Roza Kaufmann and her family

This picture was taken on 24th December 1930, on a Sunday. It was Christmas and our German maid married Uncle Valian then. This was our last picture with her. On the left is Anci [Anna Fuchs, nee Kaufmann], my eldest sister, next to her is the German maid, Oti, then my other sister Manyi [Margit Kaufmann], my mother Roza Kaufmann and myself.

We had a German governess for 14 years. Her name was Otilia Passon, and she had three brothers. Her father was an engine driver, who was originally from Katowice, Poland, called Ludwig Passon. Oti was an extremely kind person. She was blonde, as she used to peroxide her hair, because originally she was a brunette. They spoke German with us at that time. But later she learnt fluent Hungarian, and then we spoke Hungarian in our house. She did everything around the house. She was a very religious Roman Catholic. It was impossible for her to miss the Sunday services. Once, when she went to the service, she wore very tight shoes. The shoes pinched her so much that she fainted. All this because she wanted to be smart, so she bought small, tight shoes. They revived her, and she must have been coming back home limping or she carried her shoes in her hand, I don't know. But I do know that it was quite a story that Oti had fainted in the church.

My mother married her off in Maramarossziget, to an older man called Sandor Valian. He was a match-maker, he made a match for my grandfather, and that's how she knew him. He was an honest and decent man. Oti got married at Christmas 1930. When I ended up here in Maramarossziget, in the sixth or seventh grade, in 1931-32, she was already here. Both of them passed away, their graves are here.