Juha Panula was born in Kauhajarvi, Finland and was son of Juha Jaakonpoika Panula Kero and Maria Matintytar Teikari.

He first was married to Maija Emelia Abrahamintytar Ketola Ojala. The couple were married in 14 Feb. 1892, Kauhajarvi, Finland.

The pair married young, and shortly after the death of their first born, immigrated to America. There, the two were known as John and Maria Panula.
The family moved around and traveled back and forth to Finland several times.

In total, eight children would be born to them:

Juha Eemeli (1892-1892)
Ernesti Arviiti (1895-1912)
Jaakko Aarnolt (1897-1912)
Emma Iita (1901-1910)
Lyydia (1902-1902)
Juha Niilo (1904-1912)
Urho Aaprami (1909-1912)
Eino Viljami (1911-1912).

After his father died, Juha took his family back to Finland to live, but a few years later, decided to head back to America. Juha left for America in 1911 and sent money to his wife and their five surviving sons to join him in spring of 1912. They all booked passage in steerage aboard the Titanic and were lost in the disaster.

It was long speculated that the youngest son, Eino Viljami Panula (13 months) was an infant whose body was recovered.
Upon hearing of the disaster, Juha traveled to New York in search of answers. At one point he thought his two youngest boys had been saved after it was reported that two small foreign boys were found and unclaimed. These were proven to not be his sons.

After the loss of his family, Juha returned to Finland.
Juha voiced his opinion that the White Star had not given enough thought for safety on the Titanic. He wrote several damning letters to the White Star Line's agency while at home in Finland. He was never truly able to get over the disaster.

While in Finland, he procured himself a second wife. Once again, he left her and an infant daughter, Signe Emilia, and traveled ahead to America to set up a home.

Sadly, their firstborn daughter died of meningitis at the age of sixteen months. Juha's second wife, Sanna Liisa Ulvinen arrived in America in 1914 and together they had three more children:

John Arvid (1917-1979)
Violet Marie (1918-2006)
Ethel Elisabeth (1926-SL).

Juha died of a heart attack at his home in Itasca, Minnesota and was buried on the 3rd of April 1944.

*Relative of mine.