In january 1945 my grandmother, aged 9, was told to leave her farmhouse in Germany for it had been taken over by the Russians. She was in a family of 11: her two parents and 9 siblings, 3 couldn't come with the family. The oldest child was 13 and the youngest was a few weeks old. They left with some money, a small amount of food, a few valuables to exchange for food when they needed it and a change of clothes. They weren't allowed toys or objects to entertain themselves with, for they wouldn't fit
They had a horse drawn wagon in which they rode to the Russian zone. They were trapped. The bridges to other countries were all bombed and if you even thought about leaving you'd be shot by a Russian soldier. There wasn't much food around, so they ate a lot of cabbage soup
After a year her very smart father came up with a cleverly devised plan. In the night they snuck towards the train and climbed into boxcar, only to sneak out when they reached the border with Western Germany. They had to get out of the train and walk across the border with only what they could carry. They stayed there for five more years before going to the United States.
When they found out city life wasn't for them they moved up to Canada to live on another farm.
That's my grandmother's story and I hope it touches yor heart like it does mine.
Elizabeth J. Kerschbaumer (9)
