Sarra Shyl'man with her granddaughter Evgenia Shyfris

I, Sarra Shylman with my granddaughter Evgenia Shyfris. Mikhail and Valia and Evgenia came to visit us. Amateur photo. Kiev, 1977.

My son Mikhail met his future wife Valia Tikhonova in 1972 later they got married. Valia is Russian. I saw that they loved one another and accepted it that Valia wasn't a Jew. We were so happy. They went to Riga and became superintendents at a furniture factory. On 9 June 1976 my granddaughter Evgenia was born. She was rowing a smart and beautiful girl. They often visited us in summer and my husband and I doted on her. Shortly before Evgenia was born in 1976 I retired. 3 years later in 1979 my husband retired at the age of 54 as an invalid.

Mikhail died before he turned 40. He went on business trip with his employees. They took a drive in a car. He didn't have to go on this trip, but they convinced him telling him that he was the best to establish contacts. A truck rode over their car on a turn. He was sitting on the driver's right. He was the only one who died... This happened in 1991.

Mikhail died when Evgenia was 15. She finished a music school well, then she finished a secondary school and entered the Faculty of Philology at the University. Se gave music lessons in a kindergarten when she was a student, then she gave English classes. She is very good at languages. Now she has a Master's degree. She works at the Israeli Embassy in Riga. In 2002 Evgenia got married. I am so happy for my granddaughter and I hope to cuddle my great grandchildren.