Oulu to Utah

Oulu to Utah
In 1967, Aune Pasanen, of Oulu, Finland left for America with a small suit case and a round-trip ticket in her hand.
Westerlund's music company had just offered her a recording contract which she was going to begin as soon as she returned to Finland. She even took the music with her. As she traveled, she practiced the sure-hit, "Sunday Will Never Be The Same".
"We can always wonder 'What if?' At that point I had had a music career as 28 year old. But I had a feeling that I needed a family. When I left, I didn't even think about moving to the States. It happened differently. Heavenly Father decided it."
Back in 1949 in Oulu, Aune Pasanen, 16 year old young woman, entered the Tyrnävä hit song contest. She took second in the contest. Listening was the front man of a local band. He asked Pasanen to be the lead singer.
"I sang with them for about a year. We played in the Pateniemi Community Hall and in Kuusiaare. Then I got an offer from the Bell Boys group. I sang with them for many years all around Finland, like Oulu's dance halls.
Pasanen married Seppo Lappalainen. The union lasted three years.
"During that time I used Lappalainen's name and many in Oulu may remember me by that name. After the divorce I took back my maiden name.

Pasanen practiced singing as a student with the city orchestra soloist Toini Ventelän. She received training from a man who played in the city orchestra who sang often in operas. But the weekend belonged to gigs with The Bell Boys. 
"I learned also to play the bass while with the Bell Boys. We often drove all night and I sat next to the driver to keep him awake. Olavi Ahola played violin in the city orchestra and Risto Rönkä played bass. Kimmo Jussila was a skilled guitarist and Seppo Paavola was a well-known on the drums."
"We didn't drink alcohol nor did we smoke. We started playing in restaurants when the people were eating. Then I sang opera."
During breaks from playing, Aune Pasanen was offered work at the new Oulu department store music department. For work she played records and announced sales.
In July of 1962 her life changed when she met 2 American Mormon boys serving missions in Oulu. The came to the music department looking for Mormon Tabernacle Choir records because one of the boy's aunt sang in the choir.
"The record came in a couple of weeks. I noticed that the pair were eating in the department store lower level. I played the record. They wondered what was going on and came up to talk. We meet again and they told me about their faith. In my home, faith was always at the forefront and I began to be interested to read the Book of Mormon.”

In November of the same year Aune Pasanen joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-say saints. The issue wasn't a cause for questions with the Bell Boys, but her relatives wondered about the choice. 
"I learned also to play the bass while with the Bell Boys. We often drove all night and I sat next to the driver to keep him awake. Olavi Ahola played violin in the city orchestra and Risto Rönkä played bass. Kimmo Jussila was a skilled guitarist and Seppo Paavola was a well-known on the drums."
"We didn't drink alcohol nor did we smoke. We started playing in restaurants when the people were eating. Then I sang opera."
During breaks from playing, Aune Pasanen was offered work at the new Oulu department store music department. For work she played records and announced sales.
In July of 1962 her life changed when she met 2 American Mormon boys serving missions in Oulu. The came to the music department looking for Mormon Tabernacle Choir records because one of the boy's aunt sang in the choir.

"The record came in a couple of weeks. I noticed that the pair were eating in the department store lower level. I played the record. They wondered what was going on and came up to talk. We meet again and they told me about their faith. In my home, faith was always at the forefront and I began to be interested to read the Book of Mormon.”
In November of the same year Aune Pasanen joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-say saints. The issue wasn't a cause for questions with the Bell Boys, but her relatives wondered about the choice.
"People thought that I couldn't smile because I was a believer. In their minds I was also supposed to have torn up all my performance apparel. I was teased quite a bit."
Pasanen continued performing. A year after coming into the faith she was called to serve in the Helsinki mission. Upon completion of the mission, she received an invitation to join Tommi Lainkari, singing and playing the base. On the drums was Pekka Lehtosaari and a Spanish guest singer Ricardo Villach. He taught Pasanen to sing in Spanish. She performed with them until she left for America.
"There was a large [church] conference in the States that I wanted to attend. I received permission from Tommi for a one month vacation. Besides, I had the record contract on my mind and practiced the songs during my trip. When I got to my destination, I was asked to help translate the Book of Mormon into Finnish at my Church's translation office. I had a half year visa, so I decided to stay for a little bit. At the same time I joined Ron Simpson as a soloist."
Lainkari wasn't happy with the decision and told Pasanen she would have to find a solution to the recording project.
"I had earlier met Arja Havakka and she said she wanted to sing. Arja took my place and the rest is history. From then on they worked with Arja."
While doing translation for the Mormon Church, Pasanen courted her future husband, Jerry Hirst.
"The same day my visa expired I got married. We changed my name to Anu to make it easier for the Americans to say."
The young couple soon moved. Jerry's officer training moved them to Stuttgart, Germany. They spent three years there. Afterwards, the Hirst’s moved back to the States. There were four children born into the family.

Jerry passed away in 2010, but their four children gave them 16 grandchildren, that Anu spend much of her time with. 
"The days are filled with watching children. Family is important to me. A couple of years ago I served a year and a half as missionary in Helsinki, back to the same mission secretary role I had as a younger woman."
Anu Hirst doesn't perform any more, but she does sing in the church choir.
The grandchildren are interested in grandma's music career scrapbook. The CDs recorded from reel-to-reel tape also interest the next generation.
"I went to meet Tommi Lainkari ten years ago in Florida where he spends his winters. There I sang at a New Years dance.”
Being from Oulu and a Finn haven't left Anu Hirst over the years. She especially misses nature in Oulu.
"When you've once gone across the big pond there you're always on the wrong shore and miss the land you left. Now I have two good homelands. And fortunately, there is Skype.
She visits Oulu as often as she can.

"Fortunately, relatives come here on the alternate years. I also get news from Oulu every day through the papers on the internet."