Re: Henriette FITZNER nee OTTO

Garth Fitzner , Freitag, 18.04.2014, 15:17 (vor 4372 Tagen) @ Regina Steffensen

I don't know of any marriage connections between the Fitzner's and the Janke's. However, some of the Janke's did emigrate to Canada and settled in the same place (Springside, Saskatchewan, Canada) where my father grew up.

In a biography book that my father started before he died he wrote about the Fitzner's and Janke's being close friends. My father wrote this:

"Grandpa Yanke, our neighbor, in his youth was a Cossack in the Czar's army. They were a group of handpicked men, and it was an honour to be chosen. Similar to the triathlon athletes of today, stamina was a better quality than shear physical strength. They had to possess natural talents first, then those were honed to fine edge. Good horsemen, excellent riders, crack shots, proficient with the sword, agile of body and mind. The horses were handpicked also and trained to obey every command instantly. The man was trained to kill and the horse to trample; used mainly to quell racial unrest. Grandpa Yanke visited us many times. I looked forward to them. Learning early to be quiet and out of direct line of vision, I could listen by the hour. Many of the stories were repeated emphasizing a different aspect. Parental guidance should have been applied. None of them will be included; I have great respect for the man; he never lost his humanity. I could hear and feel his remorse at the atrocities he saw happening."

Garth