's degree with a major in Germanic philology. During her studies she spent a year in the UK improving her English language skills. Throughout his teaching career, Lyyli worked as a German and English language teacher and lecturer at the Helsinki Lyceum. During the war, she worked for the State Information Office (actually the War Censorship Office) and then in the the Clearance Section (selvittelyjaosto) of the Office of Home Front Headquarters. At the Office she met my father Martti Kutvonen. ➔ Lyyli Maria at the age of 72