About the author

Helmi Uutar was born on 2 February 1927 at Vibusi farm in Laupa, the third child in the family of Juuli and Teodor Vilbok. Her early childhood was spent herding livestock with her older sister and the neighbouring children, and later looking after her younger brother. She began her education at the nearby Laupa manor school, graduating in 1940. For a short time she also studied at the Särevere school of home economics, but the Second World War interrupted her studies.

Her youth fell during the difficult war years and, later, the complicated period of Stalin's regime. She had known her future husband Harald since she was quite a young girl.

At the same time, part of her always belonged to the forest, where she loved to spend time. For this reason she worked for many years in forestry, tending young spruce trees. Alongside her work she also managed to keep the garden at home in order. Future generations now have the opportunity to read the memories of times gone by that she wrote down, some of them have even been published in print, and now they are available here on the internet as well.