päiviö was born in the municipality of kärsämäki, finland, in the northern ostrobothnia region. he emigrated to the united states in 1902 at the age of 23. päiviö worked as the editor of finnish american newspapers "amerikan uutiset" (the american news), "päivän uutiset" (the daily news) and "kansan lehti" (the people's newspaper), published in calumet and ironwood, michigan.