Bargenda Family

My name is Ursula Bargenda. I was born in Berlin, Germany in 1927.

My husband's name is Manfred Bargenda and he was born in 1924 in a small village outside of Berlin. Manfred served as a submariner in the German Navy. He spent 2 1/2 years - from 1945 to 1947 - as a POW in Scotland. He returned to Berlin in November 1947 and we met and got married in 1949.

We lived with my mother in a 2 bedroom/kitchen flat. Things were very crowded because by that time we also had a son by the name of Peter. Berlin was still in ruins and it was almost impossible to find any decent accommodation. It was hard to find a decent job and the future looked really bleak.

My husband was a fully qualified diesel mechanic by that time but could not find a job in his trade other than to drive a heavy truck which also required qualification as a diesel mechanic. He was very fortunate to find a job which meant that he would leave Berlin on Monday, return on Friday, repair the truck on Saturday, have a day off on Sunday and then start the same routine again. We did not have much of a family life and the fact that he had to drive through the then Russian Zone, crossing the border from East to West, was very worrisome. These were the years of the Cold War.

After doing this job for 5 years and with no signs of any improvement in our situation, we decided to immigrate to Canada and started the necessary procedures. My husband was accepted because of his trade and left Berlin in 1955 arriving in Quebec City on June 20th. He travelled to Toronto and stayed on a temporary basis with friends. He worked in construction until he secured a job at Smith Transport. He worked very hard to obtain his Canadian Mechanic License and also purchased tools which he needed in order to work as a diesel mechanic. He worked at Smith Transport, which later became CP Express and Transport, as a diesel mechanic, foreman and supervisor and for the last 12 years he held the title of Maintenance Manager for the Province of Ontario for his company. As a part time position he taught motor mechanics at one of the local Community Colleges. He retired after 32 years in 1988 a very satisfied man who had accomplished a great deal in his life.

After making sure that our son was well established at school and in the neighbourhood I found a job as temporary help at Simpson Sears. I became a full time employee in January 1957. Having been trained in office work I started in the Order Clerical department, moved up to the Credit Department as collector, Assistant Supervisor, and eventually I worked as a Supervisor in the Security Department - a position I held until my retirement in December 1984.

In 1971 we bought a condominium in Toronto (one of the first ones built) and after 37 years I still occupy the same place.

We bought a cottage in 1978 in Northern Ontario which we and the family enjoyed for 20 years.

My husband was an ardent golfer and enjoyed playing the game. I joined the Volunteer Committee of the National Ballet of Canada and was an active member for 10 years in all sorts of fundraising activities. We also started travelling and enjoyed the fruits of our labour by seeing quite a bit of our world.

Unfortunately, my husband passed away on November 16th, 2006 and I am now on my own.

But I still travel and I was on a cruise along the Atlantic coast and when stopping in Halifax I found out about the Immigration Museum.

I was thrilled to find out that your records show that my son Peter and I arrived at Pier 21, Halifax, NS on March 15th, 1956 aboard the Neptunia.

In conclusion I would like to state that both my husband and I never regretted for a moment our decision to immigrate to Canada. Since I still have my German accent people often ask where I am from. My answer always is:

I AM GERMAN BY BIRTH - CANADIAN BY CHOICE.

In memory of my beloved husband Manfred Bargenda,

Ursula Bargenda