Hartley and Wesley Koski

We’d like to tell you about Victor and Emma Koski. Victor began a small business, with his wife Emma, on Chestnut Street in 1916. It was a retail hardware store.

They had 2 boys – Wesley born in 1919 and Hartley in 1921.

Emma was a noted actress and drama coach and both boys performed at the Finnish Temperance Hall, now known as Kaleva Hall. (In fact, it is said that their names can still be penciled in behind the stage.)

The two boys loved swimming and fishing. They spent considerable time with their grandfather at the lake each summer. They really enjoyed their freedom and life.

But, owning a small business through the Great Depression had many challenges. The Koski family actually lost the hardware store for several years which put their future and livelihood in jeopardy. It was during this low point that Wesley and Hartley learned the value of a strong and vital community. They would learn first hand the meaning of a “true community”. With the help of neighbors and Virginia business owners, Victor and Emma were able to re-establish their store and provide a simple, quite and safe life for their family.

Both boys would graduate from Virginia High School and Virginia Junior College.

Wesley served 3 years in the Army during World War II.

Hartley would serve 3 years in the Navy (becoming a lieutenant) and eventually finishing his Bachelors Degree from the University of Minnesota and playing in the Marching Band.

In the late 1940’s, the boys moved home to Virginia to help with their mother’s care. They worked at the hardware store, eventually taking over for their parents.

After more than 60 years in business, the boys made the difficult decision to close the hardware store in 1980.

During the next decade, Wesley and Hartley watched their hometown struggle and their beloved downtown deteriorate. The brothers felt responsible to Virginia and wanted to keep the community strong and vital for generations to come.

Even though Koski Hardware was no longer downtown, in 1990, the boys of Emma and Victor made the joint decision that, at the death of the second brother, their estate would be left to the people of Virginia.

In 1997, at the time of Hartley’s death, their gift to the community foundation was valued at over $1 million.