Look at the photo of an old good water pump attracting attention of the whole Holla family. More than hundred years ago He was the only water supply source for the life. Janko is now pumping water for the household needs as it was done before by his great-and-grandparents and his own father Viktor. A little is left from the old house where one day lived a big family consisting of Joseph and Josephina (starichki), their three sons and three daughters: Viktor, Franticek, Jan, Tekla, Stephania, Marishka. In 1927 Viktor emigrated to Canada, a year later His brother Franticek did, all the rest never left the village. Maria got married to Viktor Guth, Stephania never got married and lived together with her sister Tekla and her son Jan with starichki. Jan’s son Alojz married to Jana in 1967 and has two children Katharina, 30 y.o. and Peter, 33 y.o., and they live here on the grounds of the old house having built a new house of their own.
On the photo to the right there is an old school where Janko’s father Viktor was going when he was a teenager. Now it is a residential area.
And while Janko is pumping here I am doing an excursion to the attic of the old house, frankly speaking, to the leftovers what was remained from it. To the right a stove of the old style where, perhaps, in the corner Tekla and her little son Jan and Stephanie dined. The old people, starichki, were sitting for meals in the other corner, far away from the youngsters. No sink, no dish washers is visible anywhere: the wonder pump was of big use in those times for preparing food, cleaning dishes, in the house, feeding the animals and many other things.
I am climbing the attic stairs leading to the top of the house where perhaps the grain was kept before. Peter is helping me to take photos everywhere which is put on our slide show “Old House”.
Home made articles and things from the past are unique: worn out holenka boots, old mirror, the big milk container, harness and horse shoes…
Oh, sweet good old times! Where are you?
The same nostalgic feelings were to come out when traveling across the country to the East of Canada watching the old Grain Elevators which were slowly disappearing from the landscape to be replaced by more modern ones.Where are you going, guys, where?