My mother, Mrs. Maria Hendrika Verso-Fernhout
alias 'Mary' or 'Marion' to family and friends
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While making a painting
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Born in Puttershoek
(Holland) on November 30th 1930, a very dynamic, artistic and
loving woman with a variety of talents and a strong inner
conviction and personality.
Since her childhood one of her biggest talents was to make colourful
gouaches and paintings.
During the 1950’s, she
began taking private lessons from the Dutch master painter, Henk
Koekkkoek.
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Because of her great love for Hawaiian
dance and music, she learned to sing and dance the Hula and to
play the guitar and ukulele.
She performed in various
Dutch Hawaiian bands such as:
'The Samoa Islanders' and
'The Maunaloa
Hawaiians'.
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Dancing the Hawaiian Hula
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She also sang as a choir member in the 'Operatic Choir of Amsterdam' as a
contralto and had a great passion for learning and performing all kinds of different dances,
including: Ballroom, Tango, Salsa, African and Country-Line.
In Rome in 1953 she was on a tourist excursion where she met and fell in love with Italian tenor
after which they got married in Mexico in
1958.
She began accompanying her husband on his tours throughout the Americas.
Michelangelo
Verso, autographing for a fan, and his wife Mary
(on the right wearing a black dress), after a concert that M. Verso held
at Teatro Municpal of Cali (Colombia) in 1958
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Singing in Montevideo for Uruguayan
Television - 1960
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Having previously studied music and
dancing, she also learned to sing in different languages.
Marion accompanied herself on the guitar or ukulele and under
the guidance of her husband, she perfected her vocal talents,
and within a brief time, began singing
popular repertoire in several theatres and clubs
of the era.
She, and Michelangelo, often
sang on Radio and Television programs, to enthusiast audiences
throughout South America.
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Posing with her
guitar - Mexico 1958
Two other photos,
one posing (Mexico) and the other while singing and playing the guitar
(Montevideo)
In 1961, Marion and Michelangelo returned to Europe. They settled in
Italy, where she continued her artistic activities as a soubrette
singing, dancing and acting in various theatrical productions touring
throughout Italy and Europe and in which she excelled as a real star and first lady.
Marion was featured in shows and revues produced by well-known artistic
companies of the period, including Nino Lembo, Lino Crispo, O’Brien,
Gennarino Vollarň, Raffles, Lola Gracy, Bonetti, Los Brutos etc.
Marion returned to her homeland of Holland towards the end of the
1960’s. During the following five years, she continued sharing her
love of singing and entertainment with the public in cabarets and
nightclubs.
Gradually, Marion, now a mother, began a new career utilizing her
multilingual skills by becoming a freelance interpreter of the Dutch,
Italian and Spanish languages for the Court and Justice of Amsterdam,
translating for attorneys and judges.
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Publicity photo for Marion's
Hawaiian dance act - Holland 1966
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Marion at an exposition of some
of her paintings - Zaandam 1990
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In the 1970's, Marion resumed the passion
for drawing and painting that she had temporarily set aside, but never
forgotten, years before.
She commenced formal study and in 1978 she earned her diploma from the
School of Drawing and Painting (“Ecole de Dessin et Peinture”) of
Paris.
Marion produced many paintings
and gouaches with great passion.
In 1977 she joined the prestigious Association “The Sunday Painters”
of Amsterdam to have the opportunity to study and paint a variety of
models, still life compositions and landscapes. Marion acquired
additional skills and experience.
She met and painted with famous Dutch master painters including Maarten
Krabbé, Toon de Haas and Jan Frenken. Marion participated in the art
association for more than 28 years.
In 2002 she received the distinction of honorary member.
She was also a member of the 'Country line dance club' on the Tuesday mornings.
However, because of her undermining and harassing illness, she could not keep up with all
her activities and interests.
She still would have liked to do so many more things and to take part in everything... but alas, it was not possible anymore...
She
passed away on June 23rd
2005 in her own home.
I hope that after her long suffering, which she endured most bravely and
heroically, she has finally found calm and peace and that she is surrounded by the all-encompassing, eternal love of the hereafter.
Written in honour and in memory of and with much love for his Mamma, by her only child and son,
Michael Jr.
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