Eino Lehtinen

Who was Eino Lehtinen?

Eino Arvid Lehtinen was, at age 106, one of the last surviving veterans of the Finnish Civil War, and one of the oldest people in Finland at the time of his death. Lehtinen served for the White Guard during the Finnish Civil War of 1918.

Eino Lehtinen took part in the Finnish Civil War as a soldier in the Finnish White Guard, and his older brother served as well and fell at the Vilppula front. Eino Lehtinen got married in 1926 to Aino Saarimaa, a nurse. They had seven children, including five girls. Their marriage endured until Aino's death in 1986. Eino Lehtinen graduated from Rauma College in 1924 and then worked as a teacher throughout his life, until he retired in 1961.

Eino was an active church fellow, and he was also very interested in both literature and music. Lehtinen was also an honorary war veteran member in Ylistaro, where he was born. At 103 years old, Eino still walked in church on his own without assistance. He died in Raisio at the age of 106.