Subject: Obituary of Jacqueline de Saint Hubert

Hello Leopold, fellow Weihsien survivors, family and friends,

We are all celebrating this commemorative 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Weihsien Camp by the US Duck Mission.

I wanted to share with you the link for the obituary for my mother, Jacqueline de SaintHubert:
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/washingtonpost/name/solange-maclean-obituary?id=59207108

It includes references to her time in Weihsien and how her internment influenced the rest of her life spanning almost 103 years. We are pleased to have her obituary run today on August 17th, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Weihsien Camp's liberation.

Thank you Leopold and the rest of the Weihsien community for sharing so much information about the history of the Camp over the years. For my mother it brought back many meaningful memories, and for the rest of our family it was an amazing window into an important period of her life.

We also wanted to thank Sui Shude for helping me, my husband and children visit Weihsien in 2007. We had just completed a tour by the Sacramento Ballet, as its Artistic Directors performing in Beijing and Shanghai. It was so special for us to visit the former camp and as a family and put Jacqueline's oral recollections into real life. As a side note, my husband and I also visited China in 1980, as artists representing the Boston Ballet (the first American dance company to visit China since 1949) and at that time the very mention of the Weihsien Camp was shunned.

It is wonderful that today Weifang (Weihsien) is recognized as an International City of Peace, promoting peace and healing from the horrors of war.

While going through some of Jacqueline's things we came across some programs for ballet performances from Tientsin under the direction of Mme Voitenco. The programs mention the Lampert family, the Marshall family, and the de Jongh family who were all also Weihsien internees. One of the programs includes some advertisements which are an interesting glimpse into late-1930s and early-1940s life in China.

Many thanks, Leopold, for your work to preserve this important piece of history.
Warmest regards,
-Carinne Cunningham and family

Dance Performance Programs

Jacqueline and Christian de Saint-Hubert with their parents

Sent: Sunday, August 17, 2025 9:30 PM
To: Leopold PANDER ; Jeannette Ley

Subject: a surprise connection

Dear Leopold,

Life is full of happy surprises.

We were dining at our local Chinese restaurant. It wasn't busy, so we chatted to the owner and asked him if he knew Shantung Province. He did.
Did he know Weihsien (Weifang)? He said that he was born 40 kms south of Weihsien. He knew too that there had been a Japanese prisoner of war camp for civilians near by.
We were excited, he was excited and he was very excited to tell his father of our meeting.
All the more fitting for this our special weekend.
The world is certainly a small place.

Peace to all.
Love Christine Talbot Sancton

From: Roy Campbell
Sent: Saturday, August 16, 2025 2:16 PM
To: weihsien@proximus.be

Subject: Liberation Day

I was 15 on liberation day and at 95 can still say it was the most exciting day of my life.
Along with 3 of my children I and other classmates attended the reunion 20 years ago.

When the liberators arrived at our gate I was there with Angela Cox whom I loved to be her baby sitter.

I have taken my husband and other children on other visits to Weihsien.

Adjusting to a Toronto high school when you wanted to be like everyone else was difficult and I missed all my classmates and boyfriend whom I kept up with for several years after internment.

One of our liberators Jimmy Moore had gone to school in China and had been taught by my parents.

My mother spent a lot of time with us in her later years so she talked about Weihsien and our experiences in China so they are all well informed of our life in China

I am happy that the history of our lives in Weihsien has been so well preserved for future generations

Have a good Remembrance Day
Maida Harris Campbell

can still say at 95 it was the most exciting day of my life.

Sent from my iPad=

From: Brian Kerry
Sent: Saturday, August 16, 2025 10:59 AM
To: Leopold PANDER
Cc: Leopold PANDER

Subject: Re: VJ day

Dear all,

Thank you, Christine, for your lovely words spoken for us all.

I too owe a huge debt to my schoolteachers who worked so incredibly hard to make things appear as “normal” as possible. I never remember being anxious, or particularly sad, even though separated from my parents. My great regret is that I never thanked them enough after the war. We just went our separate ways.

My warmest best wishes to all remaining survivors of Weihsien camp.
Our big celebration will be tomorrow, the 17th August. 80 years on!
Brian Kerry

From: Leopold PANDER
Sent: Saturday, August 16, 2025 10:31 AM
To: 'Leopold PANDER'

Subject: Gene Huebener

Dear Lois,

Thanks for your message.
Indeed, I am the « webmaster” for the Weihsien-pantings’ website and still on the job for more or less 25 years already.
Many of those who have shared their precious memories, documents, paintings, (…), are no longer of this world but this website survives and will keep on living.
Of course ― as you may guess ― I am always keen on receiving new “data” concerning our time in Weihsien as prisoners of the “Japs”.
Your help or any other person’s help is always welcome.

As you may know, my sister Janette ― who is three years older than me ― was in the kindergarten in Weihsien and Evelyn Huebener was her teacher in those days. She wrote to her a few years ago and even got a letter in return. Evelyn Huebener remembered very well of a lively French-speaking Belgian girl by the name of Janette. Cheeky and intelligent.
Miss Davey cared for the Chefoo kids as well as for the others.
When we entered camp in March 1943, I was still a baby and as you can imagine ― I don’t remember anything of those days and this present website helps me to “know” thanks to the help of the older generation.
I am not a “geek”, but I like to create and doing so, I learned the html language. Being a retired person, I have a lot of time to spare.
Now the website will exist for the new generations ― that is “you” ― and also now, even the Chinese people of Weifang remember.
So true ― that they saved and restored what is left of the buildings of our old camp and use them as a museum (…) to remember and for education too.

If ever you go to China, don’t miss the visit of the museum in Nanjing all about the “Rape of Nankin”. I was very impressed by all the horrors I saw there in 2015 ― 10 years ago.

Do keep us informed 😊
Best regards,
Leopold.

-----Original Message-----
From: reed.lois@gmail.com
Sent: Saturday, August 16, 2025 12:47 AM
To: weihsien@proximus.be

Subject: Gene Huebener

I read on the site that Leopold Pander was looking for me. It was a very old message and the email is not valid anymore, but I read he may be the administrator for this site.
My name is Lois Huebener Reed. My parents were both in Weihsien camp. They were married after they were released. My father was Eugene “Gene” Huebener.

My mother was Evelyn Davey.

Sent from my iPhone=

From: Christine Sancton
Sent: Friday, August 15, 2025 4:04 PM
To: Leopold PANDER

Subject: VJ day.

Dear Friends:

We are so grateful to all who fought for, and the many who died fighting for, our freedom.

And to all those who looked after us while we lived in Camp
particularly: our parents and the many others who made our lives more normal in spite of being imprisoned.

Many of us have lived long, healthy and productive lives thanks to them.
and to dear Leopold, who has managed this wonderful website, helping us maintain a connection with our very special past and linking us again to friends from that past life.

All blessings,
Christine Talbot Sancton.

From: Carinne Cunningham
Sent: Sunday, August 10, 2025 7:07 PM
To: Carinne Cunningham

Subject: Solange MacLean - Celebration of Life - Sept 22, 2025

Dear Family and Friends,

We wanted to let you know that the Washington Post will publish the death notice for Solange on Sunday, Aug 17th with a black and white photo, Sunday, Sept 7th with a color photo and Sunday, Sept 14th with a black and white photo. The Aug 17th date falls on the 80th anniversary of Solange and her family's liberation from the camp in Weihsien, China.

We do not intend to have a guest book at her celebration of life, but if any friends would like to write a note about the influence Solange had on their life, her family will keep these letters in a scrapbook for future generations to know of her legacy.

Many thanks and with love,
Carinne Cunningham and family

From: Angela
Sent: Friday, August 8, 2025 7:36 AM
To: Leopold Pander ; Janet Ley Pander ; Janette Ley

Subject: Re: first photos** Par excellence

Loved the photos of all of you Victoria park!
Saw those 2015 reunion too.
Really nice photo of you Leopold & Nicky.

[ ... ]

Well glad there are relatives attending the reunion.
Regret am not there.

cheers
angela

From: Angela
Sent: Friday, August 8, 2025 6:36 AM
To: Janet Ley Pander ; Janette Ley ; Leopold Pander ; Leopold Pander

Subject: Re: Greetings from Weifang** excellent!

People have arrived - pity to miss this Reunion but 2015 was the best with you Leopold - Janette/Pierre there plus Molly & family & others & a movie star! Joseph Fiennes.

Last week I found on U Tube - article of me!
another with Molly & me.
of course 1st part if about camp then us.

2015 Molly & I were asked for an interview!
I had to dash to room for something to cover tank top.
We weren't told where or when it would be posted & thought they trashed it as didn't think what we said were up to par.
I found several U Tube articles of Weihsien & then saw the ones with me & Molly & one by myself.
The sound on Dell laptops not loud & not unable to hear what I said.
They must have deleted when I said - Wars wouldn't have happened if women ruled the world!
If you/re interested I'll send you the U tube articles.
The one showing picture of me - shows Ted Pearson & me 2005 reunion & next photo half of me next to lady covering her face- is that Estelle?
don't recall her last name Horne?
There are couple others - picture of an older lady - other speak in the film.
Perhaps you've seen them already?

cheers
angela

click on the ▶ symbol (in white) at the bottom left of the video :-)

→ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6aIgOXcB40


→ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBUkF-a5p7g

From: Terri Stewart
Sent: Friday, August 8, 2025 4:11 AM
To: Leopold PANDER

Subject: Re: Greetings from Weifang

Thanks for sharing!!!
Terri Stewart

From: Leopold PANDER
Sent: Friday, August 8, 2025 10:16 AM
To: 'Leopold PANDER'

Subject: FW: Mark Butcher

Dear Brian,

... sad news indeed.
Please accept our condolences.
I still remember when we met with Mark in Shanghai (in 2006) and had chow in a "chic" restaurant there.
Also, when we were all three — with our Weihsien Group — at the last dinner in Weifang in 2015.
Mr. Sui Shude was our host.
It was a joyful moment.
Excellent food and many "campeys" with both of you and Mr. Sui. We could have been three brothers! A really good moment I'll never forget.
Yep!! We are all — well over eighty now ...

Très amicalement,
Leopold

-----Original Message-----
From: Brian Butcher
Sent: Thursday, August 7, 2025 9:31 PM
To: Leopold PANDER

Subject: Mark Butcher

Hello Leopold,

I have attached one of my favourite pictures of my brother Mark taken at the reunion in Weihsien in 2015. I know you met him a few times and Mark’s claim to fame was that he was “hatched” in Weihsien. Sadly Mark passed away on July 21 after a two-year fight with cancer.

Someone once said that he didn’t realize when he was a youth that you got old so quickly.

Brian Butcher

De : pierre.ley@pandora.be
Envoyé : jeudi 7 août 2025 16:35
À : 'Angela'

Objet : X'mas 1943 in Weihsien

Hi Angela,

I’m sure I already wrote about our first Christmas, when Daddy went out of bounds to filch a very small fir tree and we decorated it with cotton and silver paper from the cigarette boxes … that was in 1943, I had just turned 5 yaers old.

Another Weihsien memory was when parents organised a Christmas scene with the children representing Mary (me) Joseph (Frans De Jongh) and the Manger with baby Jesus (a big celluloid doll my mother had in her trunk from Tientsin !) and as many Angels as they could find from all over camp : all those with curly hair ! I had made a fuss over that wanting to be an angel too ! All very festiv with much singing.

Well i recently learnt that all this also happened in 1943, thanks to An-Wei Jensen in her book « Med Mor »… on Leopold’s site click Books…Weihsien … scroll down to « Med Mor » (among the last ones) click on « read the book » then chapter Weihsien and scroll down to a wonderful photpgraph !

What is extraordinary is : who even took it ? How is it in Ms. Jensen’s possession ? a forbidden photo ? a smuggled camera ? Was this « Sunday School » both protestant and catholic ? I also remember where the gathering took place : Kitchen n° 3 right next to the main gates, and next to the Japanese guard house !

So maybe a Japanese took this amazing photo !

Leopold will tell how difficult it was to obtain the book and get it sent from Norway, I had already seen it on the web some 20 years ago, it sseems the family is unattainable… well too bad.

Hope all is well , till next
Janette

From: Paul Kilbride Sent: Thursday, August 7, 2025 7:32 AM To: Leopold Pander

Subject: Greetings from Weifang

Hi Leopold,

Greetings from Weifang!

Thank you again for putting us in touch with the museum. Here is my wife, Emma, handing over the camp commandant’s swagger stick. And sharing information about Jock and Emma Allan and their three children, one of whom was Emma’s dad.

We’ll get you a piece for the website when we get back to the UK.

All good wishes, and thanks again for all you do.
Paul

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