Burial for victim of attacks on Hungary's Gypsies

The Associated Press
Friday, August 7, 2009; 1:15 PM

KISLETA, Hungary -- Hundreds of people gathered Friday to pay their respects at the funeral of a 45-year-old woman, the sixth fatal victim in a series of attacks against Gypsies in Hungary.

Police say the attacks are linked, may have been committed by the same small group, and that the weapons used in Monday's shooting of Maria Balogh and her 13-year-old daughter in their home in Kisleta, a small village in eastern Hungary, had been used in at least two of the previous attacks.

Balogh's daughter survived the shooting and is recuperating in a hospital.

Police have 100 officers working on the crimes, the first of which took place in July 2008, and this week doubled the reward for information that could solve all the attacks to 100 million forints (euro370,000, $525,000).

The attacks usually have been carried out at homes at the edge of small villages near highways providing a quick escape route.

Balogh and her daughter were attacked Monday before dawn but were discovered only hours later when Balogh's sister came to pick them up for work at a tobacco farm.

Gypsies, or Roma as they sometimes prefer to be called, are among the poorest and least-educated Hungarians. They make up about 5 percent of Hungary's population of 10 million and many lost their jobs as the communist system crumbled and the large state-run factories which guaranteed employment were closed or privatized.

Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai expressed his condolences to the family and said that the murderers had attacked the whole Hungarian nation.

"To drive back extremism, to hold society together and to improve on the condition of Gypsies is not simply a government task," Bajnai said. "It is also a national responsibility."

Gypsy Louise given traditional send off

Tuesday, March 24, 2009, 09:30

HUNDREDS of mourners gave a "true Romany gypsy" a spectacular send off at the weekend.

Trucks and cars laden with flowers followed the horse-drawn hearse taking much-loved Louie Smith to her funeral on Saturday.

Roads on the route to Lingfield were closed to allow the cortege of nearly 300 mourners to pass.

They included Mrs Smith's seven children and more than 100 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

The former caravan-dweller, of Packer Close, East Grinstead, died on March 11 aged 82 after a long battle with cancer.

"She was the kindest, gentlest, most trustworthy, hardest working, loving mum I could ever, ever have," her son Charlie told the Courier and Observer.

Born in Guildford, the daughter of well-known bare-knuckle prize fighter Frank Smith, Mrs Smith's family moved to the East Grinstead area when she was two and lived in a caravan in Felbridge.

Eventually, they were able to buy a bungalow but although it was the home of the rest of the family, Mrs Smith continued to live in the caravan at the rear.

Charlie said: "She was a true Romany gypsy.

"She made pegs, primrose baskets, wooden flowers and wicker baskets which she sold door to door."

She also caught the train from East Grinstead to Croydon where she sold baskets of lucky heather in the busy shopping streets.
"She always had to earn her bread before she could eat it," her son said.

Mrs Smith's husband, Albert, was a horse and scrap metal dealer.
When she died, the family followed the traditional gypsy rituals, Charlie said.

The caravan was burnt when she moved to East Grinstead and when she died, all her belongings were destroyed.

Four black-plumed horses and the hearse hired from Harrods took Mrs Smith from the chapel of rest at Queen Victoria Hospital to her home before the procession to the church of St Peter and St Paul at Lingfield.

The service was conducted by the Rev Michael Carter and the funeral arrangements were made by Alex Jones of Lingfield.

Hundreds expected for gypsy king funeral

Published Date: 17 March 2009

Many hundreds of relatives and friends were today attending one of Wigan's biggest gypsy funerals.

'King of the travellers' John Doran, 69, who latterly lived in a distinctive cottage off Scot Lane, lost a brave battle against liver and stomach cancer.

The father of six surviving children, as well as eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, was also a popular member of the settled community with his own chair at his local, the Bowling Green at Newtown.

Many will be swelling the ranks for the Requiem Mass at St Edward's RC Church at noon today.

An exporter who made a living salvaging lorry engines and transmissions for sale abroad, Mr Doran ordered the funeral be a celebration of his great love of life and family.

As a result, there will be no traditional black on show.

He will be taken to church in a white carriage pulled by seven magnificent white horses, while the mourners, including his widow Violet, will be carried in seven silver-coloured limousines.

Originally from Roscommon in the Irish Republic, Mr Doran was the son of legendary 'Champion Piper of Ireland' Felix Doran. And some of his music is due to be played by brother-in-law John Rooney during the proceedings.

Mr Doran was also a much respected greyhound man, whose dogs won races organised by travellers all over the country.

There are potentially so many mourners coming from Ireland and Scotland for the funeral that residents have been asked by police to park their cars as close to the kerb as possible along the route in an attempt to keep it as clear as possible.

He will be buried in St Helens Cemetery, near to his late baby daughter's grave.

The full article contains 292 words and appears in Wigan Evening Post newspaper.