Difference between revisions 810943629 and 855345094 on enwiki

{{EngvarB|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2013}}
{{Infobox person
| name        = Lars Kovala
| image       = Lars Kovala.jpg
| image_size  = 
| caption     = 
| birth_date  = 25 May 1818
| birth_place = [[Suomussalmi]], [[Oulu Province]], [[Grand Duchy of Finland]]
| death_date = 12 November 1894 (aged 76)
| death_place =
| occupation  = [[Business Tycoon]], Investor, philanthropist
| salary      =
| networth    = 
| spouse      = 
| children    = 5
| website     = 
| footnotes   =
}}
'''Lars Kovala''' (originally '''Lauri Kovalainen''') (b. 25 May 1818 in [[Oulu]], [[Finland]] − 12 November 1894) acquired his schooling in [[Suomussalmi]], [[Oulu Province|Finland]] was a Finnish-American business tycoon, merchant, fur trader, and investor coming from one of the most powerful families in Finland in the 19th century seeking [[Independence of Finland|Finnish Independence]]. He was the 3rd great great-great-great-grandfather of famous Finnish racing driver [[Heikki Kovalainen]] and father of [[Joonas Kovalainen|Joonas Kovala]], a founder of [[Stanton Township, Michigan|Onnela, Houghton County, Michigan]], U.S.A.<ref>{{cite book|last=Ilmonen|first=S.|title=AMERIKAN SUOMALAISIA HISTORIA III; YHDYSVALLOISSA JA CANADASSA OLEVAT SUOMALAISET ASUTUKSET|trans-title=American history of Finnish III; Finnish settlement in the United States and Canada|date=1926|page=113|asin=B00AGY26I4|publisher=Suomalais-Luteerilainen Ku(contracted; show full)

==Illnesses and death==

In his 70s Kovalainen suffered from moderate depression and digestive troubles. He moved back to Suomussalmi, Finland in 1892.

Kovalainen was accused of funding underground Finnish revolutionary forces and declared enemy of the Russian Empire in 1893 by [[Alexander III of Russia|Alexander III]].  Eluding capture, he died on 12 November 1894 in Suomussalmi, Finland, less than seven months shy of his 77th birthday. He was buried in Suomussalmi, Oulu Province, Finland.  A
mong those who attendinged his funeral includedwas the future first president of Finland, [[Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg]].<ref>Vestnik Evropi May 1898</ref>

Much of Kovala's wealth was confiscated by [[Nicholas II of Russia|Emperor Nicholas II of Russia]], while the remainder of his fortune is believed to have been passed to Kovala’s 2nd great  -great-grandson living in the U.S.<ref>TV Guide & Sunday Times Magazine (STM); 2005: 20 Feb</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kovalainen, Lauri}}
[[Category:1818 births]]
[[Category:1894 deaths]]
[[Category:American businesspeople]]
[[Category:Finnish emigrants to the United States (1809–1917)]]