MARILIA-SP 1930s, 1940s & 1950s: NINA DARIN 1913

I don't know how in the world Olimpia Darin became known as Nina. She was the only one in 13 children who had a nickname. My Mother Yolanda was sometimes called Landa, which is a shortened form of her name but Nina was a completely different thing whatsoever! Most people wouldn't even know Nina had been actually christened by the name of Olimpia.

Olimpia must have been a popular name in the 1910s because two years after she was born, came Olimpio Ozella, a second-cousin, Luiza Uccella's boy, Angela Nani's eldest daughter. Angela Nani was Nina's maternal grandmother.

Nina was child number 10. Giovanni Battista Da Rin Zoldan and Erminia Billò had married in 1896 and had Antonio Americo, Rissieri, Jacomo, Maria, Angela, Luiz, America, Octavio, João Baptista and Nina. Rosa, Yolanda & Valdemar would come a little later.

Nina Darin was born on 2 August 1913 in the rural property owned by her father in São José do Rio Pardo. She went to primary school circa 1921 when Mr. Darin set up a school at his property to teach his children as well as the children of his many employees. The school teacher supplied by the State was Elisa Surian, who later married Rissieri Darin, Nina's oldest brother who had already been a 14 year-old teen when Nina was born. There exists a photo of Nina and her school mates taken in 1924 the same year Elisa married Rissieri.

Nina Darin is the girl on the far left. João Baptista Darin Filho, her brother stands up behind her - 1924.

Escola Mista Rural at Fazenda Apparecida do Rio Verde, in S. José do Rio Pardo. João Baptista Darin, the owner, on the right. Elisa Surian, the teacher sitting on the left. 13 May 1924.

Nina would have a strained relationship with Elisa because of an unfortunate incident that happened in 1926. Nina was making coffee for the Fazenda labourers and left the coffee-pot on a table while Dirceu Darin, Elisa's and Rissieri first born was moving about. Suddenly the boy pulled the table-cloth onto himself spilling hot water onto his body. Dirceu died that same day 23 August 1926 of first degree burns. Nina was not to blame but there was always a doubt and she must have blamed herself for the unfortunate incident.

Dirceu Darin died tragically on 23 August 1926, when he pulled the table-cloth onto himself and was burned by hot water.

Nina was a person marked by tragedy. Everyone knows that the region where the Fazenda Apparecida do Rio Verde was located was ripe with the 'barbeiro' insect - a mosquito-type that carries the Chagas disease. This insect usually thrives in wooden houses. The Darin family lived in a big house made of bricks. Even so, Nina must have been bitten by the insect because she developed the Chagas disease later in her life and had a frail health. One could say Nina was the only Darin child infected by the barbeiro.

On 15 November 1927 the Darin Family left their rural property, took a train to Campinas, and then to Marilia, where they would start a brand-new life. Nina was 14 years old.

São José do Rio Pardo-SP train station some time in the 1920s.

Marilia train station in 1929, two years after Nina arrived in the new town.

from left to right: Nina Darin, Irina, Analia, Rosa Darin & Lila circa 1930 in the park where today is Avenida Rio Branco in Marilia.

João Baptista & Nina.

Rosa, Valdemar (back), João & Joly, Nina & Yolanda Darin.

1936

This was a big year for the Darin family. In September, Luiz Darin [31] marries Corina Lopes [22] a girl who used to live on rua Lima & Silva. Three months later, Ocatavio [27] marries Sebastiana Macera on December 8. Sebastiana came from a large Italian family called Macera. Sebastiana had a brother called Domingos [Mingo] who started dating Nina around this time.