LIFE
IN LATVIA - EARLY YEARS
My
mum - Anna Apinis (nee Strauss)
My
mum was born in Liepaja, Latvia
in 1913. She had an older brother called Arnolds. She finished
the Latvian State High School
for Applied Arts in 1933 in Liepaja majoring in weaving. Her
mother Made Strauss came from a home where weaving was practiced
as a regular way of life as she was raised in the country.
Most of Anna's relatives lived in the country in a small town
called Aizpute. Anna would spend
the summer school holidays there seeing the weaving looms
and practicing to weave herself.
Another
source of inspiration for her was the Liepaja Ethnographic
Museum, where she used to sketch the textiles displayed
and took copious notes.
In
1938 my mum married Ervins Apinis
at a simple ceremony at midnight on New Year's eve on 31 December
at St. Annes Lutheran church in Liepaja. They set up their
own small apartment in Klaipeda
Street, Liepaja and in 1940 their first child was born
on 28 September. He was named Erik
after Ervins deceased brother. Anna's father,Ernests
would often look after Erik and play with him as Anna's mother
had died on 15 February 1939.
My
dad - Ervins Apinis
My
father was born in Lizums,
in central Latvia on 22 June 1913.He had an older brother
named Erik. Ervins parents
were Janis Apinis and Marta Kulle.
Marta had 2 brothers and a sister. One of the brothers operated
a windmill but he and his family
were deported to Siberia on 14 June 1941.
After
finishing Cesvaines Primary school my father went to Riga,
the capital of Latvia, to the Technical College to study road
engineering. He shared a small wooden house with his brother
at 22 Katolu Street in Riga between 1928 and 1932. During
this time his brother Erik died of tuberculosis.
After
completing his studies and gaining engineering qualifications
Ervins was assigned work in Liepaja where he moved to live
and work. He worked as a highly qualified engineer
and draftsman with the Department of Roads and Construction.
Here he met my mother Anna Strauss, who worked there as the
accountant and payroll officer.
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