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Lena 'Grandma Farmor' Hollis

Lena Hollis, a Sonoma resident, died on Aug. 18, 2011. She was 69.

A native of Koping, Sweden, she was born Inga Lena Andersson on July 24, 1942 and was the daughter of Inga and Eric Andersson (the family changed their name to Allmark in 1960). She graduated from the University in Sodertalje (a suburb of Stockholm) on April 26, 1961.

In 1962, Lena moved to the United States, settling in New York City and working her entire career in the travel industry until her retirement in 2000. Lena was married in 1969 and in 1971 gave birth to her only child, Lester Eric Hollis. As a passionate follower of jazz, she chose the name Lester, which was the name of her third favorite musician at the time (Lester Young); the name John (Coltrane) was too plain a name and Miles (Davis) was taken by a close friend who gave birth shortly before her. Eric was in homage to her father Eric.

Lena traveled extensively over the years with her son Lester, including annual trips to her homeland (Sweden), as well as trips to mainland China and Brazil. She also fulfilled her life-long fantasy of traveling to Africa and going on a Safari in 1997 with her childhood best friend, Anne Marie Gottfarb, and Anne Marie's sister, Ylva Marianne.

In October of 2000, Lena retired from the travel industry and followed her son Lester and his wife, Nancy, to California. Lena chose Sonoma to live in retirement, a place whose countryside she said reminded her of her native Sweden.

Lena was the devoted mother to Lester; mother-in-law to his wife, Nancy; and grandmother to their two beautiful daughters, Lindsey and Sidney, who proudly referred to her as "Grandma Farmor" (Farmor is the Swedish name for fraternal grandmother).

Lena valiantly fought leukemia for two years, finally succumbing to the disease in her sleep on Aug. 18, 2011, with her son and daughter-in-law by her bedside. Lena is survived by her brother, Lars Allmark; his wife, Erna; nieces, Jessica and Jennifer; nephew, Patrik; son, Lester; daughter-in-law, Nancy; and granddaughters, Lindsey and Sidney.

Private family inurnment, Mountain Cemetery, Sonoma, Saturday, Sept. 3, 2011.

Arrangements under the direction of Duggan's Mission Chapel, Mission Cremation Service, 525 W. Napa St., Sonoma, CA.