Madras resident Jana Abrenietis died Dec. 23, 2002, at the age of 90.
Mrs. Abrenietis was born Jan. 25, 1912, in Balvi, Latvia, to parents Ernest and Minna (Purmalis) Gagainis. A precocious child, she excelled at creative writing at age 8, and later learned to play the violin and was a favorite of audiences in school theatrical productions. She and her two sisters were all musically talented and known for their singing. Jana wanted to attend the university, but the family couldn't afford it after her father was killed in World War I and their mother was left to raise the three girls.
On June 29, 1930 she married forester Vlodemara Abrenietis in Balvi, Latvia. In 1944 during World War II, when the Russians invaded Latvia she, her husband and their 10-year-old daughter Lilita, fled with 300,000 other refugees to a displaced person's camp in the American zone of Wurzburg, Germany, where they lived for five years. In 1945 Jana was able to attend Wurzburg Music Conservatory and studied the violin for four years.
They were relocated to the United States in 1950 and moved to Hood River, where her husband worked in the orchards. The family spoke Latvian, Russian and German and after moving to Portland they all learned English together to earn their U.S. citizenship. Jana and her daughter both sang in the Portland Latvian Choir, traveling to many festivals, and Jana continued taking violin and voice lessons.
In 1956, her husband returned to his forestry profession by taking a job with the Bureau of Indian Affairs Forestry Department in Warm Springs. The parents moved to Warm Springs, while Lilita stayed in Portland, where she was employed as a nurse. In 1964, Jana sang in a performance of Mozart's "Magic Flute" with the Portland Opera Company, then went to New York to study with well-known violinist Dorothy Mintz.
Her singing career ended in 1960 when nerves to her vocal chords were damaged during surgery, so she began to paint high desert scenes and animals. In 1970 at the age of 58, she began attending Portland State University, staying with her daughter and coming home on weekends. She graduated with high honors in 1974 and a bachelor's degree in philosophy. She worked for two years as a teacher's aide at Warm Springs Elementary. When her husband retired in 1980, they moved to Madras. After her husband passed away in 1995, her daughter came to live with her.
She is survived by her daughter, Lilita Abrenietis of Madras.
Funeral services were held Jan. 2, at Bel-Air Colonial Funeral Home of Madras. Memorial contributions have been suggested to Mountain View Hospice in care of Mountain View Hospital in Madras.
Mrs. Abrenietis was born Jan. 25, 1912, in Balvi, Latvia, to parents Ernest and Minna (Purmalis) Gagainis. A precocious child, she excelled at creative writing at age 8, and later learned to play the violin and was a favorite of audiences in school theatrical productions. She and her two sisters were all musically talented and known for their singing. Jana wanted to attend the university, but the family couldn't afford it after her father was killed in World War I and their mother was left to raise the three girls.
On June 29, 1930 she married forester Vlodemara Abrenietis in Balvi, Latvia. In 1944 during World War II, when the Russians invaded Latvia she, her husband and their 10-year-old daughter Lilita, fled with 300,000 other refugees to a displaced person's camp in the American zone of Wurzburg, Germany, where they lived for five years. In 1945 Jana was able to attend Wurzburg Music Conservatory and studied the violin for four years.
They were relocated to the United States in 1950 and moved to Hood River, where her husband worked in the orchards. The family spoke Latvian, Russian and German and after moving to Portland they all learned English together to earn their U.S. citizenship. Jana and her daughter both sang in the Portland Latvian Choir, traveling to many festivals, and Jana continued taking violin and voice lessons.
In 1956, her husband returned to his forestry profession by taking a job with the Bureau of Indian Affairs Forestry Department in Warm Springs. The parents moved to Warm Springs, while Lilita stayed in Portland, where she was employed as a nurse. In 1964, Jana sang in a performance of Mozart's "Magic Flute" with the Portland Opera Company, then went to New York to study with well-known violinist Dorothy Mintz.
Her singing career ended in 1960 when nerves to her vocal chords were damaged during surgery, so she began to paint high desert scenes and animals. In 1970 at the age of 58, she began attending Portland State University, staying with her daughter and coming home on weekends. She graduated with high honors in 1974 and a bachelor's degree in philosophy. She worked for two years as a teacher's aide at Warm Springs Elementary. When her husband retired in 1980, they moved to Madras. After her husband passed away in 1995, her daughter came to live with her.
She is survived by her daughter, Lilita Abrenietis of Madras.
Funeral services were held Jan. 2, at Bel-Air Colonial Funeral Home of Madras. Memorial contributions have been suggested to Mountain View Hospice in care of Mountain View Hospital in Madras.
Madras resident Jana Abrenietis died Dec. 23, 2002, at the age of 90.
Mrs. Abrenietis was born Jan. 25, 1912, in Balvi, Latvia, to parents Ernest and Minna (Purmalis) Gagainis. A precocious child, she excelled at creative writing at age 8, and later learned to play the violin and was a favorite of audiences in school theatrical productions. She and her two sisters were all musically talented and known for their singing. Jana wanted to attend the university, but the family couldn't afford it after her father was killed in World War I and their mother was left to raise the three girls.
On June 29, 1930 she married forester Vlodemara Abrenietis in Balvi, Latvia. In 1944 during World War II, when the Russians invaded Latvia she, her husband and their 10-year-old daughter Lilita, fled with 300,000 other refugees to a displaced person's camp in the American zone of Wurzburg, Germany, where they lived for five years. In 1945 Jana was able to attend Wurzburg Music Conservatory and studied the violin for four years.
They were relocated to the United States in 1950 and moved to Hood River, where her husband worked in the orchards. The family spoke Latvian, Russian and German and after moving to Portland they all learned English together to earn their U.S. citizenship. Jana and her daughter both sang in the Portland Latvian Choir, traveling to many festivals, and Jana continued taking violin and voice lessons.
In 1956, her husband returned to his forestry profession by taking a job with the Bureau of Indian Affairs Forestry Department in Warm Springs. The parents moved to Warm Springs, while Lilita stayed in Portland, where she was employed as a nurse. In 1964, Jana sang in a performance of Mozart's "Magic Flute" with the Portland Opera Company, then went to New York to study with well-known violinist Dorothy Mintz.
Her singing career ended in 1960 when nerves to her vocal chords were damaged during surgery, so she began to paint high desert scenes and animals. In 1970 at the age of 58, she began attending Portland State University, staying with her daughter and coming home on weekends. She graduated with high honors in 1974 and a bachelor's degree in philosophy. She worked for two years as a teacher's aide at Warm Springs Elementary. When her husband retired in 1980, they moved to Madras. After her husband passed away in 1995, her daughter came to live with her.
She is survived by her daughter, Lilita Abrenietis of Madras.
Funeral services were held Jan. 2, at Bel-Air Colonial Funeral Home of Madras. Memorial contributions have been suggested to Mountain View Hospice in care of Mountain View Hospital in Madras.
Mrs. Abrenietis was born Jan. 25, 1912, in Balvi, Latvia, to parents Ernest and Minna (Purmalis) Gagainis. A precocious child, she excelled at creative writing at age 8, and later learned to play the violin and was a favorite of audiences in school theatrical productions. She and her two sisters were all musically talented and known for their singing. Jana wanted to attend the university, but the family couldn't afford it after her father was killed in World War I and their mother was left to raise the three girls.
On June 29, 1930 she married forester Vlodemara Abrenietis in Balvi, Latvia. In 1944 during World War II, when the Russians invaded Latvia she, her husband and their 10-year-old daughter Lilita, fled with 300,000 other refugees to a displaced person's camp in the American zone of Wurzburg, Germany, where they lived for five years. In 1945 Jana was able to attend Wurzburg Music Conservatory and studied the violin for four years.
They were relocated to the United States in 1950 and moved to Hood River, where her husband worked in the orchards. The family spoke Latvian, Russian and German and after moving to Portland they all learned English together to earn their U.S. citizenship. Jana and her daughter both sang in the Portland Latvian Choir, traveling to many festivals, and Jana continued taking violin and voice lessons.
In 1956, her husband returned to his forestry profession by taking a job with the Bureau of Indian Affairs Forestry Department in Warm Springs. The parents moved to Warm Springs, while Lilita stayed in Portland, where she was employed as a nurse. In 1964, Jana sang in a performance of Mozart's "Magic Flute" with the Portland Opera Company, then went to New York to study with well-known violinist Dorothy Mintz.
Her singing career ended in 1960 when nerves to her vocal chords were damaged during surgery, so she began to paint high desert scenes and animals. In 1970 at the age of 58, she began attending Portland State University, staying with her daughter and coming home on weekends. She graduated with high honors in 1974 and a bachelor's degree in philosophy. She worked for two years as a teacher's aide at Warm Springs Elementary. When her husband retired in 1980, they moved to Madras. After her husband passed away in 1995, her daughter came to live with her.
She is survived by her daughter, Lilita Abrenietis of Madras.
Funeral services were held Jan. 2, at Bel-Air Colonial Funeral Home of Madras. Memorial contributions have been suggested to Mountain View Hospice in care of Mountain View Hospital in Madras.
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