Hi! I'm looking for information on my great-grand-fathers brother Aleksi Laamanen who is told to have immigrated to US or Canada, and was not heard of since. This happened at the late 19th or early 20th century. His brothers name was Viktor Laamanen who was married to Alma Laamanen (Pärnänen). He was a copper-smith (vaskiseppä) by profession. Someone on my mothers side of the family might know more, but I thought if anyone might be able to give me some clues based on even so little details. I've found many by the surname Laamanen living in the US and Canada, but couldn't tell if any of them is of the same family. Also I found several immigrants by the same surname at http://www.migrationinstitute.fi and one Aksel Laamanen, but he was 4 years old at the time. I have neither been able to find the records of Viktor and Aleksi at http://www.genealogia.fi as these records apparently have not yet been included or have been lost. I did find one Alexander Laamanen who was born in Kerimäki 1876, and another who was born in Rääkkylä 1855, but cannot be sure whether either one might be the same person. Nonetheless, as my grand-father (Veikko Laamanen) was from the parish of Kerimäki, also his father and uncle were probably from there, or from some neighboring parish (like Rääkkylä). Heikki