Mushroom hunting is a sport.

"Mushroom hunting is probably Lithuania’s second most popular sport, after basketball."

Many Eastern European countries share a cultural affinity for mushroom picking. Mushroom recipes ripple through Lithuanian cuisine; Lithuanians even bake cookies that look like mushrooms. (There's a recipe in this book.)

I've always been nervous about eating wild mushrooms. I make an exception for morels because it's easy to identify them. Otherwise, I stay away. For example, Danutė—the wife of Mr. Irene's great uncle, Uncle D—used to harvest wild mushrooms in Indiana and Michigan. She then pickled and canned them. Everyone got several Mason jars—filled with the slimy preserving liquid and rubbery mushrooms—each time they visited her. I never tasted them: not even from the jars Danutė gave us on our wedding day. Or from the jars family found squirreled away in Danutė's basement after Danutė died.

I went mushroom picking one time, and I then was accompanying natives who'd been differentiating mushrooms for nearly a generation.

Choosing the wrong mushroom can be deadly.

Door County, Wisconsin, Spring 1978. Get some safety training before you go hunting.

Related by Marriage: Thinking about home.

Würzburg, Germany, December 7, 1948. This is Mr. Irene's Great Aunt, Danutė. Danutė married "Uncle D," the brother of Mr. Irene's paternal Grandmother, Veronica. Here, Danutė, a Displaced Person, poses in Lithuanian folkdress.

Related by Marriage: Weddings cement family ties.

When Mr. Irene's Parents married, they traveled to Los Angeles to "honeymoon" at the home of Ignas, the brother of Mr. Irene's Dad, and his wife, Ellie.

A few years earlier, when Ignas and Ellie had wed, those newlyweds made a similar trip. Ignas and Ellie travel to Chicago so that Ellie could meet "Uncle D" and Uncle D's wife, Danutė.

"Uncle D" was the brother of Mr. Irene's paternal Grandmother, Veronica.

Marquette Park, Chicago, Illinois, Summer 1953. The new relations gather in "Uncle D's" backyard. From left to right are "Uncle D," his wife Danutė, newlywed Ellie, newlywed Ignas, and Mr. Irene's Dad.

*     *     *     *     *



Marquette Park, Chicago, Illinois, Summer 1953. They've arranged themselves by height again, but this time, the shortest point is at the center.

Related by Marriage: Displaced, but reunited.

Germany, 1947. Mr. Irene's Dad and his brother Ignas—both standing—reunite with a cousin's family, their Aunt-by-marriage Danutė, and Danutė's husband, Uncle D.

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.

Related by Marriage: Forget about the leftovers.

Marquette Park, Illinois, November 1965. Let's have some rye bread and sausages instead.

Mr. Irene's family visits the home of Uncle D and his wife, Danutė. The occasion is a visit from Mr. Irene's paternal Uncle, Ignas. Left to right are Uncle D, Mr. Irene, Ignas, Mr. Irene's Mom, and Danutė. Mr. Irene's mind wanders as he thinks about the likely, upcoming trip to White Castle.

Here's another snapshot from that afternoon. Thanks to Ignas's daughter—Mr. Irene's Los Angeles Cousin—for making this photo available to us.

Related by Marriage: Almost on the Boat

Post-War Germany, March 26, 1949. Mr. Irene's Dad, standing on the left, joins the relatives with whom he will emigrate to the United States. Standing next to Dad is his brother, Ignas. Seated are Uncle D—the brother of Mr. Irene's maternal Grandmother Veronica—and Uncle D's wife, Danutė.

The group sat for this portrait on the same day Mr. Irene's Dad and Ignas had this photo taken.

Danutė was the family's source for pickled mushrooms.

Transitions

Yesterday's post about my Toronto Cousin's folkdress left me thinking about the different costumes I'd worn over the years.

My first "adult" folkdress was one of the mass-produced garments created for the population of Lithuanian baby boomers living in North America. I wore that garish, green folkdress for many years, before my family decided I could transition to the heirloom ensemble. I never had a good headpiece, so I continued to wear the crown from the green folkdress into adulthood.

I recently saw a photo of Mr. Irene's great Aunt, Danutė, at her wake. Her family chose to bury her in her magnificent folkdress. 

Here's how the green folkdress looked when I wore it to a choir performance:

Suburban Chicago, Winter 1975. I didn't like the blouse that was part of the green folkdress set, so I instead wore the one my paternal Grandmother had embroidered.

Related by Marriage: Extended Family

Lithuania, about 1938. Ignas, the brother of Mr. Irene's Dad, stands in the back, on the right. The woman on the far left is Danutė. the wife of Uncle D.

Related by Marriage: A Photo, after Easter Sunday Mass

Marquette Park, Chicago, Easter, April 1961. From left to right: Mr. Irene's maternal Grandfather Stanley, maternal Grandmother Anna, Mr. Irene's Mom, Mr. Irene, Danutė (the wife of "Uncle D"), and Mr. Irene's Dad.

Related by Marriage: Don't encourage them.

Suburban Chicago, early Autumn 1980. Mr. Irene's Dad, Uncle D, and Danutė feed the pests.

Related by Marriage: Wedding Tunes

Probably Würzburg, Germany, about 1946. This is the wedding of a cousin (the bride) of Mr. Irene's Dad. The woman to the right of the groom—in folkdress—is Danutė.

Related by Marriage: Confirmation

Suburban Chicago, May 1968. Mr. Irene is ready to depart for his Confirmation ceremony. Although Mr. Irene and I grew up in the same suburb, he and I attended different parochial schools. My classmates and I wore our uniforms at our Confirmation. (The woman sitting on the porch is Danutė, the wife of Uncle D.)

Related by Marriage: Squeeze In

Suburban Chicago, 1967. Mr. Irene's childhood home was small, and it had no dining room. When Mr. Irene's family entertained, they sometimes set up a table in the living room. Here, Mr. Irene sits between Cousin I and Danutė, the wife of Uncle D. Cousin I's Dad, Anthony, stands next to Mr. Irene's Mom.

Dainų Šventė

The "Dainų Šventė," or "Festival of Song," is an established Lithuanian tradition. Like the Folk Dance Festivals, the Festivals of Song occur at regular intervals, usually every four years. The history of the Festivals of Song dates to the 1920s. Today, the Festivals are modernized affairs; some even feature Lithuanian rappers.

During the years of Soviet occupation, the Displaced Persons maintained the custom of staging Festivals of Song while they lived abroad. The DPs living in Germany organized a Festival in 1948. The 1948 "Dainų Šventė" took place in Würzburg.

Würzburg, Germany, 1948. Mr. Irene's Dad—standing in the back, at the center—travels to the Dainų Šventė. Standing directly in front of Mr. Irene's Dad are his maternal Uncle, "Uncle D," and Uncle D's wife, Danutė. Ignas, the older brother of Mr. Irene's Dad, is at the far left.

Related by Marriage: Another Look

Camp Irwin, Barstow, California, September 1, 1951. To date, I've only posted one colorized photo. Recently we came across this one of Mr. Irene's Dad. It may look familiar because I earlier posted the original version. Mr. Irene's Dad gave this portrait to Uncle D and Uncle D's wife, Danutė.

Related by Marriage: Decorating

Marquette Park, Chicago, Illinois, June 1980. Mr. Irene's Parents visit with Uncle D and his wife, Danutė. I earlier posted photos of this dining room here and here.

Related by Marriage: I'll behave if you let me wear a cowboy hat.

Marquette Park, Chicago, Illinois, Spring 1964. Mr. Irene stands in Uncle D's backyard with his Parents and Uncle D's wife, Danutė. Chicagoans will recognize the familiar style of the apartment building in the background—featuring tan bricks and glass-block windows.

Related by Marriage: Summer Visitor

Suburban Chicago, June 1980. Mr. Irene's paternal Uncle, Ignas, visits the Chicago branch of the family. He's at the head of the table. Mr. Irene's Mom sits on the far left, and Aunt Danutė takes charge of serving (even though she is not the party's hostess). Anthony sits to Ignas's left.

Related by Marriage: Families travel together.

Probably Poland or Germany, September 18, 1944. This is another photo that is in rough shape because Danutė—standing here with a niece—carried it, folded, in some belongings while she was a Displaced Person. The blue ink from the writing on the back has bled onto the image.

 

This photo was taken about six weeks after the women fled Lithuania.