Her father, Carl Gustaf Fabian Wrede [fi], was the provincial governor of the Vaasa province.

It was during this time she first came in contact with inmates, that were sent to the governors house to make repairs.

She visited prisons, discussed religious issues, arranged occasions to hold speeches and discuss the Bible, distributed religious literature and was in direct correspondence with many of the inmates.

In 1886 she founded Toivola, a farm for unemployed, newly released prisoners to work at.

Henrik Wrede, her brother had earlier spent three years in Siberia, evangelizing the local people and Finnish criminals deported there.