She Never Was Afraid
The Biography of Annie Buller, by Louise Watson

CHAPTER FOUR
Personal sketches

It is not to be supposed that Annie excluded all else but work from her life. She was very fond of music, the theatre, and good literature. Although her work demanded most of her time and effort, she always managed to set aside an hour or two each day or evening for reading. It was difficult for her to accumulate much in the way of books in her earlier life, since she was so much on the move, but later on her bookshelves were filled with volumes of the classics, books by some of the renowned Jewish writers, as well as theoretical and political works.

She found a great deal of pleasure in occasionally attending a concert, or seeing a fine play. Her friend Bella Gauld was a very accomplished pianist, and during their association in Montreal Annie sometimes spent a delightful hour or two listening to her. Numbered among Annie's friends were many fine performers. The great Paul Robeson was one.

She had a certain amount of interest in hockey; the son of one of her brothers was quite a well known hockey player. Hymie Buller played in the National Hockey League for five seasons — three for New York Rangers, and two for Detroit. His name is included on the roster of the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Romantic involvement didn't seem to interest Annie very much. She was too busy, although she had several ardent admirers who would have liked to marry her. She did think of marriage sometimes, but had resolved that if and when she married it would have to be someone whose convictions matched her own and who would not try to restrict her activities. Indicative of how strongly she felt about this question is the story one dear friend, Bertha Guberman, tells of how she met Annie in 1925 when she came to Winnipeg to speak at the YCL. She impressed upon these young people that they must study Marxism-Leninism, and participate in the class struggle. One young girl asked "How will we have time to get married?" Annie replied "You should get married, but make sure your husband belongs too. Make sure, and don't become a `hausfrau'."

When she met Harry Guralnick she knew that here was one whom she could share her life with. Tall, handsome, dignified Harry, a confirmed revolutionary since his student days in Europe, a brilliant scholar and deeply involved in organizing, writing, translating literature, in short, whatever and wherever he was needed. In later years he was cultural director of the United Jewish People's Order, Secretary of the central Jewish Party Bureau, sang in the choir, as well as working on the Vochenblatt as writer and translator.

They met in Montreal, and were attracted to each other from the beginning. Each respected the convictions and activities of the other. It is typical of their mutual dedication to the cause of socialism that they chose the anniversary date of the Russian Revolution as their wedding day.

Their marriage was fraught with many difficulties — no permanency as to where they could live, long periods of separation on national tours, prison terms, etc., but through it all their love and respect for each other remained strong and true. They shared a great joy when they could be together, and valued to the fullest extent these periods, which were often far too brief. Their crowning happiness was the birth of their son, Jimmy, born in Toronto Western Hospital during the period when Annie was organizing the Dressmakers.

Annie was a strong, robust woman. She worked all through her pregnancy and bore her child in the same resolute manner she did everything else. After a short stay in hospital she was back on the job, after having arranged with a good comrade to look after the baby in the daytime. Although her days were chock full of tasks, she didn't lack concern for her child, but telephoned almost every hour to see how he was doing.

In 1961 Annie and Harry went to Czechoslovakia where Harry represented the Canadian Party on the Editorial Council of the World Marxist Review. While they were there Yuri Gargarin, the young Soviet cosmonaut, visited Prague, and it was a thrill for them to meet this young man born and raised under the banner of socialism, strong, healthy, well balanced, holding high the honour of his country and its peoples, demonstrating their achievements in space research.

Annie was particular at all times about her personal appearance. Even in the most difficult circumstances she always managed to look trim and tidy, with the feminine touch of a pair of simple earrings, perhaps, or a brooch pinned on her dress. She used very little make-up, and didn't need it anyway, with a complexion that was something to be envied. Even at 70 she was a very distinguished looking woman.

It was when Annie was managing The Tribune that Jimmy came back home to Toronto. He was now a young man of considerable talents, and had been working as a reporter on the Pacific Tribune in Vancouver. He had also worked awhile with a logging crew in the forests of BC, so was familiar with the problems of these workers and the difficulties of consolidating their union. He lost no time in getting started on a job in the printing trades.

Now the family was together again, and Annie and Harry were very happy to have their beloved son with them once more. Later on when Jim and Grace were married, and when their little daughter, Carol, was born, Annie was overjoyed — she had a granddaughter.

With parents like Annie and Harry, it would seem very likely that Jimmy would have "organization" in his blood, and this has been brought out in his work. At one stage he thought he would like to be a teacher, and became one, but after a time he went back to his first love — printing.

His work in his union and as a delegate to the Toronto Labour Council had been exemplary and has won him the distinction of being President of Toronto Typographical Union — No. 91.

continued

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