We came over to Canada from Germany on the ship, the
Arosa Star, in June 1957. It was part of the
Arosa Line fleet of cruise ships (1952 to 1958). The ship was built as the
Borinquen at the
Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation of Quincy, Mass in 1930. She had several names as the ship changed hands and came to a rather ignoble end sinking on the rocks off
Port Hueneme,
California on April 13, 1970. As I understand it, the new owners of the ship wanted to turn it into a floating hotel but couldn't afford the mooring fees and so anchored it off shore. Unfortunately, the storm brought all those plans to an end. Our crossing unlike the ship's end was flawless! Well, we made it to Canada, didn't we?
Above, my younger brother (left) and I had been at a children's birthday party on the ship, hence the party hats! Norbert and I shared the same room well into our teens. He passed on rather suddenly in 1974 and is still missed very much. Its amazing how strong the emotions are even after all these passing years!
That's our mother left, my brother Norbert and myself on the right. Norbert passed on suddenly in 1974 and we were all affected in one way or another, not at all the same afterward. Mother passed on in 1999. There's a long story about that but I won't get into that here.
I remember that our mother always loved the fresh air and sunshine. Sunning on a bright day in the summer was one of her past times. I love the fresh air and sunshine too but prefer working in it or going on a long hike! - V
For those of you who have never had siblings I pity you because you don't know what you're missing out on. Norbert was my younger brother who was born in December 1954 just after Christmas. I was born the previous year in August. We share the same room for years. It wasn't until 1972 or 1973 that we each had our own room but in light of his sudden and unexpected death in March 1974 I often wonder whether having our own rooms was a mistake! In the photo above, I am on the left, Norbert is on the right. We had just come from a children's birthday party on the ship. That's the only image I have of us in party hats!
Norbert had taken a bath after we had spent some time chatting about travel in the dining room. It was at the table I last saw him alive. In what had unfolded in the bathroom ended in his taking his life. There was no warning. It just happened and we were all affected afterwards in different ways. The emotions are as fresh today as they were then.
If you have brothers or sisters, cherish the moments together. You just never know when they end and you're left with the memories! Make those memories good ones!!! And we don't really know how much we miss them until afterwards!
The photos above were taken by my father on our crossing of the Atlantic on the ship, the Arosa Star, in June 1957. We had left from Bremerhaven, Germany and landed in Montreal, Canada. They bring back pleasant memories more than worth remembering! - V
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