Exchanging Portraits (Part 67)

Kaunas, Lithuania, 1937. A friend of Mom's passes along a memento.

Summer Cut

Kaunas, Lithuania, about 1937. Kaunas Nina gets clipped.

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

Exchanging Portraits (Part 11)

Mariampolis, Lithuania, March 24, 1937. This is a school portrait of my Mom's friend, Joy.

Grab a Book: Nightly Edition

Kaunas, Lithuania, about 1937 or 1938. My paternal Grandmother, Tatjana, unwinds.

Grab a Book: Housecoat Edition

Kaunas, Lithuania, about 1937 or 1938. My paternal Grandmother Tatjana's habit of wearing housecoats goes way back.

School Picture

St. George's Parish Elementary School, Bridgeport, Chicago, September 1937. This is Mr. Irene's Mom's first-grade, school picture.

His hair turned grey when he was still young.

Kaunas, Lithuania, between about 1936 and 1939. This is one of the few snapshots in which my paternal Grandfather, Vytautas, appears wearing civilian clothing. He was in his early forties when he sat for this photo.

Related by Marriage: A Younger Agnes

Chicago, Illinois, about 1937. Agnes was a cousin of Mr. Irene's maternal Grandmother, Anna.

Related by Marriage: Meet the first-grade class.

Room 1:

St. George's Parish Elementary School, Bridgeport, Chicago, September 1937. Mr. Irene's Mom has circled herself, so she's easy to spot.

Spring Recess

Aušros Gimnazija, Kaunas, Lithuania, May 1, 1937. Members of my Dad's high school class gather for a game of basketball.

Heddy

Kaunas, Lithuania, about 1937. This is Heddy, the wife of my Grandfather Jake's brother, Zigmas.

Thanks to my "New" Cousin for making this photo available to us.

Related by Marriage: A Watermelon for the Picnic

Marquette Park, Chicago, Summer 1937. Mr. Irene's maternal Grandfather, Stanley, and Mr. Irene's Mom arrive in the Park for a picnic.

PTA

Kaunas, Lithuania, between about 1936 and 1939. My maternal Grandfather Jake—third from left—serves on the "Parents' Committee" at my Mom's high school, Saulės Gimnazija.

This meeting occurred before the Soviets occupied Lithuania: Jake still wears a the uniform of an independent Lithuania.

We remember family and friends on Thanksgiving.

Kaunas, Lithuania, about 1937. Here's my Dad, on the left, with his friend Casey, about whom I've written a few times. 

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Kaunas, Lithuania, about 1938. And here's my Dad's twin sister Jonė, also on the left, visiting on some steps with a friend.

Young Jonė

Kaunas, Lithuania, about 1937. My Dad's twin sister, Jonė, poses as a teenager. This portrait was among the snapshots I found only recently. No one in the family had seen it until then.

I probably should add a "melancholy eyes" tag.  Were I to do that, though, I'd feel compelled to edit the tags of every post that depicts Jonė, Tatjana, or my Dad.

Camping

My Dad loved to camp as much as he enjoyed being a scout. I never have camped in my life. I have spent multiple nights in overnight "chalets" while hiking in Glacier National Park. Although the chalets don't provide indoor plumbing, they have beds with sheets, so I don't consider that camping.

The area around this campsite today is home to the Lithuanian Museum of Ethnocosmology:

Scout Camp ("Stovykla") at Lake Želva, Lithuania, 1937. Members of my Dad's scouting troop relax by reading and playing chess.