ugust Niemi was born in Ylistaro, Vaasanlaani, Finland in 187l. He arrived in the United States in 1900 and settled in Houghton, Michigan. Maria Sofia Mikkola was born in Lohtaja, Finland in 1880 and arrived in Michigan with her parents in 1901. She met August that same year, and they were married in 1902. Their child, Helen Elizabeth, was born in 1903. Their second child, William J., was born in 1904 and soon afterward, the family moved to Itabo, Cuba, where August was employed on the construction of the Panama Canal. Two more children were born in Cuba, Hilma Josephine in 1905 and Waino A. in 1908.

In 1910, the family moved to Alaska. They spent five years in Douglas, near Juneau, where August was employed at the Treadwell Mine. In 1915, they packed up and moved to the coal-mining town of Eska, which eventually became the town of Sutton, on the Alaska Railroad branch line. The coal-mining district there included the Evan Jones Coal Mine, which was independently owned by Oscar Anderson and others, and the Eska Mine, which was owned by the Alaska Railroad. August was employed by the Alaska Railroad at the Eska Mine and also operated a small general store and rooming house.

With the births of son Walter T. in 1911 and daughter Hilda Gertrude in 1919, the family had increased to six children, and the older ones were becoming of high school age. Since there was no high school in Eska, in 1925 August and Maria sent the children to Anchorage to live and remained in their home until Maria could move from Eska in 1926. August followed in 1927, after disposing of his store.

Soon after their arrival in Anchorage, August opened a hardware store at the corner of 4th Avenue and D Street and operated it successfully until his retirement, when he sold out to Art Engebreth. August died in 1945 and Maria passed away in 1947. They are both buried in Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery.

The six children of August and Maria Niemi produced eight grandchildren. Helen Elizabeth Niemi Carlquist had no children, and died in 1994. Son William J. Niemi married Bernice Kingsbury and they had two daughters; Miriam Anne who died in 1993 and Celia Beth. William Niemi died in 1992. Daughter Hilma Josephine Niemi married Gus Saario had they had three daughters, Bertha Irene Saario Axtell, Doris June Saario and Joanne Verla Saario Rantala. Hilma Niemi Saario died in 1973. Son Waino A. Niemi married Verla Fay and they had two children, Waino Ray and Mary Wyanne Niemi Plummer. Waino Niemi died in 1908. Walter T. Niemi did not marry, and passed away in 1971. Hilda Gertrude Niemi married Kenneth Kellner and they had one child, Kenneth Jr. Hilda died in 1919.