Sea Captain Gustav Hongell, along with his wife Alma, lived in a house on Isokatu. Captain Hongell was rarely home in Kokkola and Alma decided to follow her husband to the world’s seas aboard the barque Melusine. However, Alma Hongell’s seafaring experiences came to an unhappy end when she lost her husband as well as several crew members to beriberi disease in the Indian Ocean. After the Captain died Alma acted as a support for the crew and nurse to the sick. She was later awarded the Gold Medal and a monthly pension allowance – as the first woman. Alma Hongell has also written many children books.
The Children´s School