Related by Marriage: Protégé

Panevėžys, Lithuania, about 1942. Mr. Irene's Dad poses with the manager of the family farm. 

Before World War II erupted, the plan was for Dad to assume the role of running the farm.

Related by Marriage: Happier Times on the Farm

Near , Lithuania, about 1942. Here's another scene from the farm that was Mr. Irene's Dad's boyhood home. Mr. Irene's Dad stands on the far right, with his hand on his hip. His mother, Veronica, is the second woman from the left. Older brother Ignas is in the background—he's the one wearing eye glasses. Younger brother Stacey is the little boy in the front. The man with his elbow on Mr. Irene's Dad's shoulder is the Farm Manager.

After the Soviets occupied Lithuania in 1944, they seized and redistributed the farm property.

The Soviets also emptied the banks of citizens' savings accounts. They considered savings accounts "bourgeoisie."

More Clues

After I posted an early-twentieth-century photo of some relatives, my Toronto Cousin sent me an image of family members from about 1902. Only after I had looked at the photo for a while did I realize that I'd seen it before here. One of the persons in the photo was a well known pastor who was a pioneer of educational reform during the time Tsarist Russia still occupied Lithuania.

Panemunėlis, Lithuania, about 1902 to 1904. Seated, left to right: my paternal Grandfather's uncle, the priest; my paternal Grandfather, Vytautas, still a boy; Vytautas's mother, Salomea; Solomea's daughter, who died; Vytautas's sister, Victoria; Vytautas's paternal aunt, Stanislava. Standing, left to right: Charles, the first husband of Stanislava; a parish housekeeper; Bronislava, the mother of my Dad's cousins, Henry and Vytas; and Salomea's brother, Leo.

A housekeeper again appears in a family photo. You saw that occur earlier, here and here.

The males in my family strikingly resemble one another.

Something to Send Back Home

My paternal Grandmother, Tatjana, slipped into a photo booth to generate this photo of herself shortly after she arrived in the United States. Did she plan to send the image back to her son and his new wife, who still waited in the Displaced Persons camp for permission to emigrate?

 

New York, about 1948 or 1949. Tatjana created this photo when she worked as a cook in a Russian household. I don't know what recipes she mastered while working there. Often, however, when we entertained guests, she made individual Pavlovas. She served them in crystal dessert dishes with frozen strawberries (in syrup) and French Vanilla Ice Cream. It was very elegant, for the 1960s.

Routes to Freedom

Lithuanian Displaced Persons seeking asylum in Canada, like other Eastern European immigrants, usually secured refugee status by agreeing to work as laborers for a period of time. For women, the "contract" might require service for one year as a domestic. Men found themselves engaged in tough, physical labor in forests, hydro plants, and mines.

In either case, the path to a new life was not easy.

Kadis, the husband of my Dad's twin sister, Jonė, arrived on a contract to work on Hydro projects in Dryden, a town in northwestern Ontario.

Dryden, Ontario, about 1948. Kadis, on the left, stands in front of a Hydro facility.

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Dryden, Ontario, about 1948. Kadis, on the far right, and coworkers appear to be dressed in "hazmat" uniforms.

Thanks to my Toronto Cousin for making these photographs available to us.

Surrounded by Love

Kaunas, Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic, about 1959. My Kaunas Cousin, as a baby, masters the attention of her family. From left to right are Kaunas Cousin's Mother, Kaunas Nina, her maternal Grandfather, Henry, her maternal Grandmother, Suzanne, and her nanny.

A Key Friend

My Dad's twin sister, Jonė, emigrated to Canada in 1947. She, like many other DPs, first worked in Canada as a "domestic." Jonė took a job in Quebec.

Probably Quebec, Canada, around 1948. Here are three Eastern European DPs. All have arrived in Canada on the condition that they work as domestics. On the far right stands my Dad's twin sister, Jonė. In the middle is the good friend who introduced Jonė to her husband, Kadis.

Related by Marriage: Everyone is home, on the farm.

Near Panevėžys, Lithuania, about 1931. Mr. Irene's Dad is the little boy in the front row, on the right. Next to him sits his younger brother Stacey, in the white jacket, and older brother Ignas is on the far left. Mr. Irene's paternal Grandparents, Veronica and Jonas, are directly behind the boys. Other aunts and relatives appear in the background.

Here, again, we see a servant lurking in the background.

UPDATE: Mr. Irene's Dad added some more information about this photo. The elderly woman hunched behind Ignas is the Aunt of Jonas, the paternal Grandfather. So. The members of the family are all seated.

Standing behind the family, left to right, is the Farm Manager, the boys' Nanny, and the Cook. It wasn't unusual for a family of this era to sit for a portrait with the household help. In this case, the "help" ranked pretty high—Manager, Nanny, and Cook. These persons were essentially members of the family. Notice also that the person who likely doesn't rank is in the background.

My Mom cringes when she remembers that the woman, "Magduka,"who served in her Parents' household as a cook / maid slept on a cot in the kitchen and never was included in family meals. Ironically, it was Magduka who taught my mother to knit. My maternal Grandmother, Jadzė, did not know how to knit.

Tatjana's Role at the Schweinfurt Displaced Persons Camp

Many Displaced Persons, like my Mom, worked for UNRRA.

We knew that my paternal Grandmother, Tatjana, also played a role with UNRRA in Schweinfurt, the DP camp that housed her and my Dad. There's a photo of her with other persons with whom she appears to have had a work relationship, and Tatjana was one of the key organizers of an important cultural exhibit at the camp.

Today, I found a letter that explains her work in Schweinfurt in more detail:

Schweinfurt, Germany, May 12, 1947. The UNRRA Executive Officer of the Schweinfurt Camp explains Tatjana's roles in the camp administration.

Schweinfurt, Germany, May 12, 1947. The UNRRA administrators of the Schweinfurt DP camp gather for a group photo.

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Schweinfurt, Germany, December 1946. Here's another photo of two camp administrators sitting at the exhibit Tatjana organized. A scout stands on the left, and a DP dressed in traditional Lithuanian folkdress is on the right.

Check out the weavings hanging on the wall! Don't those inspire some knitting patterns?!

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In 1948, Tatjana emigrated to America. Once in New York, Tatjana worked in the household of a United Nations translator:

Recall that Tatjana was the first woman to earn advanced degree in Chemical Engineering from the University in St. Petersburg.

Summer Portrait on the Porch

Here are some members of my Father's side of the family:

Palanga, Lithuania, about 1920. This photo features my paternal Grandfather, Vytautas (far left, with legs crossed and holding a cigarette), and his extended family.

I can't yet identify many of these people, but I would like to get to know the woman sitting to my Grandfather's left. She looks relaxed and thoughtful. When I was little, I resembled the girl who's standing, holding a book.

Notice the maid, who is lurking in the background on the porch. She is the one wearing an apron.