Zelma Katalan, Ernesta Molho and Zelma’s brother’s wife

Standing on the right in the photo is my maternal grandmother Zelma Katalan, nee Natan, next to her is her brother’s wife. Sitting in the middle is my mother Ernesta Molho, nee Katalan. I have no information where exactly the photo was taken. They are dressed in Bulgarian folk costumes. There is no inscription or seal of a photographic studio.

My grandmother was a small, energetic and merry woman, although she became a widow early as did my other grandmother. She was  born in Plovdiv. Her husband Yako Katalan was born in Plovdiv too. I don’t know what he graduated in and what education he had, but he was a bank director. They were wealthy and could afford to give their children a good education. They have four children: my uncle Isak Katalan, who graduated law in Strasbourg, my uncle David, who graduated the same and their two sisters: my mother Ernesta, who studied in the French College in Ruse, but didn’t graduate and Marga, who has a secondary education.

Their house was nice and large and it was also an example of their wealth. It was on Svetoslav Street and had a very nice garden. Later they sold a big part of it and the yard got very small. Yes, the house was large and the attic floor was also suitable for living. When I was young, uncle Isak, uncle David and aunt Marga were still single. uncle Isak married in 1942 to Vizurka from Dupnitsa and they moved to Sofia. In 1946 Uncle David married Veneziya Sarafova and Aunt Marga married Mordehay Natan.