Izvor: Telegraf.rs, 12.Jun.2017, 10:42   (ažurirano 02.Apr.2020.)

Davorka went to her uncle and aunt when she was three, and she had no idea she won’t see her family for 70 years (PHOTO)

Davorka Vlahov, then three year old girl wen't from her birth home in 1949 from Sepurin at the island Prvic, near Vodica, Zadar, to live with her uncle and aunt Mario and Klara Antic. At the time they were rich married couple who had a liqueur factory "Vlahovac".

Her parents haven't seen or heard about little Davorka ever since she left to Zadar, now late Ivan and Krizanka and sisters Mira, Mileva and brother Frane Vlahov, who are all now in their late years. Seventy years ago, Davorka's >> Pročitaj celu vest na sajtu Telegraf.rs << family knew that Mario and Klara Antic (who had no children of their own) emigrated with little Davorka from Zadar to Italy out of fear, since the then communist rule took over their liqueur factory in nationalization, their villa where they lived in, and all citizen rights, declaring them class enemies.

After staying for two years in Italy, Antic family, together with Davorka, who they accepted as their own child, went to live in USA in 1954, and that was the last information about them. There were no more information about them since.

The family searched for their Davorka over the internet for decades in the former state and in the independent Croatia. They already lost every hope and and settled with the fact that they will never find them and that she is probably not among the living. Then, the miracle happened. The search of family Vlahov for the long lost sister turned into incredible human story with happy ending. She found them.

How the "lost sister" was found, or aunty, or to put it this way, how Davorka found her family, said Mary Bandl from Vodice for Slobodna Dalmacija, her cousin, daughter of Davorka's sister Mira.

- Few days ago my fellow citizen Stipe Juricev came to me with a question: "Mary, do you happen to have an aunt in America?" I was surprised that Stipe asks me something like that. I said i did but she left home when she was three and no one saw her since. We searched for her for years, over consulate and internet,  but without any luck - said Mary Bandl.

But, Mary's confusion grew into remarkable excitement and joy when Stipe gave her the cellphone.

- When i read the message on Stipe cellphone i was speechless, and i couldn't be happier. My 71 year old aunt, we searched for for many years, sent a message over her Facebook profile to the first person she saw that has a place of residence Vodice, hopefully they will know something about her family. Luckily, Stipe got the message seriously and he didn't erase it. Everything she wrote was exactly like my lost aunt. I immediately went to her profile and i saw her pictures, i tried to find some date that would not be the same, but everything was correct. There were no more doubts - she was my aunt. She looks so much as my mom Mira, my sister Ines is the same aunt Davorka - said Mary.

She called her mother Mira about the event, about her five year older sister of Davorka.

- Mom could not believe at start, nor did the uncle, when i showed them the text messages and the photo my mother started crying, as did her brother, who could not hide the tears from excitement. Somehow, we couldn't grasp that we found the aunt - added Mary Bandl.

The same night Mary turned her laptop and contacted her aunt Davorka over messenger and they have daily communication ever since.

- The first talk with her is unforgettable. Deep emotions flooded us, we both cried, tiers were going on their own. I was surprised that she knew such a good Croatian, and she even held to her old accent, although she can't understand some words. Besides English, she speaks Italian well. She told a lot about herself in short time. She spent most of her life in Saint Pedro in California, and she now lives in Bristol Virginia. She told me that her aunt and uncle changed her name into Debra Antic in Italy, and she became Deborah when she came to USA. 

Foto: Tanjug / AP

- She forked as a pharmacist and she is retired now. Life wasn't easy for her. She married four times and all four times for American war veterans. She couldn't have children because complications in pregnancy. She was married to Stiven Stabs in her last marriage. Steven died few years ago and she lived with Stiven's daughter until he was alive. Today, she lives alone, and she intends to sell the house in Bristol and to buy a smaller apartment. But, before that, we agreed, that she will spend Christmas in Vodice with her family after 70 years - concluded Mary Bandl this touching story.

- Aunt Davorka said that she still has traumas and fear because of what she went through together with her uncle Mario and aunt Klara. That fear carved in her and she was afraid of every contact, coming or returning. But, life brings happy things, and so i hope we will see her again soon - said Mary Bandl.

(Telegraf.co.uk / source: Slobodna Dalmacija)

Nastavak na Telegraf.rs...

Telegraf.rs: We had sex in a broken trolley in Belgrade: When we woke up in the morning, all hell broke lose!