[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Strangers Within Our Gates

[John Rauchert]

The weak eyes mentioned in this passage resonates with my family. My Great 
Aunt was not allowed to immigrate in 1904 with the rest of the family due to 
weak eyes. She stayed in Volhynia. Years later (1920-1930s) the family 
received a desperate letter from her (unfortunately lost) saying that her 
last cow had been taken away from her. My dad who was making good money for 
the time period sent her two hundred dollars.  They never heard from her 
again.

----- Original Message ----- 
> Message: 1
> Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2006 06:21:16 -0600
> From: Jerry Frank <FranklySpeaking at shaw.ca>
> Subject: [Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Strangers Within Our Gates
> To: Nelson Itterman <colnels at telus.net>, "'Joan Meyer'"
> <jmeyer at accesscomm.ca>, "'Marg Driechel'" <driechel at telus.net>,
> ger-poland-volhynia at eclipse.sggee.org
> Message-ID: <7.0.0.10.0.20060425060941.01e16f58 at shaw.ca>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
>
> family of Poles;  one child has 'weak eyes'.  Of course, she must be
> deported.  But do we think what it means  --  the shock to the family
> when they learn that their little one is to be sent back and they are
> to go on.  Gladly they, too, would return, but they have no
> money.  The poor have no choice.  In spite of the father's and
> mother's grief the little girl is taken from them.  Poor
> people!  they will live in wretched rooms, on crusts till they can
> make enough money for the father to find and bring back his
> child.  But oh the long months of waiting!  But as yet out on the
> ocean they are unconscious of the trouble that awaits them.  They are
> thinking only of the little home that they will have in the new land. 
> ...."
>