Lettoof (Latouf) and Kallil (Khalil) Families

Melhem Lettoof of the Kayrouz clan in Becharre Lebanon, immigrated to the United States in the 1880s. He was naturalized in 1893 and resided in Hamilton County, Ohio. Upon his return to Lebanon he married Zahee Antony from Hasroun and brought her to New Zealand about 1899. They lived in Walker (now Carroll) street in Dunedin, Otago for the rest of their lives. Zahee gave birth to seven children. Jamele, Jamellie, Budeiah, Badiea, Latifie, Labiby and Youseph. Jamele married Yvonne Karouz and that family with five children is now settled in Melbourne,Australia.Jamellie was joined to Jack Joseph and sadly there were no offspring.Budeiah married Phyllis Wallinger and that marriage was childless also.Badiea married Saba Farry and they were blessed with seven children. Latifie lost her first husband,Watson Williams about a year after the birth of their son, Thomas. Some years later she married Halim Assaf Kallil Shem from Sybill and they rejoiced in five children.Labiby was the wife of Allan Mangan and their union produced no family.Youseph married an Australian, Milce Holland and they live in Sydney,Australia with their five children.

Halim Assaf Kallil Shem was brought to Ohura in the King Country,New Zealand from Lebanon with his sister Josephine, by his uncle Kinnon Kallil in 1925.His father and brother had been killed in the first world war and his sister Hasna Halhoul who was married, remained in Lebanon.His mother,Najibe LaHoude, had departed for Marrakech,Morrocco prior to the war, with cousins, to establish a business there, and unbeknown to her she was pregnant. She lost contact with all her family until the late 1950s. Her daughter Carmen was born in Morrocco and the only member of her family she knew was Halim who journeyed there with Latifie in 1971.Najibe never saw any of her Lebanese born children again.

Halim and Latifie’s children are Thomas,Kinnon,Zahee(deceased),Suzanne and Katrina. Thomas is married to Margaret Farry and they have three daughters, Lisa, Jamielle(Jami) and Tara. Lisa is the wife of John McCarthy and they have a son who is named Jackson.

Kinnon’s wife is Eleanor Smith and their five offspring are Simone, Danielle,Hallam, Dominic and Jared.
Suzanne was formerly married to David McPhee and they have one child, a son, Seth.
Katrina’s previous spouse was Robert McGuinn and the sons are Joel McGuinn and Daimon Brown.