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THE ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 2019
REMEMBERING SHIRLEY FRANSEN-TINNER
Midsummer Festival stalwart
S
A memorial bench in honor
of Shirley Fransen-Tinner
near the Astoria Bridge.
hirley was born to
Frans & Hija (Eskola)
Fransen, Finnish immi-
grants, in Astoria and grew
up in Uniontown.
She learned to speak
the Finnish language at
an early age (which she
enjoyed speaking into
adulthood), and was edu-
cated in the Astoria school
system. She was full of
pride to be an “Astorian.”
Shirley was active in
the forming of the Astoria
Scandinavian Midsummer
Festival in 1968 and didn’t
miss a festival in
51 years.
At the 50th celebra-
tion she was chosen to be
the Honorary Grand Mar-
shal. She was so pleased
that the traditions they
started 50 years ago are still
used today, including the
hex burning and bonfi re,
Optog parade and the prin-
cesses speeches on “what
my national heritage means
to me.”
She chaired the enter-
tainment committee and
designed and prepared the
programs for the fi rst 25
years and later on alter-
nated years with Maureen
Sundstrom.
The many months that
their group of Carol Obie
and Nelly Norrman spent at
the Astoria Public Library
researching Midsummer in
Scandinavia and interview-
ing many local families
who immigrated here from
the old country paid off.
The festival continues to be
authentic and has
thrived!
Sadly, Shirley passed
away on December 13,
2018. This will be the fi rst
festival in 52 years she will
not attend.
Shirley Fransen-Tinner.
E
OY
NJ
THE
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