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Last update - 14:58 17/06/2008 Valentine Vester, owner of famed American Colony hotel in J'lem, dies at 96 By Haaretz Service and News Agencies Tags: Valentine Vester, Jerusalem  British-born Valentine Vester, who witnessed history as the proprietor of one of the Middle East's most storied hotels, has died the age of 96. Vester (nee Richmond) spent the last years of her life in an apartment on the manicured grounds of the American Colony Hotel in Jerusalem, which her family took over in the early 1960s. The hotel has served for decades as a favorite hangout for diplomats and foreign correspondents and as a backdrop for political intrigue. Advertisement Born in 1912 in Britain, Vester came to Jerusalem in the 1960s with her husband Horatio, the grandson of the Colony's founders. Her husband died in the 1980s Vester went on to live through much of the upheaval that shaped the modern Mideast. In 1967, she saw her hotel move from Jordanian to Israeli control. Nicholas Vester said of his mother that she had "learned to really hate people who make wars." Vester is survived by two sons, Nicholas of London and Paul of California, and numerous grandchildren. She will be buried beside her husband in a plot near the Mount of Olives. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Gilad's tale VIDEO: U.S. kids read abducted soldier's story of co-existence. Leaving Torah behind Study finds religion is not very important to American Jews.   1.   Wonderful Colony 15:00  |  Jeroen de Jager 17/06/08   2.   jerusalem hotel 16:13  |  sam 17/06/08   3.   American Colony 17:28  |  Daniel 17/06/08   4.   Val Vester 22:19  |  Constance Blackwell 24/06/08

Read & React Cabinet to vote Sun. on Hezbollah deal, says wife of abducted soldier Responses: 264 Editorial: We must pay the high price for the return of Gilad Shalit Responses: 99 Gaza truce shaken as four Qassams slam in Negev Responses: 221 Poll: 77% of Israeli Arabs would rather live in Israel than in any other country Responses: 222 Border Policeman dies from self-inflicted shot at Sarkozy farewell Responses: 138 Rosner's Domain Guest: Not going to war in Gaza - erroneous choice Religion is not very important to American Jews Al Hura not working? Tell me something I don't know (WTR) Poll: exchange deal with Hezbollah, good or bad? Why do non-Jewish Americans support Israel? More Headlines 00:09 Cabinet to vote Sun. on Hezbollah deal, says wife of abducted soldier 23:43 Border cop dies from self-inflicted shot at Sarkozy farewell 21:06 Gaza truce shaken as four Qassams slam into west Negev 22:52 VIDEO: Two years after his kidnap, U.S. kids read Gilad Shalit's tale of co-existence 21:12 Olmert: Israel mulling response to renewed Qassam fire 20:33 World Wealth Report: People in Israel get richer faster 18:46 Religion is not very important to American Jews 23:58 Noam Shalit: Decide on Gilad's release - it's now or never 22:51 Paris prosecutors open probe into beating of Jewish teen 00:05 Knesset approves law allowing property owners to kill intruders 17:39 Ahmadinejad: World leaders behind sanctions must stand trial 18:53 Hamas prisoners freed in West Bank, despite PA pledge to Israel 20:57 Lawyers ask Spanish court to charge 4 alleged ex-guards at Nazi camps Previous Editions Select Day 24 jun 23 jun 22 jun 20 jun 19 jun 18 jun 17 jun 16 jun 15 jun 13 jun 12 jun 11 jun

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