A mother of eight children on her long journey to happiness

Janet Auer finished her chimney sweep training last summer with one of the best qualifications in Bavaria. But that was far from her greatest achievement.

Written by Ulrich Studel

A failed marriage, cancer, three apprenticeships, a single mother with eight children and Hartz IV – what Janet Orr actually did at 41 is usually enough for several lives. Janet O’er’s work has just started over again. She has hers in the summer Apprenticeship as a chimney sweep Completed, with the best general degree for all graduates in the region Crafts room in Swabia Only two years and four months later.

Next to Kaminkehrermeister Stefan Knopf From Bad Grönenbach, he wants to start over, both private and professional. The two had been a married couple for four years. His girlfriend’s eight children were not an obstacle to Stefan Knopf. On the contrary: As Janett Auer as she trains during the week At the boarding school of the vocational school in Mühlbach While there he took care of his extensive area as well as children between the ages of six and 16. “We kept in touch with my mom every evening via video chat on the smartphone,” says Stefan Knüpf, who gladly accepted the challenges that the new daily life brings.

When they’re all out and about together, they can feel the look of pedestrians when they count the number of kids climbing from the old VW bus. “I can easily understand how a person of color feels when they look at him and people are whispering about him. It’s the same for us. We prefer someone who really cares about us or just talks to us,” says Janet Orr who, of course, has already seen much worse.

Audi auto mechanic

She left with her parents and sister A native of Leipzig On the application to leave shortly before the fall of the wall, the German Democratic Republic. Janet Auer graduated from school in Neuenstadt, near Heilbronn, and then began vocational training at Audi in Neckarsulm. “My sister was supposed to be a car electrician, I was training to be an auto mechanic,” she looks back. Parents wanted their daughters a carefree life. Had to turn differently with Janet.

She had to interrupt her year-long training because a ping-pong ball went off her neck. Diagnosis: lymphoma. At the age of 17. It was followed by six chemotherapy treatments, hair loss, and facing death when a person died in the bed next to the hospital. Janet Aoyer’s first turning point came before she entered adulthood.

“At that time, my parents also divorced Find their own apartment, complete a driving school and complete apprenticeships.
Today I wonder how she was able to do all this, ”says a chimney sweep, who recovered from cancer a long time ago.

Work and private life can be easily reconciled

She sits with Stefan Knopf at the long table in his dining room. Highlights for long blonde hair From the black of chimney brooms Outside, their children play in the late autumn sun. On the Day of Repentance and Prayer, there is no school for pupils in Catholic Bavaria, and the kindergarten remains closed.

“Thanks to the flexible working hours, chimney cleaners can combine work and private life so well,” says Stefan Knopf, and he is surprised that there are no more women in this profession. Under 185 chimneys were cleaned in Swabia’s administrative district Just be a woman. Janet Auer even finds a chimney-cleaning job especially suitable for moms. “It is time for the black union to acquire a more feminine face,” Bachelorette says.

Black hands at work don’t bother Janet O’er. Soot can be washed off, but its past remains in memory. Twelve years of marriage to an alcoholic, father of their eight children, to whom she remained faithful for a very long time. “for better or worse. This oath has always been very seriously Janet Orr says. “It must have been a lot worse, but there have also been good years.” The first five children were Intended Babies. “When Janet Aoyer talks about her last two campaigns, but her voice falters, I’m talking about domestic violence, which at some point got so bad that the police had to call him.” At the time, I wanted to have an abortion. But I didn’t have a heart, “she admits.

New start in New Zealand

Janet Orr had always hoped that her husband would adjust to her. Through her income at Audi, she made her way towards technical development, providing the financial base for the young family. She was already indulging Only after the first birth the baby has an eight-week rest period. Until the new beginning in New Zealand, where the family in Nelson initially lived a carefree life and two more children were born, the hoped-for transformation did not finally materialize.

when Financial crisis at the end of the first decade Down below, her husband lost his job and started drinking again. With the support of the Christian Reformed Church, the family finally managed to move to Australia, but too In Blaxland Bay Sydney The situation did not improve. After bankruptcy and responsibility for five children, the couple decided after nearly five years to return to Germany, where the marriage finally separated and Janet Orr gained custody of the children.

Meanwhile, living in Bebrach, a single mother graduated A course in home economics at the Agricultural School, She wanted to stand on two feet, away from Hartz IV, and then a smoky broom entered her life. Happiness ambassador – what symbolism.

A large area that includes about 2,800 properties

“That’s actually a nice part of our job. We are Always seen as a lucky charm with clients. Many people want to touch us or take a picture with us, ”says Stefan Knopf. For several months now, the district chimney sweep in Bad Gronenbach has employed a brilliant worker in addition to his long-established worker, because there is enough work in the rural areas. Stefan Knüpf takes care of around 2,800 properties between Wolfertschwenden and Illerbeuren in Unterallgäu, and he is also Legally required burner width takes over.

The chimney sweep job has brought luck to Janet Auer, who likes to stick with it. Because behind it is a difficult road. “I often had to live on my own,” she later says. “I got stronger in the process.” But she actually wants to look ahead. It seems she has found her own happiness. Also New work gives her joy, Especially since everyday life should not be reduced to sooty hands. “In the country, sweeping and measurements are balanced, then there Energy consulting is an interesting future topic, “ Janet Oyer describes her prediction as a chimney broom. Even when it comes to training as a master craftsman, she is mainly open-minded, although the apprenticeship has already cost her a lot of energy when eight kids also want to be taken care of.

Her eldest daughter will be finishing school next summer. It’s totally possible to follow in her mom’s footsteps professionally. She already has an internship A knack for cleaning the chimney Proofer.