A Closer Look (Part 70)

Kaunas, Lithuania, November 11, 1939. An operetta cast member has applied her stage makeup.

Here's the original post.

Wedding Day

Kaunas, Lithuania, 1939. The Parents of my Mom's Goddaughter marry.

A Look Inside the Student Booklet

*     *     *     *     *

Kaunas, Lithuania, 1940 to 1944. Here's the booklet my Dad's twin sister, Jonė, carried through medical and later dental school. The second column lists the university subject (example: "Fizika" is "Physics"). The third column states the number of hours spent on each subject during the week. The fourth and fifth columns present the professors' names and signatures for each subject. The sixth column provides the date the work (what we consider "credits," I think) was completed. The last column lists the date of the subjects' examinations, the grades (example: "l. gerai" is "very good"), and the professors' signatures.

Jonė's Student Booklet

Kaunas, Lithuania, September 16, 1939. This is the "Studies Booklet" my Dad's twin sister, Jonė, received when she enrolled in medical school. The outbreak of World War II interrupted her studies: the sentence added at the top of page indicates Jonė transferred from medical school to dental school in 1943.

Although the same university—Vytautas Magnus University—issued "Studies Booklets" for both Jonė and my Mom, Jonė's earlier version omits the warning about keeping the document clean.

Related by Marriage: Holy Communion (Part 21)

St. Casimir Catholic Cemetery, Chicago, Illinois, 1939. Mr. Irene's maternal Grandmother Anna, his Mom, and Anna's sister Petra stop by the cemetery after the Communion ceremony.

Graduation season approaches.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 1970. My Dad's twin sister, Jonė, is delighted as her daughter—my Toronto Cousin—graduates from Lithuanian school. My Toronto Cousin wears the folkdress my paternal Grandmother, Tatjana, sewed in 1939.

Thanks to my Toronto Cousin for making this photo available to us.

Foot Bridge

Probably near Kaunas, Lithuania, about 1939. Dad takes his camera when he goes for a walk.

Make sure they get there safely.

Near Kaunas, Lithuania, about 1939. Suzanne—the wife of my Dad's older cousin, Henry—walks to school with her daughter, Kaunas Nina, and Nina's friend.

 

Thanks to Kaunas Nina's daughter—my Kaunas Cousin—for making this photo available to us.

A Guided Walk

Near Kaunas, Lithuania, about 1939. Kaunas Nina and a friend head to school.

Another Birthday for the Twins

November 22 is the birthday of my Dad and his twin, Jonė (see here and here).

I posted this photo earlier; I repeat it today because it's a favorite.

Kaunas, Lithuania, 1939. My paternal Grandfather, Vytautas, likely took this photo.

Where will this take you?

Lithuania, about 1939. This is Kadis, the husband of my Dad's twin sister, Jonė. It's a passport photo—the edge of the image has the "Republic of Lithuania" stamp. I don't know whether Kadis used it for his internal passport or whether he planned to travel abroad. At this time, however, he likely didn't imagine that he soon would land in Salzburg, Austria as a Displaced Person.

Dressed for an Occasion

Kaunas, Lithuania, about 1939. My Dad's twin, Jonė, went to the same high school, Saulės Gimnazija, that my Mom atttended. Mom and Jonė only knew of each other, however, because they were not in the same class. The Chicago-based Sister of St. Casimir staffed the school.

 

As World War II approached, it became fashionable for young women to wear folkdresses to social occasions. Jonė here wears the folkdress her Mother, Tatjana, sewed in 1939. My Mom also had a folkdress made around this time. Each woman's costume was authentic to the Lithuanian region from which the woman's family originated. The regional focus led to a lot of variety among the garments. Here, for example, some girls wear white aprons, while other's aprons are dark. Some motifs are geometric; others are floral. There also are differences among the vests.

 

(The Balzekas Museum in Chicago has a great collection of folkdresses.)

 

Thanks to my Toronto Cousin for making this photo available to us.

Related by Marriage: When Wisconsin was a Destination

 

Near Goodman, Wisconsin, about 1939. Mr. Irene's Mom and her Godfather visit Cousin O's farm.

Cabbage Cleaning

Scouting Camp (likely Santakų Stovykla or the camp at Lake Želva), Lithuania, about 1939. The scouts prepare dinner.

Come ashore.

Nemunas River, Lithuania, about 1939. Dad comes ashore after parking his kayak.

Throne

Scouting Camp (Santakų Stovykla), Lithuania, about Summer 1939. One of my Dad's fellow scouts relaxes at camp.

Related by Marriage: A Sunday Destination

Chicago, Illinois, Summer 1940. Mr. Irene's maternal Grandfather, Stanley, has driven his 1939 Chrysler to a picnic spot in the Forest Preserve.

Threads

Toronto, Ontario, Canada, July 1969. My paternal Grandmother, Tatjana, wrote: "Here, [Toronto Cousin] wears the national folkdress I sewed for [her mother] Jonė in 1939. I also embroidered the blouse. The only thing I didn't make was the vest, which was sewn in Germany." 

Hey! I think I've got a vest to match.

Related by Marriage: Pocket Square

Lithuania, about 1939 or 1940. This is Mr. Irene's Great Aunt, Danutė. Danutė is the woman who pickled and canned wild mushrooms.

Fashion Forward

Lithuania, probably late 1930s or early 1940s. This is Ann, a relative of my friend Ron. I wish we wore hats today as often as people sported them way-back-when.

Thanks to my friend Ron for making this photo available to us.