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Stella Kotoucova and schoolmates
This is a picture of my mom, Stella Kotoucova, and her schoolmates. Mom is second from left. The picture was taken in Brno in the 1910s.
My mom was born in Mohelno in 1902. Although she did not go to university, she was a very educated woman in her day. After elementary school she attended a secondary school for women, which was a German school in Brno, where she learned subjects ranging from maths and Czech to cooking. After marrying my dad, she stayed at home, but she helped him with the company.
In Brno there were many textile factories producing a great deal of textile waste that could be further processed. My father would buy the leftovers and do just that. The leftovers were unwoven and processed differently, depending on what kind of textile it was. He was nor particularly successful in his trade; I know at one time the company fell apart completely. I think he was trying to assert himself.
