German Immigrants

Thanks Ang for refering to the boat info. Actually Ham found the picture and info on the internet and emailed it to mom and I on Hotmail. I found that so amazing because I too had often wondered whatever happened to that ship. Yesterday I thought I'd give it a whirl and see if I could copy and paste those images onto Blogger because it does tie into the whole life picture. Success!
That post card I believe we had at one time too.

After speaking to mom we are both reflecting on that journey one which has often made me cry as has it mom.Our versions are different.
Remembering I am 5 and Ham is nearly 4. The main thing I remember is the smell of the sea , how big and wet the pier was , the big ropes tied to theses big brass posts. We both held on to mom's hand, we were good little kids. I don't remember Oma , Opa and Tante Ilse at all. I remember walking up the plank which had chains holding it up, looking down at the water below, boy it was way down there,scarey.The plank was wet and wobbily, I was afraid. Once on board I remember the deck was wet , the sides solid so as a little person you couldn't see the dock and all the people waving good bye to their loved ones below.Mom could not hold us both up to see Oma , Opa and Tante Ilse below. All I remember is the brass band playing Aufweidersehen which as I write is making me cry. I wanted to see too but mom couldn't hold us both up to see.We all cried!
Mom tells me she did hold me up, perhaps, but in my heart the grief of leaving was pretty sad regardless for all of us especially mom.
In my heart as in hers the joy of seeing her husband , me & Ham our Pupi made it all bearable. How we missed him! He had left in July on a freighter to work the harvest in Elmvale.
Anyways the actual boat ride kept me sea sick free as far as I recall. We went first class I believe. I remember the violin music in the dining room and the good food. Mom and Ham were so sick, all I needed was to eat and I overcame my nausea. During pregnancy same applied, eat and I felt better.
I quess I was a pain with all the tears and constant wanting to go to the dining room when all Ham and mom wanted to do was rest and throwup. They were "oh so sick".

Mom recently told me that her father had chosen Tante Hilda while standing on the pier to please help her with his 2 little grandkids, realizing this would be a tough journey to take alone.Prior to that mom did not know her, till the day she died mom and Hilda shared a very special bond. Their friendship was one of a kind, together they made the best of this great country Canada we have called home for the last 55 years.
I know I am ever grateful for being the daughter of 2 loving German parents who wanted nothing more than to have a better life for their children. This we surely have had and all 3 of us are so lucky to have travelled this journey with our parents through the good times and the bad we survived.That's what counts!
We now all have children and grandchildren, isn't it lovely they all have all these wonderful opportunities for the future, living is great country called Canada? We are all blessed!

written by a little German immigrant girl named Birgit Platz