After my grandmother’s divorce she met Arturs Abeltins, a young man eight years younger than her. I know little about his early life apart from the fact he was born in Riga in 1911, the only son of Jekabs and Berta Abeltins, and that he was a civil servant. They married in December 1941 during the German occupation and lived at first in Riga. I have a feeling it was a marriage not born of passion but of mutual respect and care. My grandmother was probably wary of charming, charismatic men after her first marriage ended badly and Arturs was a kind and patient man who provided a stability in her life which was previously lacking and offered her a second chance of happiness.
Photograph of Arturs Abeltins dated 1934, passport dated 1927, silver Namejs ring, Latvian National Anthem
He was the only grandfather I ever knew but for reasons known only to the family was referred to as Uncle Arthur. It was as though by being her second husband he couldn’t be a real grandfather to me, even though I had never met my birth grandfather. I remember him as a tall, serious, meticulously tidy man who spoke English with a strong Latvian accent all his life. He was cultured but also practical, a keen gardener and inveterate pipe smoker with beautiful handwriting and a distinctive signature. It is a matter of sadness to me now that I never got to know him very well - I don’t remember any stories he told of life in Latvia and his life in England seems to have been quiet and outwardly unremarkable. All I have to remember him by are a few photographs and his silver Namejs ring. This is a traditional Latvian ring which represents Latvian independence, friendship and trust, and symbolizes the unity of three ancient Latvian lands – Kurzeme, Latgale and Vidzeme. In the 20th century it became an icon of Latvian identity, was mostly worn by men and symbolized boys going into manhood. Fathers presented this ring to their sons on the day of their coming of age which was the only way to get it then but nowadays you can buy them on the internet. Now I wear it as a reminder of the only grandfather I knew and of my Latvian heritage…..
Arturs Abeltins, aged 23
Inscription on the rear - ‘as a memory for my godparents.’
Artur’s beaten up passport, held together with sellotape spanning the years 1927 to 1943
This photo and passport are the only record I have of his life in Latvia. His early life will for ever remain a mystery as there is nobody left to remember it, a fact that I find very sad………