Signs of Disintegration
The only child left in 1954 with his parents Ernst und Erika Klopp was the 12-year old Peter. With no family workers left on the farm that produced little more than a few eggs from the henhouse and milk from a goat or two, my father’s health being on rapid decline, there remained scant hope for a successful farming operation and inevitably Father’s dream came to a sudden end. All the Ernst Klopp children eventually emigrated and settled in Western Canada.
Four years after the lease agreement with retired farmer Ös came into effect, my father gave up and burdened with a heavy debt load became officially unemployed. He moved into a tiny house at the bottom of the hill where he was often bed-ridden suffering from intense backaches for long stretches of time. In the meantime, my mother found employment as a housekeeper and cook at the Hohenzollern Castle at Sigmaringen. In the meantime, carpenter master Stoll and his wife in Meßkirch took care of little Peter in the role of foster parents, while he was attending the local high school.
So after what had begun with a miraculous escape from death and destruction in their home province Pomerania and a promise of fetching a few morsels of the former happiness, the glue that once held the family together loosened and showed definite signs of disintegration.
The Peter and Gertrud Klopp Family 
Oh my! I was hoping that the family would have some pleasant time on the farm!
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Life is for ever unpredictable as the tragic story of my father clearly shows.
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True.
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Very hard times indeed
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It must have been hard for your father. A proud man, who cannot take care of his family anymore … that was maybe the last drop after everything that had happened. Mothers seem to just carry on as long as they still have children to feed. Do you see you brothers and your sister from time to time?
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I believe you assessed the feelings of my father very well. Not being able to provide for one’s family, worse becoming dependent on the children’s meager income, must have troubled him very much.
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In the short term it looks like a sad ending. However, all the siblings migrating to western Canada was good. The next generation did much better based on the family foundation and God’s goodness. You, Peter, got your education and new beginnings and adventures with Biene. Love how it turned around in soite of the difficulties.
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Thank you for adding a spiritual dimension to the tragic story of the Klopp family falling apart!
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You are welcome!
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Was für eine schwere Zeit das für Euch alle war. Und immer wieder diese schlimmen Rückschläge.. Es ist so traurig, das alles zu lesen.. Aber wie
“Pure Glory” in seiner Antwort schreibt-Ihr habt alle weitergekämpft und nicht aufgegeben und Euer Leben mit Euren Lieben aufgebaut…
Herzliche Grüße aus Sottmar!🙋
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Vielen Dank, liebe Edda! Ich habe mich sehr gefreut, von dir deinen lieben Kommentar zu lesen.
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Oh, I’m so sorry to read this! After all your family had been through, they deserved better. Was your experience with the foster parents a good one?
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It was the most horrible year of my entire life. Away from my parents, siblings and friends I felt like in perpetual self-isolation.
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I can’t even imagine how hard that must have been!
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Very sad.
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How very tragic, Peter. I am so sorry. I know that you remained close to at least some of your siblings, so there must have been better years ahead for the family, if not for your father.
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You guessed it correctly, Amy. For the rest of the family, happier times were ahead. Even for my father, there were as you will see a few good years left before he passed away.
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I am so glad to hear that, Peter.
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In spite of it all. We know that you persevered and eventually thrived.
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The hope did not materialize.
“Once we’re there, we’ll start all over again.”
This hope was not fulfilled.
Everyone went his own way.
Sad, but a common occurrence, especially in times of upheaval.
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While a sad story, you have a history to share which some of us do not. I have very little recollection of my family beyond my immediate parents. It is a shame that your father suffered these misfortunes while trying to provide for family.
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Thank you, Steve, for your kind comment! I almost started too late with this project. While it is possible to get vital statistics from ancestry.com and similar sites, the information contains only birth, marriage, death dates and perhaps if you are lucky a few additional documents. However, nothing can compare with a real life story.
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Sometimes disturbing, sometimes uplifting, but always fascinating, is your story.
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I appreciate all your insightful comments very much, Ankur.
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I am really grateful for you🎵 thank you so much🎵
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