THE XENIA HOLLIS STORY
A LIFE OF DIFFICULTY AND SURVIVAL
On June 21, 1938, Xenia Hollis was born in Djokjakarta, Indonesia, on Java Island.
Xenia is the middle child and has an older brother and younger sister. Being the middle child was fantastic because her two siblings got all the attention, and everyone left her alone, allowing her to do whatever she wanted.
Life was not easy as a child, though. They were forced to move around a lot. Even in these difficult times, she respected her parents because of their sacrifices. While her dad worked deep in the jungle of Sumatra, her parents sent Xenia, age 11, and her brother and sister on a ship to Holland. Eventually, their grandmother joined them and cared for them.
Xenia is very close to her siblings. She attended college but had to leave to care for her grandmother. Her dad then got transferred to Libya, and Xenia went with him.
She did many babysitting jobs, and one night, she went with friends to dinner. When meeting two bachelors for dinner, Joe (one of them) did not show up, so she had dinner with the other one named Bo. She said he was boring and a geologist who only talked about fossils.
A couple of days later, Joe came up the pathway, walked up to Xenia, who was watering her plants, introduced himself, and asked her for dinner. Joe was smooth. Xenia said, my mom is cooking my favorite dinner, and Joe said, you can warm it up tomorrow. And that is what she did.
After dating, they were married at an Italian wedding where Xenia said she did not understand a word. Later, they were married in an English church ceremony, and they ran out of gas on the way to the ceremony. They did finally make it to the ceremony!
Their kids were conceived in Libya and born in Beirut. Although Joe traveled extensively, they had a wonderful life together. She said Joe was a good man. Always making friends and never meeting strangers. He helped everyone and would go down with the ship.
Joe was in the oil business. Only eight months from retirement, Joe passed away, and she had to learn how to do things fast. He had done all business, bill paying, etc.
After being married almost 50 years, Joe died on December 12 at 12 o’clock, 12 years ago this December. He passed in Park Manor Nursing Home 8 months after suffering a massive stroke.
She said the most challenging thing about being widowed is loneliness and being forgotten as a widow. I felt like I was in no man’s land.
She is thankful for our widow’s group. She says, “It is nice to belong. To find someone I can talk to. To be loved, part of a circle of friends, and feel accepted.”
Her suggestion to others is to remember that God gave you this life, joy, and everything in this life. You cannot be ugly and not respect His gift. Be gracious and accept it. Whatever He gives you.
Cry your eyes out. Thy will be done.