Message from Rachel Barnard

Davnob received the following email from Rachel

Hi Everyone,

First, thank you so much for your emails and I do apologise for not answering individually. It is a great comfort to know that so many people had such kind words to say about Laurie.

We are having a commemoration of Laurie's life on Sunday 24th April, here in our house in Boa Vista, starting at 2.00 PM. I hope you will be able to come and have a few drinks to remember him. Please do let me know whether you can come as I need numbers for catering.

Anyone that wants to commemorate Laurie's life is welcome. We are quite a bit out of the way and people have prior engagements, so I do understand how difficult is for people to come.Nevertheless it is unfortunate that nobody from his family, other than his sons, can come. I am sure that people will celebrate his life in their own way.

IN LAURIE'S MEMORY

When Pepe, our Portuguese Waterdog died, we needed a companion for Bica, another Portuguese Waterdog. 

We went to Goldra, a kennel for abandoned dogs looking for a dog about Bica's age 10, and size. But just as we went in Laurie spotted a dog who came to him and put his great head on his lap. And that was that, except that Ruppee is, we believe, a 3 years old Irish Woolfhound, twice Bica's size. Ruppee became his dog and gave him much pleasure. The kennel is run by dedicated volunteers and needs financial help. If you would like to make a small gesture to honor Laurie's memory, you could  send a donation to the kennel to the following bank particulars:

Banco Novo Loule

NIB0007000000146241469 23

SWIFT/BIC BESCPTPL

Message from Jonathan Davidson

Following the sad news about Laurie Davidson, we just received the following email from Jonathan:

Thank you everyone for your wonderful messages of condolence, sympathy and support and your fond reminiscences of Laurie. Rachel read them all and was extremely appreciative, adding that she felt a great sense of support and comfort from such an outpouring of love and and sympathy and fond recollections from so many family members. She will try and convey her thanks and appreciation in her own words to you all collectively, though you will understand that she’s unable to respond to everyone individually.

Rachel is doing as well as can be expected in the distressing circumstances, and fortunately can count on a lot of emotional and practical support from her immediate family who live nearby – Jimmy as well as Danny and his lovely wife Helena and their delightful daughters, Ella (9) and Josey (6). Adam joined us from his home in Zurich. Although Gideon was ready to fly from his home in Japan, he was discouraged from travelling due to the great distance and the impossibility of getting there in time to say goodbye to his father.  In her grief, Rachel took some comfort in the knowledge that in his final years Laurie found enormous contentment, satisfaction and pride in building and caring for the architecturally distinguished house and surrounding gardens and orchards that he and Rachel developed together, making the most of their beloved Algarve region.

Some of you asked about Rachel’s health following a serious heart valve issue last summer. I’m glad to report that she is continuing to make a strong recovery and fighting back with indomitable spirit to stay active and healthy. 

I flew home yesterday (Wednesday) following a funeral ceremony on Tuesday that was in keeping with Laurie’s wishes and spirit - low-key, dignified, respectful of his unaffiliated but strong Jewish identity, and surrounded by close family. Rachel is thinking of organizing a celebration of Laurie’s life for a wider circle at a later date.

With thanks again and love to all, Jonathan.

Laurie Davidson

Davnob was sad to receive the following letter from Jonathan Davidon:

Very sad to let you know that Laurie died this morning. May his memory be for a blessing.

Please send condolence messages to Rachel at: CP 672/T, Quelfes, Olhao 8700 206, Portugal. Or if you prefer I will collect email messages of sympathy and pass them along to Rachel.

I’m setting off within the hour to join Rachel and three of their boys (Jimmy, Danny and Adam ) in Portugal for a few days. I don’t think Rachel will be expecting other visitors at this stage.

With much sadness and love to all, Jonathan.

Stone-setting for Gertie

Davnob received the following message from David Taylor (Dudie) about Gertie's Stonesetting:

The memorial to the memory of my late sister

Gertie (Gertrude) Taylor

will be consecrated on

Sunday 3rd April 2016 at 2:45pm

at

Rainham Federation Cemetery

Upminster Road North

Rainham

Essex

RM13 9SB

http://www.federationofsynagogues.com/burial-society/

Family History Update 2016

It’s time for the latest update on the Family History.  As usual the focus has been on the Salits – Grandma Davidson’s family. Since I started checking, the JewishGen website has added more data, and there is now a lot more information about Uncle Tuvye (Grandma’s brother in Vilna) and also about her sister, Sorretel’s family (the Lantsmans) in Kovno. More intriguing there seems to have been another brother we’ve never heard of – Berko Salit.  The most interesting finding regarded Tuvye’s son, Solomon.

The new data also reveals that the father of Tuvye (and thus father of Grandma, Sorretel, Melach and Jack)  was a man called Ruvel (sometimes written as Ruvel or Ruven Yosef) – a family name that often reappears. (According to Sophie he died very young).

But first to recap. Grandma (Annie/Anna/Hannah) Davidson had three brothers, Melach, Tuvye (Tevel) and Jack, and a sister Sorretel (who married Tsodik Lantsman).
In  the 1890s, Melach, Grandma and Jack came to Hull, but Tuvye and Sorretel remained in Lithuania, Tuvye in Vilna (part of Poland between 1922 and 1939) and Sorretel in Kaunas (Kovno).  So basically I have been researching Tuvye and Sorretel’s families.

Click here to read on.