Agnes Jordan

Agnes Jordan (nee Kroeger) was my father's (Harry Klassen) step-sister.  She wrote a memoir of her life in 2004, starting in 1920. She passed away four years later.

My Life Story

By Agnes Jordan

(nee Kroeger)

Written January, 2004

I was born on November 14, 1920, in the Mennonite village of Kondratjewka in the Ukraine of Russia in my grandparent’s house. My mother, Neta Kroeger, was a member of the Goerzen family who founded, owned and operated two modern steam mills in the Ukraine. My father, Abraham Kroeger, was a member of the Kroeger family who were clock manufacturers. They originated in Holland but moved to Germany and then on to Ukraine.

At the time of my birth, my parents, Neta and Abraham Kroeger, were living with my mother’s parents in their spacious house near their Kondraatjewka flour mill. It was a family tradition to have the newly married Goerzen daughters live with the Goerzen parents for a few years. The new family members could then be trained in the flour milling business where the Goerzens worked together in its administration. These were the early years of the Russian Revolution, so there was more security in families sharing accommodation.

Our home, a large lovely white house surrounded by gardens, orchards and meadows was located near the flour mill. It is remembered by my older sister, Mary, and me as a great place to live with our parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins. Here we spent many happy hours playing around the house and sometimes in the meadows, which took us to the Dnieper River. Another favorite spot, although generally forbidden by the adults, was the neighboring mill yard. Here we were fascinated by the camels, which carried the grain to the mill for processing into flour. We would awaken the camels by tickling and teasing them with little sticks and twigs. Then we would see how quickly we could dodge out of range of the camel’s spit, which they indignantly aimed at us.

These early childhood years were secure and happy, with our loving grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins. But, as the Russian Revolution became full of force, terror prevailed. How rapidly things changed! It dramatically affected our daily lives. Fear became a way of life. Bands of marauders plundered homes, killed and kidnapped families of our neighbors and friends. Each morning brought new stories of terror. We were in great danger because our grandparents were well-known business owners. They were considered capitalists and thus subject to persecution.

One day, Mary, our cousins and I were playing in the house attic, which was crammed full of old, forgotten things. We found some flour sacks filled with money. When we came downstairs, we had exciting news to tell at the noon dinner table. The adults were stunned. The rubles we had found were money that had been printed by the Tzars. The Communist Revolutionary Government had changed the currency. This forgotten money was now useless. It should have been turned over to the Communist government. The following day, when we returned to the attic the money was missing. We realized our uncles had probably destroyed it. If the Communists had found it in the house, it probably would have meant a death sentence for the entire family. To make matters worse, a typhoid fever epidemic broke out in our village. It took many lives. Our dear Grandpa Goerzen was the first. Soon after, our beloved young father came home from the mill office for lunch at noon. He collapsed on the bed, announcing that he could no longer return to his work at the mill. In a few days, he too had died. Our poor dear mother was now a young widow with daughters. Soon after, our Grandma Georzen became a victim of the fever. Our great grandparents, Cornelius and Maria Hildebrand, also lost their lives at this time. Ours was a sad household. I remember many days at the  cemetery with Mother mourning besides the new graves, while we children played nearby.

There was much talk about emigrating to Canada. Our Uncle Henry and Uncle Abram Goerzen soon left, along with hundreds of other Mennonites, fleeing the revolution. Soon there were letters from our uncles in Canada, urging Mother to join them.

Mother began to make preparations. This was not easy. However, she managed to acquire the necessary papers, passports and funds. Just at this time, Mother had an opportunity to join a trainload of Mennonites leaving for Canada under the sponsorship of the Mennonite Central Committee (M.C.C.). The M.C.C., a Canadian group, helped Mennonites in Russia escape to America, arranging transportation and loaning money where needed. This money would be repaid upon settlement in Canada. Mother was able to fund her own way. She borrowed some money from a friend who was also emigrating to Canada. She raised the remainder by selling some of her personal belongings and whatever else was saleable. This included two beautiful pictures that she herself had painted.

It was a joyful day when Mother’s two brothers, who had already settled in Canada, welcomed us. Our little Kroeger family lived for a few months with Uncle Henry and Aunt Anna on their small farm near Harris, Saskatchewan. During the following four years or so, Mother, Mary and I were separated. Living apart was most difficult for our small, fatherless Kroeger family. However, Mother was determined to provide a home for herself and her two little girls. She worked wherever employment was obtainable. At first, she worked in the Harris and Herschel hotels, and later she did housework, cooking and cleaning in private homes.

Mary continued living with Uncle Henry and Aunt Anna Goerzen. I went to live with Aunt Mary (Mother’s sister) and Uncle Anten Loewen on their farm near Herschel, Saskatchewan. It was here that I attended a rural school, completing Grade 4. Daily, I walked a distance of 3 1/2 miles to school, during good weather. I still remember those walks, learning to appreciate the beauties of nature. Primroses, bluebells and other flowers grew along the roadside. I also loved to hear the beautiful songs of the many pretty meadowlarks. I watched the antics of the gophers in their colonies in the pasture fields with interest and amusement. I enjoyed school, especially reading, and the Friday afternoon spelling matches in which I usually excelled.

Living apart for four years was difficult. We had never been separated before and we missed each other greatly. Cars were a novelty and a luxury that only a few people could afford. The hardships of the depression years of the twenties and thirties were felt countrywide. Mother visited us whenever she had an opportunity. After four years of separation, our Mother moved to Saskatoon and joined friends in their third-floor flat of rooms. Finally, she rented rooms on her own in another rooming house and bought me, and later Mary to join her. Our small family was at last reunited. In spite of the depression, Mother managed to keep our family together. She worked during the daytime. At night, she attended night school to improve her English and took the courses she needed to qualify for her Canadian Citizenship papers. These were very important to her. We spoke English at home to help improve our command of the language, which Mother stressed was much more important in Canada than the German language we were used to.

Mary and I attended school daily, completing elementary and secondary schools. We could not afford to pay for a university education, but I attended Teachers College and obtained a Saskatchewan Teacher's License. During these last years in Saskatoon, prior to 1940, Mother was able to rent a tiny brand-new bungalow for $10 monthly. How we enjoyed our little house, after all those years of renting light housekeeping rooms that were only partially furnished. We even had a small backyard and a bit of a garden. We loved every bit of it, even the little privy, which replaced the shared bathrooms we were used to. For water, we relied on a large barrel, which the weekly “Waterman” filled for us at a price, of course.

In 1940, Mother remarried. She married a widower, Henry Klassen (Bob’s grandpa), who had five adult children. They moved to the Niagara Region in Ontario. Mary and I followed. My Saskatchewan Teacher’s License was not valid in Ontario, so I returned to Saskatchewan to teach for one year in a rural school near Hanley. 

The following year, I rejoined my family in St. Catherines and obtained an Ontario Teacher’s Certificate at the Hamilton Teachers College. During the course of my teaching career in Ontario, I met Ted Jordan, principal of a three-room school in Jordan Stations where we both taught and fell in love. Ted left the three-room school and took a posting in Ottawa, while I took a posting in St. Catherines. We were married on June 28, 1947 and I joined Ted in Ottawa, where we both taught school until our first child, Judith Anne, was born on December 15, 1951. I then stopped teaching. In 1956, Ted, now principal of Riverview Public School in Ottawa, acquired his Public School Inspector’s Certificate. He was then appointed as an assistant to an older, experienced inspector in the town of Milton in Halton County. We had just purchased our very first house on Hague Drive in the Alta Vista area of Ottawa. So, it was with mixed feelings that we prepared to move. However, we easily sold our new house and started packing. We arrived in Milton during the summer of 1956 and moved into another new house Judy started school in September and Brian arrived on October 26, 1957.

After three years of apprenticeship, we were transferred to the town of Simcoe, where Ted had his own area, the northern part of Norfolk County. We lived here for ten years. Judy completed high school and Brian graduated from Grade 6. In 1969, there were many provincial changes in education. Ted requested and received a transfer to St. Catherines. Here, I returned to itching kindergarten, which I loved. I took the course in Primary Methods and completed my teaching in kindergarten work.

During our years in St. Catherines, Judy graduated from Brock University and married Theodore (Ted) Kaias. Brian graduated from the University of Waterloo and was now a busy professional engineer, traveling world-wide on jobs for Babcock and Wilcox of Cambridge. In 1979, Ted and I both retired. Our family enjoyed the cottage that we had built on the beautiful Lake of Bays. Later, all of our family appreciated our winter home in Florida.

As of June 28, 2003, Ted and I had been married for 56 years. They have been years full of love and happiness. Along the way, we have been saddened by the loss of our parents, some sisters and cousins. But now we have three fine young grandsons. Looking back over the years, we have been most fortunate.

Addendum by Ted Jordan:

Three outstanding characteristics of Agnes’ life were her religious convictions, her love of children and her creativity.

Religious convictions

Agnes always had strong and steadfast religious convictions. They remained with her throughout her entire life. These were partly the results of her early childhood and adolescent teachings of the Mennonite beliefs. This faith and assurance helped both of us, during the dark days that every person experiences. She carried these convictions with her to the end.

During kindergarten teaching days, her beliefs shone through in these simple prayers:

Opening Prayer

Help us to do things we should,

To be to others, kind and good,

In all our work and all our play,

To grow more loving every day.

Closing Prayer

Before we go away,

We’ll fold our hands and pray,

That God will keep us safe and well,

Until another day.

Agnes never had a single complaint from parents about these prayers.

Love of children

Agnes loved children and in return, children loved her. When she retired in 1979, Agnes received so many notes from older children whom she had taught that they filled an entire album. Many notes just said, “I love you”. Frequently, when Agnes was downtown or was in the business world, she would meet young adults who reminded her about being a loving teacher. 

Creativity

Agnes was very creative and she enjoyed crafts, especially paper tole art. Our home is adorned with beautiful 3D creations. Visitors are amazed at the outstanding results she produced with paper tole prints or ceramics.