Little Māra Went Into the Forest… (Māra Zeps)

“Little Māra went into the forest, the green forest was her home.” I heard this from my grandmothers while going mushroom picking together in the beautiful forests of Latvia. Unforgettable memories. I lived in Garciems for the first six years of my life. During the Second World War, my family began the life of refugees. On October 4, 1944, we left Riga. Upon arriving in Germany, we lived in the barracks of the Fischbach camp. That’s where I started elementary school. The lessons were conducted in Latvian. In December 1949, my family had the opportunity to go to America, to earn a living as lumber workers. Later, we moved to Milwaukee.

Searching for Latvian Mushrooms (Aina Zūlis)

“When I was a little girl, my greatest joy in summer was going mushroom picking with my father in Latvia’s beautiful forests. Wandering around the world, I’ve seen many beautiful forests. I’ve walked through them, searching for the mushrooms of Latvia. I didn’t find them…”

My Grandmother’s Recipe Book (Marianna Auliciems)

This is my grandmother Elza Auliciema’s (née Šūpulis, born in Cirgaļi in 1908) cookbook and recipe notebook. The book was published and purchased during the refugee years in Germany. On the inside covers, my grandmother wrote down other, newer recipes in her own handwriting.

How I Make Rasols (Dustin Becher)

My wife Signe and I have been married for around 6 years now. We live in the City of Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA. ……My wife is from Latvia, and I have been to Latvia a dozen times…

DVF Mobile Corner Store

The Daugavas Vanagi Fund’s traveling store in Birmingham, United Kingdom, in 1968. In front stands the store manager, Arturs Vancāns. From the collection of the Documentation Centre and Archive of Latvians in Great Britain.