Regina Silver - June 21, 1982
Leaving for Canada
Where in Poland?
In Langenbielau like I said where I lived she was born and then she, my husband got this brother in Canada we left in 1950. We came to Canada mit mein...So the Poles, Poles took away my everything my baggage I came barefoot, naked and didn't have nothing when I came in 1950 to Canada they took everything away from me.
Because you left Poland?
Yeah, they say because I didn't uh, make the right papers. I didn't have the right to go out from the, from the places so they took it over from the Germans, because I went to Canada and my husband said we are coming today to Gdynia to the station but uh, I didn't have the, the right papers and I have to go back I suppose to lose my passport. Because they give me a passport was valid for, for five, six days and the ship Atora just came every second week so after, I, to go, to save mein uh, mein baggage to go so I would have to lose the passport and that could, couldn't go out and they wouldn't give me another one maybe. So I left everything behind and we went on the boat like this, just like I said I made a bundle, remember the other day? Und then...
No I don't remember.
Oh, like they wouldn't let me take everything from the--understanding? The last one on the ship to leave already from uh, from Gdynia the port so I went over, the ship was already signaled to leave and I was crying and I said uh, go Robert to one uh, ??? I said you'll learn that I'm Polish. If you let me go with two small kids on this boat I have not even a cushion to put them on this, to sleep on the floor. Let me go and take a cushion for my children so he opened up the bag--I got uh, maybe 500 kilobagish, but I have, I got...
Kilo?
500 kilogram. I got a lot of things so I opened up the box und I took out a little tablecloth und but I managed to schlep out from, from the, from this big box und uh, I took uh, two cushions I got two blankets as much as I can and made a bundle with them and went up the board, on the ship Atora and came to Canada in 1950.
[interruption in interview]
You had this, this--your possessions?
Yeah my children were my possessions when I came to America, to Canada, and thanks God my husband worked hard and thanks God we made a little success now and I'm living comfortable nice and fine I have um, nice kids and grandchildren. I got two in Canada got my daughter Tammy is born in Canada, my son Arnold born in Canada.
So you have four children?
I have four. Two boys and two girls.
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