Ingas

I arrived at Snepele in June, 1930. I first stayed at Strautmali because the outgoing manager had not yet left. Passing through Riga, I went shopping. I bought a dark blue suit, pale slacks, and white shoes, which were the latest fashion. And I had my record player.

Jan 31, 2010

I had an excuse to make Ingas my first call in Snepele as it was a cream collection point. So the following Sunday after work I went to Ingas. I also knew there were four daughters as I had met them before when I was in the reserve army and came home for Christmas. We went to Biezaisi where we had an invitation to go to Ingas to celebrate all together. The four daughters were the oldest, Marta, Paula, then Konstance and the youngest, Milda at 17, well grown and very shy. I liked her from the first time I saw her and got her to dance with me even though she was so shy.

Feb 2, 2010

About two weeks before the wedding, Milda was working at a neighbour’s at milling when she got a cold. She had a fever but we went to Riga to buy the wedding rings, wedding dress, a coat, and an evening suit for me. Milda was taking all sorts of powders. Her temperature would go down immediately but later would be even higher. When we got home she went to bed and the doctor advised that the wedding had to be postponed for a month, which we did. (A: She had rheumatic fever, which damaged a heart valve and caused problems for the rest of her life). We had to notify all of our friends and relatives. Even a month later she was not very fit, so I hired a car-taxi as I was afraid she would catch a cold again. The car drove very slowly so that the horse carriages could follow, there were about 10. Along the route there was a number of honour arches, which was a custom in the country (a house high arch was constructed and covered with foliage and flowers). We had to stop at these arches and leave a bottle of drink.

Feb 3, 2010

Aija: The above covers the years 1932-40. In 1935 I, Aija, was born. When I was one-year-old, I was very sick for months. It started with whooping cough, then I had a mystery illness which I believe was TB, as at this time Milda’s sister Kostance became chronically sick with it. Milda’s father died of it and her brother Sass was very sick with TB of the spine and spent 1 ½ years in hospital.

Feb 7, 2010

We had most of the rebuilding finished when the great upheaval started - Russians came in (communists). Those that were in the National Guard were denounced as capitalist servants. Then imprisonment and people being sent to Siberia started. From our friends, the National Guard captain Osnieks and Milda’s brother Adolfs with their families were taken on 14th June, 1941 (This was the day for mass arrests across Latvia). The men were separated from their families and disappeared while the families were taken to Siberia and after the war many returned to Latvia.

Feb 8, 2010

We decided then to go to Sweden, a local man with three teenage daughters was arranging it. They knew a fisherman, and we packed some food for a day or so and very little else and went to Mersrags. As we got there a storm came up, and the fisherman said it was too dangerous to go to sea in it. We waited a couple days, hiding in a hay loft, but it did not improve, so we went back home. All of our friends laughed and teased us - the big Swedish travellers! After this the Germans increased their patrols to stop people leaving for Sweden.

Feb 13, 2010

Because I had the motorbike and plenty of petrol I could get to Ingas any time - it was about 100 kilometres and took me a couple of hours. After a couple weeks I did so to visit, the factory was in full production. I had a good assistant manager and was not missed till I was on the way to Germany when they rang looking for me, so I just disappeared.

Feb 15, 2010