Page 8 - THE SLOUGHI REVIEW Special Edition 3
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T H E S L O U G H I R E V I E W 0 8
Memories of a father
Of August Le Gras' five children, the eldest
and youngest daughters are still alive; I
have talked to both. The oldest is born in
1900 Mrs. widow Louise Pauline
Westerling-Le Gras, by friends and
acquaintances called “Bird”; colorful name,
which I use for brevity, albeit in audacity.
A charming and lively old lady, who
remembers all the facts and dates
flawlessly from memory. She provided most Moesa by Le Gras, pup of 3 months, 1908
of the data because her youngest sister,
Mrs. widow Johanna Theodora Kúhn-Le The difficult childhood years
Gras, was only 6 years old when their
father died. The Le Gras family is originally French.
August's grandfather emigrated to our
Despite this, she has taken over his desire country as a Catholic craftsman. His son,
for the unknown places and still wanders also still of French nationality, married here
frequently through desert and wilderness. to a Lutheran woman of German origin.
From him she also inherited the love for Two sons and three daughters were born,
the Sloughi and managed to turn it into who obtained Dutch nationality. One of
tangible reality. those sons was August, born on February
21, 1864 in Amsterdam, where the family
I am grateful to both ladies for the unique stayed.
photos, which I was able to take from the
carefully preserved family album. We were August didn't get it easy early on. He was
also very happy with the contact we got not yet 12 years old, when his father
with Mrs. A. N. Le Gras, since last year abandoned the family. He was later buried
widow of the youngest son of the family, in Venlo as “unknown”. Social services did
August Nicolaas, born in 1905. To our great not exist yet at that time and so August, as
surprise and joy, we found the original of the eldest son, had the care of the whole
our dream etchings with her, of which a family pressed upon his young shoulders.
photo is printed here - furthermore, a He worked at the liqueur distillery of
painting and a drawing of a Sloughi head. Wijnand Focking and earned extra money
The latter, made in 1908 from the then through his own business. But in addition,
three-month-old puppy Moesa, we also an enormous urge to draw and paint grew
included in our photo gallery. in him.
