Tampa Bay Times from St. Petersburg, Florida • 170

I I in jj ti Nature Is er Mother A 1 I 4 1 -V -s 171 tuent to tvow because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential fact of life, and see if I could not learn wliat it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I Iwd not lived. Henry David thoreau Photos: Fred Parrtsh Text: James Ryan up. I strung thread across window and it climbed until the thread was completely covered. Then it bloomed, all red and purple and white. It wts beatuiful.

That was in Finland, where Olga Lakela was born, where her father had a farm, where a river flowing past "had water lilies, just like Florida," and where "we had many flowers and birds." She reminisced recently while sitting in her small office in the Life Science Building on the sprawling campus of the University of South Florida. Shyly she spoke of her background. "On my father's farm, I was waiting for the flowers. I would watch them every day. When there were berries, I would eat them.

When 1 had enoi'gh, I would take a handful to my mother." The Lakela (pronunced Lack-e-la) family pulled its roots from Finnish soil and replanted them in Minnesota when Olga was 15. She had decided even then on a career of teaching. "My family was deeply religious, and believed in learning. They ranked a teacher next to a minister. I think that is one reason I wanted to become a teacher, to please them." It was a long and difficult pull fcr the immi grant girl, who is only 5 feet tall and weighs no more than 100 pounds.

She had to learn to speak English, and speak it well, for 'she taught through the cold Minnesota winters in order to have enough money to continue her education in the summer months. "My classmates, the people my wij age, got far ahead of me. But I caught up with them and passed I worked bard and I got my doc-' torate." She earned her bachelor's and master's degrees at the University of Minnesota, In 1932, she earned the title of doctor of philosophy in botany from Minnesota. Now she was Dr. Olga Lakela, ready to share her love for and knowledge of plant and animal life with' all who would accept it.

But teaching jobs were scarce. "It was the Depression. I wanted to teach in co'lege, but there were no jobs. I worked in the herbarium (where plant specimens are collected and stored) at MinnesoU until 1935. That's when the job at Duluth came open." Returning to the University of Minnesota's branch at Duluth was something of a homecoming.

Dr. Lakela had attended school there years before when it was known as Duluth Normal. She immediately lost herself in teaching bot- OLGA LAKELA is a dedicated caretaker in the great greenhouse God created and called earth. Her work is her life. Che has known no other.

She has not desired to know another. Even at 74, eight years beyond her retire: ment, her devotion to the things that grow on this planet is all-consuming. Her, eyes glow brightly, and an angelic look comes over her face when she speaks of the lowest algae, the tallest tree, and of all plant life between. 4 "When I ua.s a little girl, 6 or 7 years old, my father gave me a morning glory seed. I planted it in a pot by a window and each day I would watch it.

It grew, but it wouldu stand SUNDAY St. Petersburg Times. Sunday. September 4. 16 roq Tta.