History

Peter and Eva Niska immigrated to the United States from Finland in the early 1900’s. Peter arrived in the United States in 1903 and Eva, along with 2 young children, arrived in 1904. Their immigration travels brought them initially to Wisconsin and while in Wisconsin another child was born into the family. After some research to find land in an area similar to their home in Finland, they decided to settle in Squaw Lake, Minnesota and moved there in 1906.

As they began to make Squaw Lake their home, the family continued to grow. They had a total of 14 children with the last child born in 1923. Also, grandchildren were being born into the family beginning in 1919 when their first grandchild, Hans, was born.

In 1923, the same year their last child was born, Hans sadly died at age 4. Potentially for financial reasons, he was buried in a roadside grave along Round Lake in Squaw Lake.

Hans’ death and burial prompted Peter to acquire land in Squaw Lake as a “garden plot”. He made arrangements with a county commissioner to lease a piece of land and in the spring of 1924, Hans was reburied on this piece of land and the Peter and Eva Niska Memorial Cemetery was founded.

It became Peter’s mission to have a place where everyone in his family, including descendants and close friends, could have a final resting place without financial concerns. Therefore, in October 1961, Peter bought the land for $127.50 from the State of Minnesota. He died just 12 days after buying the cemetery and, while Hans was the first person to be buried in the cemetery, Peter became the first to be buried after the land was purchased and therefore family-owned.

After his death, the cemetery became the property of his descendants and has been operated and maintained by them ever since.