Tamara Tiismann was born in Tallinn in 1932. Two years later the name was changed to Tiisre, which sounded more Estonian. Her father Valentin was also born in Tallinn. His first wife died young, leaving the widowed Valentin with two young sons. In 1931, he married Therese Pihlberg, the daughter of a captain in the merchant marines whose roots were in Reigi in Hiiumaa, stretching back to Sweden. As Therese was Valentin’s sister Ludmilla’s friend, she was already known to the Tiismann family. Tamara remembers being taught how to read at the age of four by her older half-brothers, whose goal it was that she learn to read the local newspapers!
Over the years, Valentin held various jobs, including as a customs officer, and Therese worked in the Ministry of Justice. Tamara spent her summers with relatives in Kärdla, Hiiumaa. She has fond memories of carefree summer days playing with the local children and even horseback riding (sometimes without permission).
