Nicole Cabot is celebrating a storybook ending to a family legend. The story concerns an almost life-size oil portrait of her grandmother Valerie Violet Vadasz, painted in Hungary in 1940.

The lovely young Mrs. Vadasz posed for the artist in Budapest but, not long afterward, during the chaos of World War II, the artwork simply disappeared. Family members have been searching for it ever since.

Little more than a decade later the country was hammered with another round of turmoil, the Hungarian revolution in 1956. Nicole’s grandmother, her father Gaston Vadasz and uncle Tibor were able to escape to this country as refugees. Gaston and Tibor were teenagers at the time. The three settled in Queens, N.Y.

Nicole grew up nearby with deep bonds and affection for her grandmother and the story of the lost painting was always part of her essence. In fact, Nicole is the owner of a small version of the portrait painted by the same artist at the same time. Nicole and her husband Ben Cabot named their older daughter Violet, after Violet’s great-grandmother.

Then about a month ago, Nicole’s cousin, who was exploring search sites on the web, recognized the five-foot painting of the pretty woman in a blue dress. It was on the website of a gallery in Hungary, in a small town about two hours from Budapest.

Sadly, Gaston died last April, before this discovery took place. But Nicole’s mother Linda Vadasz arranged with friends overseas to purchase the piece, and it is now in the process of being shipped here to the Cabots’ West Tisbury home where, of course, it belongs.

Kate Warner and Elaine Barnett will celebrate their birthdays Saturday, Feb. 8. Happy birthday to Cathy Minkiewicz on Monday, Feb. 10, and to Albert Fischer Thursday, Feb. 13.

Another of the community’s stalwart and generous citizens, Warren Hollinshead, has died. Condolences to his wife Marilyn and their four children, with a special hug for Dana.

We have a report from the bustling town hall. The board of health will have an opening for a new board member after the town election in April. Anyone interested in running for the seat must return the papers by Feb. 20. Dates have been announced for the annual town meeting, April 8, and election April 10.

I hope you’ve made your reservations for Valentine’s Day dinner. There are so few restaurants open, and so many loving couples out there.

There is another dining-out opportunity this coming week — a community pot luck dinner at the Agricultural Hall on Monday, Feb. 10 at 5:30. Bring a dish to share and all your own eating implements.

For fans of Beethoven, the library welcomes opera and baroque specialist Laura Stanfield Prichard for a presentation and sing-along of young Ludwig’s dramatic music. You don’t need to know the words – musical scores will be provided. This is at 3 o’clock on Saturday, Feb. 8.

The Second Sunday Jazz Festival takes place at 2:30 p.m. at the library on Feb. 9 with jazz vocalist Mark Grandfield and the Jeremy Berlin Trio.