Klein

(from Watford Guide-Advocate)

Adolph Klein grew up in Doernadarf, Silesia in Germany. At the age of 17 he left home to work on a farm in West Germany. His employer had magazines about big game hunting in Canada; Adolph was mesmerized and determined to go to Canada, even though he did not even know where it was. He would have left at age 17, but his mother lived in East Germany and didn’t want Adolph far from home, so she would not sign his immigration papers.

In 1956 at the age of 21 he had kept his dream alive and was on a boat to Canada, not knowing a word of English. A tomato farmer near Leamington sponsored Adolph. He spent his first summer picking tomatoes and learning English. Adolph also worked at various jobs in construction or on other farms.

In 1960 he married Annie Enns, who had arrived in Canada in 1948 from the Ukraine. She was born in Reichenfeld to a German speaking family.

In 1965 the Kleins bought a farm from Walter Easterbrook (Lot 20, Con. 4 SER) and another from Cliff Lucas on Churchill Line. The century home was torn down and they built a new house. They raised four children: Heidi, Manfred, Marianne and Arthur. Adolph worked at mixed farming and custom work while Anne worked at Strathmere Lodge in Strathroy as a Personal Support Worker.

In 1994 the Kleins sold the farms and retired to Watford where Adolph dabbles in fixing electronics.

Chapter 24 of 25 - Klein Family

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