NUR-SULTAN. KAZINFORM - Today s Birthdays is the one-stop shop where you can learn about prominent Kazakhstani people who were born on the 15th of October.
So I’ll pick up where I left off last week. At this point Aniela is being shipped along with many others way into the Siberian interior of Kazakhstan. “We came to Akmolinsk by train. The train was a special one for prisoners with bars on the windows and guards with guns. They gave us very salty fish to eat but they didn’t give us any water to drink. They tried to find some water but there was no place to get it. As far as we could see, there was nothing but snow and more snow. Finally, they brought some snow for us to eat. We travelled like that for a week.”
Part I
Aniela Plonka at age 18 just before she was taken
Many times I have delved into the past history of a Pass immigrant family and in so doing have been taken on a tremendous journey of adversity, perseverance, tragedy and eventual success. That’s why I love digging deeper into these stories. The Pass was built, in large part, by immigrants who chose Canada and ultimately the Crowsnest Pass, working within our logging and coal mining industries, to rebuild their lives and find opportunity. Amongst us, living in Hillcrest, is a man by the name of George Plonka, more commonly known as Doctor Cool, a colourful character who can fix just about any appliance. Recently I came across the story of George’s mother Aniela and would like to share it with you the readers. Aniela had six children and wound up in Fernie where she passed in 2009. George is her oldest son and was born in Edinburgh, Scotland just after the war ended. Be forewarned, this story will prob