Thabet, Olga Thabit

Olga Thabit Thabet
Born August 27, 1901, Died May 5, 1992

- written by Miriam Swydan Erickson

I am a Kfeirian through my mother’s family. My grandfather Moussa (aka Charles) Thabit was from Kfeir and moved to Marjayoun, a neighboring city in Lebanon when he married my grandmother, Miriam Swyden. Their first child Olga was born in Marjayoun in 1901. They moved to Brooklyn, New York in 1902. There they had additional children, Nellie, Halim, Philip, Victoria, Nicholas, Gloria (my mother) and baby John. My mother Gloria was born in 1921, 20 years younger than Olga.
My grandfather's brother, Abdullah (Albert) from Kfeir, emigrated later, also to Brooklyn, NY. He married Shukria Swydan. Albert and Charles went into business together in the import/export business. I have inherited many of their madeira linens. Shukria Swydan was the sister of Shukrie Swydan, from Worcester, MA, via Haifa Palestine and Marjayoun.

My Aunt Olga was an inspiration to all of the women and the men in the Thabit family. My mother Gloria frequently told me the story about how when my grandmother Miriam’s brothers graduated from school, they were funded into business or sent on a grand tour of Europe. However, when my grandmother Miriam graduated, she was sent to an Aunts house to learn the art of housewifery. She did not want that for her daughters! So, as a result, she was determined that all of her daughters would be educated. This is very impressive for a woman born in the 1880s.

My Aunt Olga was the oldest and a natural born leader. She was incredibly intelligent, talented and very strong. She was a full 20 years older than my mother. She must have related to me because I was also the oldest sister and she spoke to me as an adult.

Olga married Ernest Thabet Senior when she was 21. He was a cousin, and it was “almost” an arranged marriage. He was the son of Joseph Thabet and Mary Skaff of Worcester, MA. They moved to Huntington, WV where he opened his own business. Their three children, Ernest Jr., Beatrice and Richard were born and raised there.

I cannot possibly recount all of Olga’s accomplishments. I would have to take an entire page and reprint her obituary, which is on the Kfeirian website. But here is the outline and the most inspiring part: she had trained as an artist with the New York Art Student’s League, which has trained many famous artists. She returned every summer with her children to continue her studies.
Once in Huntington, she was a founder of the Huntington Museum, in addition to her many civic activities. After her youngest child began college, Olga resumed her formal education at Marshall University and received her BA and two Masters Degrees, in Art and Education, in less than 5 years! My cousin Richard, her youngest, recalls being on campus at the same time as his mother. This would be quite an accomplishment for anyone, let alone an older married woman in the 1940’s. She taught in Huntington schools for over 25 years. She never stopped and was lucid and active until her death in 1992. I attended her funeral.

And all of my Aunts, my grandmother's daughters, were educated, as my Grandmother wished. Remember how long ago this was—the 1920’s and 1930’s. My Aunt Victoria went to Barnard College. My mother attended college until she left to take care of her invalid mother. All of us female Thabit cousins were academically successful. I am an attorney in no small part because my Aunt Olga was an incredible role model. Even when I was growing up in the 1960s and 70s, it was considered unusual for a woman to be a lawyer. And, even more surprising, there were some families that would only pay for the boys to attend college. Yes, even at that time. BUT not in my family!!! Having her as a role model taught me that the women in our family had brains and talent, that persistence would overcome obstacles, and not to let society prevent you from achieving.

Now that 99% of my older relatives have passed away, I miss them dearly and pray to them at church. I wish my mother and Olga were closer in age, and I had been born earlier, so I could have gotten to know her better when I became an adult. There are times when I speak to my older female cousins, tell them about all of my activities, and they say...you are channeling Auntie Olga! And then my cousin Ernies’s widow, Gwen and their daughter, Nina, say I look just like her.

Olga did attend the Kfeirian reunion. I hope some of you remember her.

My ending message to you, the descendants of Kfeir and Lebanon is that the media stereotype of passive obedient women of the Middle East does not apply to the Lebanese. Lebanese history is rife with stories of strong, intelligent, achieving women, both in Lebanon and here in the United States. Glory in it and encourage it!

Shown below are some paintings by Olga Thabit Thabet