Maria do Espirito Santo Ferreira Rezendes (1895–1963)
An Azorean Life Remembered
In ancient Rome tombstones often had carvings saying things like “Stop, Traveller and Read” with etchings of biographies, eulogies and other information on the person being remembered. To be forgotten was a dire punishment in the ancient world — statues would be destroyed, written words struck from the records, paintings effaced. The practice in Rome was called “Damnatio Memoriae” (although written in Latin, the phrase originated in Germany in the 1600s to describe the intent) meaning “condemnation of memory” and was intended to erase the person from the historical record in the most complete way.
We do not need to intentionally practice a condemnation of memory, since many, if not most, of our ancestors (and ourselves as well) will be forgotten within just a few generations — unless we make a conscious effort to gather and document what we have available before it is irretrievably lost.
Here is a recollection or a remembrance of a woman who lived almost seven decades, from the turn of the last century until the mid-20th century.
Introducing Maria
Some believe that people are influenced or even deeply affected by the places where they grew up and the people who went before them. Furthermore, some believe that those rooted traits are passed down generationally.
If that is the case, then quite a number of people living in Canada, Brazil, and the United States could perhaps find the origin of something within themselves from learning of Maria.
The portrait shown above is likely the only extant photograph of Maria and was probably taken in the 1950s, when she was in her fifties. There is no way to tell exactly where the picture was taken, nor for what reason….
The story of Maria continues at the link below and includes some history of the Azores, folklore and more….
Denise Choppin
─── ❖ ── ✦ ── ❖ ───
If you would like to read other posts, please click the home page link below:
You, Dear Reader, are much needed and appreciated.
Everything written requires a reader to make it whole. The writer begins, then you, dear reader, take in the idea and its image, and so become the continuation of its breath. Please subscribe so that my words can breathe. Consider this my hand, reaching out to yours.