On May 14, 2021, a generous gift from Ričardas Algimantas Šlepetys (born in 1928), resident of New Jersey, USA, arrived at the Lithuanian Open-Air Museum. We had the honor of corresponding with the Šlepetys family for several years. In 2014, the museum came into possession of a few letters, which were sent from the U.S., along with several letter-responses from Lithuania. It was correspondence between two teacher friends: Mrs. Stanislava Šlepetienė of USA and Ms. Aurelija of Kaunas, Lithuania. Thanks to addresses and names mentioned in the letters, we were able to get in touch with Stanislava Šlepetienė’s family in the U.S. Mr. R. A. Šlepetys kindly shared photos, documents, and reminiscences about his parents. Recently, he presented the museum with certificates of awards, which were bestowed upon his father Juozas Šlepetys (1892-1943), a commissioned officer of the Lithuanian Armed Forces.
Renata Banienė, Head of Everyday Life, Trade, and Craft Department
Janina Samulionytė, Senior Museologist
The Šlepetys family in Raseiniai circa 1938. S. Šlepetienė, J. Šlepetys, a commissioned officer of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, their daughter Angelė Rūta, and son Ričardas Algimantas.
- Certificate of Jaunius medal of the Order of Vytautas the Great. Kaunas, Sep. 4, 1930.
- Certificate of Rikijus medal of the Order of the Grand Duke Gediminas. Kaunas, Feb. 16, 1938.
