A sewing class in the home of Irma Martens
A sewing class in the home of the instructor. Alida’s mother, Anna Unruh is seated at her sewing machine on the left. The other young women in the class are: (clockwise, left to right) Alice Hiller, Froescher, Herta Dause, Lena Suderman, the instructor, Irma Martens, Kasianj. The name of the young woman seated in the front is not known.
Heinrich and Maria Unruh family (1939)
The Unruh Family, parents and 8 children, their ages given in brackets. Seated (left to right): David (20); the mother, Maria (nee Schellenberg); the father, Heinrich (59); Abraham (14). Standing (left to right): Maria (11); Peter (16); Erna Neumann (wife of David); Anna (25), Alida’s mother; Helena (26); Heinrich (23); Kaethe (10). Alida’s grandfather, Heinrich Unruh, returned home to his family on Dec. 31, 1938 after enduring 6 years of hard labour in a prison camp (Gefangenschaft). The entire family had suffered serious consequences due to his imprisonment. The four oldest siblings had to work at manual labour however received only 50% of their wages because they were considered “enemies of the people”. Ten-year-old Kaethe has the distended belly of malnutrition. She was also quite ashamed of her underpants, which were her brother’s cut-off pants and are visible under the dress. This photo was published in: Harry Loewen, ed. Road to Freedom, Mennonites Escape the Land of Suffering (Kitchener, ON: Pandora Press, 2000), p.66.
Portrait of the young Heinrich and Maria Unruh family
The young Unruh family. Heinrich and Maria Unruh, grandparents of Alida, are pictured with (left to right) Helene aged 3, baby Heinrich 6 months, and two year old Anna (mother of Alida). This photo was taken when grandfather had come home on leave from the medical corps during WW I.
The three story, Association of J. A. Pekker pharmacy building with workers standing in front
A three story pharmacy building. The name on the building is: Association of J. A. Pekker or Pekkerl. Workers are standing in front of the building. Jakob Barkowsky, Rita's grandfather was the son of Michael
Barkowsky, who was apparently very poor and died while quite young. Of the four children, only the youngest was able to remain with the mother. Jakob was taken in by a Pekker family in Tiegenhagen for whom he then worked.