Tina Harder-From Russia to Canada

My family of immigrants (1924, farm near Dundurn, Saskatchewan)

Front row, left to right: Agnes, Erica, Margaret and Dietrich Klassen (my aunts and uncle),  Sarah Kliewer, Henry, Nick and George Harder.

Back row, left to right: my Dad (baby in arms), my grandpa, Victor Klassen, my grandma, Lena and Neta Kliewer, Tina Harder and Gerhard Harder.

These three families lived in the same house on Schwager farm #2 for several years after immigrating from Russia. The Klassens built another house nearby and the Harder family stayed in the original house until about 2020.  My grandma (Susanna) and Tina were sisters.

The Trip to Canada (from Russia)

By Katherina (Tina) Friesen Harder

(Translated from German in 1987)

It was July 12 in 1923 when we got ready for our trip. The next morning we were to go to the train station. We had all been declared healthy. The next morning we again celebrated a farewell with the aunts and uncle. It was a sad parting. We and our belongings were placed on a huge wagon and then we were off. It was only a short while and we were out of our loved ones’ sight forever.

When we went through the village it was still quiet and restful. It took another day’s travel until we reached the station. We went to an aunt where we stayed for a day and then we were off to Chortitza. Many friends and relatives had already arrived before us. The train we were to take didn’t arrive until 5 o’clock. When the time came the friends gathered around their loved ones that were about to leave their dear fatherland.

We noticed a small white cloud on the station dam, an approaching noise, a long shrill whistle, “there is the train” you would hear many say. “All on board,” a short whistle, the locomotive panted and puffed and thundering the train rolled out and over the strongly-built bridge on the Dnieper River. As we sat there in the still of the evening we were sad to think that we would probably never again see our dear German homeland. The scenery changed every few minutes and in a couple of days we were in Charkau. Here we had to go for a bath. A few more days and we arrived in Orol where we received the first rain.

We travelled for a few days in Northern Russia. We have never seen such magnificent forest in our dear homeland. What fun it was to decorate our car with fir and pine branches. Often we sat at the windows for hours and looked into the forest where delicate little flowers bloomed in the grass. It was great to be able to cook in the woods or at a lake. Eggs would be fried, cookies baked, etc. On one occasion the train stopped at a lake and one family went to drink tea. We weren’t allowed to go far away because we were told the train would soon leave again. It wasn’t long and the train whistled and started moving. The family came running, leaving the table and chairs behind. It was a Rempel family, Mrs. Anna Rempel Willms, a former nurse, was one of them. She still lives in Saskatoon. The next morning, however, they came with a passenger train and caught up with us.

One station before the Border gate all our belongings were checked through. Our ladder to the car was taken away and so were other utensils. When we went through the gate, red flags were hoisted.

In Rejitza, we had to turn in our bedding and when they returned they smelled like sulphur smoke. Here we received a medical examination. Many friends returned from examinations with tears because they were not allowed to go on to Canada and had to go to Lechfeld. We were lucky and were able to continue our trip because our eyes were healthy. Here in Rejitza we stayed in barracks for a few days and that was long enough for we had never seen so many healthy bedbugs. We again parted with many of our acquaintances because they were sent to “Lager” (Camp) Lechfeld in Germany. We were only a small group that continued on to the harbor.

When we arrived in Lebava we saw the medium-sized ship that was to take us to England. We had to get onboard right away as we were to leave at 4. Our Bruton seemed very big to us and as it moved out it rocked quite a bit but we stayed on deck. Soon we were beginning to see less and less land. We went back into the ship and were immediately served a good supper. After sailing 2 hours we could see no more land, only sky and the foaming waves. We saw the shoreline of east Prussia and Denmark. Stormy, wild and foaming, the huge waves beat at our old wreck that was making the trip for the 64th time. Schools of dolphins would jump near our ship. We also saw some sharks.

One day at 4 o’clock we sailed into the Kiel Canal. The 8-hour trip through the canal was very refreshing after the wild Baltic Sea trip. Our Bruton was gliding slowly and silently along. Proud fortresses and beautiful castles of old we have seen with our own eyes. Quiet country homes and peaceful villages were all decorated with flowers and shrubs. The grazing cows created a lovely landscape. The wind swayed the red heather in waves and to us it looked like a fairytale.

When we awoke the next morning and looked out of the window, we were again on high seas. The storm was getting stronger and the North Sea more restless so that we all got seasick except papa (referring to husband, Gerhard Harder).

After a 5-day trip we arrived in the harbor of Southampton. Here we had another medical examination. We were looking forward to transferring to a larger ship for nobody wanted to continue on this ship. The passengers wanted to get off the ship but a guard was set up so that we couldn’t. Acquaintances and friends had come to England before we came aboard. We saw nothing of the city except the dark factories and smoked-up chimneys.

Our old Bruton had apparently taken a liking to us that he wasn't going to part with the passengers but take us across the ocean. We often spent an enjoyable time singing and playing. A sermon was preached every day and we also sang. The waves often tossed the old Bruton back and forth. The Northern Lights and the ocean glimmer delighted us; here too God had created something beautiful. We saw a whale.

It was a foggy night when the ship stopped and whistled continuously. In the morning the sailors said we had almost collided with the icebergs. When we looked out we were surrounded with giant icebergs. Cliff-high icebergs stretched into the air, shimmering in all colors when the sun was shining.

After a long ocean cruise we were told we would see land. Finally many voices echoed “Land in Sight”. We always came closer to the harbour (Quebec City). Some gentlemen were there to greet us when we stepped off the ship. Everybody was glad to be on land because all were tired of the 20 days at sea. We said farewell to our Bruton which had brought us here safely. Each one took a basket or suitcase and walked a long way until we reached a large building. Here we put down our belongings and were again examined by a doctor and passed the test.

In the evening we boarded the train, received supper and off we went into the dark night. The forests here were not as beautiful as in Great Russia, there were steep rocks and huge stones. We saw many Indian camps. It was lovely to see a change of scenery every couple of minutes. We would cross a bridge and then again we would be in uninhabited rocky and wooded areas. An open spot would follow where fire had changed the trees into charred stumps.

We had planned to go to Altona, Manitoba, but many immigrants were already going there so we decided to go to Alberta. Finally we arrived in Calgary where two Mennonite men came to greet us. Acme was the name of the station where we got off the train. Many cars were already waiting to take us to church. When we arrived at church many women with small black kerchiefs and men with long beards greeted us (Holdemen people). We were served a good hot meal and then each family was placed in a home. We came to the Wiebe’s, a Christian family where we stayed a few days until we had a place in Sunny Slope. We spent a few months in this little town, then moved to an empty farm where we stayed a year until our aunt and uncle (my grandma and grandpa Klassen) and other relatives came and bought land with papa (Gerhard Harder) in Saskatchewan.

It meant getting ready for another move; our belongings were quickly gathered and packed and this trip was not to take 6 weeks. With happy hearts we said goodbye to look for a future home.

We had a lot of fun on the way to the station and at 1 o’clock at noon we got onboard and went as far as Edmonton. Here we had to transfer. While in Edmonton we had a happy experience because of a sausage. On November 22 we arrived in Dundurn. Uncle Heinz (my grandpa Klassen) was there already and brought us to the farm. Papa kept singing the song, “Nach Hause” (Going Home). We were all looking forward to a future home and not being homeless anymore. In a strange land a home of our own.

Post notes: Gerhard Harder died in their house on July 7, 1947. Tina also died in the same house on January 31, 1962). Arnold Harder (grandson of Tina, son of George Harder) worked the farm until he retired in 2020.