Elinor and Frika

On a more personal and sincere note, my VCHOA mentor of the year award goes, hands down to my dear friends, Elinor and Frika Alberts, since deceased. How I miss the days when I would sit under the back deck with the two of them, Frika in his red suspenders and Elinor in all her grandeur. Elinor shared with me her love of the garden and so mine grew. Clearly, she was of the greatest influence in what went on to be a thriving career for me. I think of her often and miss her more.

I admired their relationship as I sat between the two of them. They were loving and attentive to each other, generous with others. Elinor shared her stories with me. Their personal history is unique and worthy of a tale. He, a surrendered German prisoner in a POW camp in Arizona and her, a black nurse on site. Black nurses were not sent over seas. The story goes, when he first met her in the POW cafeteria, he said ‘Elinor, I’m going to marry you’. The rest is history. Being a black woman married to a white German man made for a life fraught with challenge during some very tumultuous years. One story took place in a Darien market, not too long ago, when a white woman mentioned to Elinor that she had noticed her in the market before “as she was clean and appeared educated” and this lady was wondering if Elinor would be interested in a domestic job… With a seemingly endless supply of dignity, Elinor conjured up something suitable and polite and moved on.

Elinor had an extensive collection of black history art work as well as trinkets and tid bits gathered from all over the world - displayed through out their home. In addition, Elinor was a fashion maven and had closets and drawers full of interesting and exotic linens, capes, scarves and jewelry all wrapped up in little plastic bags tucked away. We played dress up and on occasion, we’d have tea and sweets, an opportunity for her to resurrect elegant serving knives, tiny sorbet spoons, proper serving dishes and linen. She was all that and more.

Elinor had an entourage and I felt lucky to be included. People tended to gravitate towards her. She could be found at a Creek picnic sitting up straight in her folding chair, holding court with a variety of friends and neighbors. Elinor possessed an undeniable elegance and dignified presence. They were a magnificent duo. Frika always by her side, as he is now. Bless them both.

-Lisa McInnis