Apanavicius

As I've mentioned a few times, Chute was married before she ever met Tevuk. He died, however, in Germany after they fled the second Soviet invasion of Lithuania. From the story that Chute has told me, her husband, Vytautas or "Vyto", died of what I believe was a stroke.

Vytautas Apanavicius

Death Certificate 1944
(original in German)

I never knew about Vyto until after Tevuk passed away. Indeed, Uncle Mike told me he never really knew much about him until after Tevuk died. Chute only ever really started telling her stories after Tevuk wasn't around to fill the conversation with his. Her first marriage couldn't have been too much of a secret, though, because Chute and Tevuk apparently used to go visit the Apanavicius family together in Ohio. Maybe she just felt that talking about being married before Tevuk would have been upsetting to her kids and us when we were young.

These days, however, she talks about Vyto with great affection. I think that's probably because she imagines her life would have been much easier if he had survived. Tevuk, as much as I have always revered him, expected a very traditional household and didn't allow Chute much freedom.

Wedding Ceremony

Chute's story (which I've got a recording of somewhere) was that at the wedding ceremony they each had a candle, and before the priest finished delivering their vows, Vyto's blew out. Several people, she said, interpreted that as an omen that his life was going to end early. Unfortunately, it proved true.

Dinner Party

Wedding Reception, complete with šakotis!

No idea who most of these people are, Kisielius and Apanavicius? Couldn't
say who the two scratched out are either.

This is the Apanavicius family, and Chute identified the people for me, but she said that it was her standing in the middle in the back and I can't be sure it really is. It doesn't look like her to me. Her hair is too dark, but I suppose it could just be a shadow. I recorded her memory of who each of them is here previously. Now that I think of it, maybe she didn't actually mean it was her in the middle in the back, but rather a different person called Maryte. I think I have a recording of her identifying them, I'll need to go back and have a look.

Apanavicius Family

Vyto was also apparently in the Lithuanian military. Chute told me the photo below is him in his uniform. I'm not sure why he wouldn't have been abducted by the Soviets along with her brother though. Chute still carries this in her purse today, nearly 70 years after his death.

Vyto in Uniform

The family is apparently still in Ohio, according to what I saw in Chute's address book. Someday I'll need to look them up.