☛ ... the most recent messages are on top !
From: 乐道院·潍县集中营博物馆
Sent: Tuesday, February 28, 2023 6:42 AM
To: Leopold PANDER
Subject: Re:FW: Neil Yorkston: Message from the Family
Dear Leopold, Yorkston Family
Really sorry to hear about Neil's passed away. Please accept the museum’s deepest sympathies to you and your family. We learned a lot of information about him while sorting out the personal profiles and historical information of the concentration camp survivors.We were really grieved. With the departure of each surviving internee of the Weihsien Concentration Camp, we lost a history witness and a close friend. We will attend Neil's funeral online and say goodbye to him.
Please take good care of your health. Wish we can meet at the Courtyard of the Happy Way and Weihsien Concentration Camp Museum in the future.
Best regards,
The Courtyard of the Happy Way and Weihsien Concentration Camp Museum
From: Dwight Whipple
Sent: Tuesday, February 28, 2023 2:14 AM
To: Leopold PANDER
Subject: Re: Voyages
Thanks, Leopold!
I’ve seen some of that but not in such detail, so thank you very much.
-Dwight
Sent from my iPhone
From: Douglas Westfall
Sent: Monday, February 27, 2023 3:36 PM
To: Leopold PANDER
Subject: Re: Historic Question
Morning (here). I shall contact the museum for Lisa and let know.
Also will review your material from the website.
Best Always Doug
Sent from my iPhone
From: Leopold PANDER
Sent: Monday, February 27, 2023 11:27 AM
To: 'Douglas Westfall'
Cc: '乐道院·潍县集中营博物馆'
Subject: RE: Historic Question
Dear Douglas,
… your best chance to have a contact with either Chris or Lisa Hannon is by the Weihsien Museum in Weifang. They have a database which could include the information you are looking for. Write to Liang Jingyao at: 乐道院·潍县集中营博物馆 ldybgs@163.com in Weifang.
You ask: if I have ever been published? Well, no !
What I have been doing for the more than twenty years now is between 3 and 4 thousand pages thick. This Weihsien-paintings’ website is thoroughly virtual ― composed of an accumulation of documents of all sorts from all over the world spontaneously given to me to try to explain the why, when, how, etc., etc. of the Weihsien concentration camp and other civilian concentration camps in the Far East during WWII. Furthermore, this website is free access.
All is printable so, in my view, I have no need of being published.
Bien amicalement,
Leopold
From: Douglas Westfall
Sent: Monday, February 27, 2023 1:35 AM
To: Leopold PANDER
Subject: Re: Historic Question
Dear Leopold:
Thank you for writing back. Your website says you are in Belgium. I taught computers there in the 1980s and took my wife back with me some 20 years later to visit.
I only have an old number for Lisa (Hannon) Schreiber which doesn't work and I've never had any on Chris. Lisa lived in Friday Harbor, Washington State when her Dad passed back in 2008. He had just moved there after his wife passed.
I'd spoken with Mary Previte as well.
I am very happy you are doing well. So, what is your story and have you ever published?
Best Always,
Douglas
From: Leopold PANDER
Sent: Monday, February 27, 2023 9:45 AM
To: 'D W'
Subject: RE: Voyages
Dear Dwight,
Thanks for your message and yes; the Teia Maru and Gripsholm voyages are amply mentioned on our Weihsien-paintings' website. I safeguarded all Donald Menzi's writings from his website and copy/pasted them into our website.
From the menu bar, click on: Weihsien\People\the Children of...\Don Menzi ...
http://weihsien-paintings.org/DonMenzi/index.php
... the interesting part are all the letters from Don's scrap books:
http://weihsien-paintings.org/DonMenzi/ScrapBook/p_HTML5-MainFrame.html
hope you manage 😊
Best regards,
Leopold
From: D W
Sent: Sunday, February 26, 2023 9:52 PM
To: weihsien@proximus.be
Subject: Voyages
Not very much in the way of the repatriation voyages from Shanghai on the Teia Maru to Goa and the Gripsholm from Goa to New York. Any solid memories that aren’t already included on the website?
-Dwight W Whipple
From: Leopold PANDER
Sent: Sunday, February 26, 2023 11:11 AM
To: 'Douglas Westfall'
Cc: weihsien@proximus.be
Subject: RE: Historic Question
Dear Douglas,
Thanks for your message.
In the Weihsien-paintings’ website, there is a page about James Jess Hannon ― one of our liberators ― :
http://weihsien-paintings.org/ChrisHannon/index.php
Best, is to contact one of his children ― Chris or Lisa Hannon ― to access any complementary information about his book: “The Secret of Weifang” a novel and only partially based on historical facts. Unfortunately, I not have their coordinates. Best is to contact the Weihsien museum in Weifang ldybgs@163.com ― I trust that they will be able to help you.
The “Yank” as mentioned in his book could be, Amelia Earhart, also mentioned in the Weihsien-paintings’ website. Go To:
http://weihsien-paintings.org/HOAX/AmeliaEarhart/p_AmeliaEarhart.html
and:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tajeVqLfcbo
Have you read Mr. Hannon’s book: Five Marks. That one is a true story !
http://weihsien-paintings.org/books(other)/FiveMarks/p_FiveMarks.html
Hope you manage
Best regards,
Leopold Pander
(Four years old in Weihsien – 1945)
From: Douglas Westfall
Sent: Saturday, February 25, 2023 9:11 PM
To: weihsien@proximus.be
Subject: Historic Question
This is Douglas Westfall, historian. I knew Jim as I live in Orange County and published for the Morango Reservation some 20 years ago (about 95 miles away) so was close by.
He had given me a preview copy of Secret of Weifang and I had asked him if he would let me publish it as a historical piece. It just never happened.
If his notes are around -- is this still possible?
Best Always,
Douglas
-- Douglas Westfall, Congressionally
Recognized -- National Historian
The Paragon Agency, Publishers
P.O Box 1281 -- Orange, CA 92856
(714) 771-0652 -- www.SpecialBooks.com
*** Our 33rd Year ***
From: Valerie Yorkston
Sent: Thursday, February 23, 2023 9:15 PM
To: Valerie Yorkston
Subject: Neil Yorkston: Message from the Family
Dear Friend:
We are writing to let you know that Neil Yorkston died peacefully on Monday 20th February. He had been unwell for several weeks and had received good and compassionate care at Peace Arch Hospital, and latterly at Melville Hospice. His children were all able to help care for him in the last few weeks of his life.
Neil wished for this announcement of his death to be accompanied by a warm invitation to his memorial service. This will be held at 2 pm on Saturday 25th March, 2023 at Shaughnessy Heights United Church in Vancouver. Please visit this website for more information, including a livestream link which will be available by the day of the funeral.
https://www.wiebeandjeskefh.com/obituary/neil-yorkston/
Please help us to share this email and accompanying link with everyone who knew Neil. He was very keen for all of his colleagues, friends and family to meet, to connect or reconnect, and to share good food together.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Overseas Missionary Fellowship (omf.org), Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada (bloodcancers.ca), or Peace Arch Hospice Society (peacearchhospice.org).
Thank you.
Yorkston Family
--
Valerie Yorkston (on behalf of the family)
From: Neil Yorkston
Sent: Saturday, February 11, 2023 4:04 AM
To: Leoplod PANDER
Subject: Neil Yorkston
I am writing to inform you that Neil’s health isn’t good.
He is in Palliative Care in the hospital. I know that Neil would want you to know.
Regards
His caregiver
Trudy
From: Carinne Cunningham
Sent: Monday, February 6, 2023 5:13 AM
To: Leoplod PANDER
Subject: Solange Jacqueline de Saint Hubert Feature in Embassy News
Dear Leopold,
As you know, the Belgian Embassy in the US did a feature story on my mother, Solange Jacqueline de Saint Hubert. Here are the links:
https://www.facebook.com/BelgiumintheUSA/posts/pfbid02QFUm6eDbjWHirsLPGzHh8sjzfejhZPxwrg8T4vRAhJynGR8vHFcnQJszr2qrrDndl
https://www.instagram.com/s/aGlnaGxpZ2h0OjE3ODU2MzI5OTAwODM0OTUx?story_media_id=2989632797942935472&igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl9KjvUOevz/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Thank you,
Carinne
#weihsien
#ballet school
#dance
#ballet
#centenarians
Embassy of Belgium in the United States of America.
9 décembre 2022
Dancing is great for your mind, body and soul. We are even more convinced after listening to the fascinating life story of centenarian ballet dancer. Ms. Solange MacLean. Embassy colleagues Gwenda and Anne-Marie (Mieke) were thrilled to catch up with her at her home in Northern Virginia during a belated birthday celebration. Although she spent most of her life in China and the U.S., Solange always kept her Belgian nationality and remains Belgian at heart.
Solange MacLean (her full birth name is Solange Jacqueline de Saint Hubert), was born in Chenchow, China on February 1, 1922, from Belgian parents. Her father worked for infrastructure financing companies in this vast country. Jacqueline's childhood included learning several languages, as well as studies in singing, piano, painting, and extensive training in ballet.
In 1941, Japan attacked the US in Pearl Harbor which brought the US into the war and resulted in Japan going to war with several European countries. This changed the course of Solange's family lives overnight. Her family as well as many other civilians of Allied countries were confined and shortly thereafter evacuated to internment camps. The Weihsien Camp was the largest Japanese camp for civilians of Allied countries in northern China where over 2,200 people were interned, including 350 children. Solange has many stories to share about the hardships during these years, but also stories of hope.
Once the Americans liberated the Camp in August 1945, Solange and her parents spent several more months in Teinsien (now Tianjin) waiting to be allowed passage out of China and return to Belgium. In addition to being an accomplished dancer, Solange had a beautiful singing voice and was often invited to post war celebrations. During this time, she met William MacLean, a US Marine, who would many years later become her loving husband of 54 years.
Right after the end of WWII, Solange studied music and singing at the Conservatoire Royal in Brussels. Solange married Jeffrey Binda, another US Marine, in the late forties and moved to America to start a new life. Solange taught ballet and French. The couple had two children but their marriage didn't last. Finding herself a divorced single mom, she continued to find strength and resilience in her dancing and started her own dance school, the Ballet Academy of Northern Virginia.
The rest is a magnificent story of self-reliance, dedication, and hard work. Solange has taught thousands of dance students between the first classes at the Kilmer School and her founding and directing her ballet school for over 70 years. To this day at 100 years old, she still teaches a weekly ballet class on Zoom.
We thank Solange and her daughter Carinne (also a ballet dancer) for the warm welcome and for sharing so many unique memories and photos with us.
Captions:
#1-2 Solange with Gwenda and Anne-Marie
#3 In a dance recital in the late 1930's
#4 Her Belgian identification card, Tientsin, China, 1939
#5 Solange de Saint Hubert
#6 A painting of Solange in her ballet studio
#7 Photos of dance students in her ballet studio
#8 Supporting Team Belgium
Diplomatie.Belgium, Conservatoire royal de Bruxelles, The Washington Ballet
#100birthday #birthday #centenarians #ballet #balletdancer #dance #balletschool #weihsien
9 décembre 2022
Dancing is great for your mind, body and soul. We are even more convinced after listening to the fascinating life story of centenarian ballet dancer. Ms. Solange MacLean. Embassy colleagues Gwenda and Anne-Marie (Mieke) were thrilled to catch up with her at her home in Northern Virginia during a belated birthday celebration. Although she spent most of her life in China and the U.S., Solange always kept her Belgian nationality and remains Belgian at heart.
Solange MacLean (her full birth name is Solange Jacqueline de Saint Hubert), was born in Chenchow, China on February 1, 1922, from Belgian parents. Her father worked for infrastructure financing companies in this vast country. Jacqueline's childhood included learning several languages, as well as studies in singing, piano, painting, and extensive training in ballet.
In 1941, Japan attacked the US in Pearl Harbor which brought the US into the war and resulted in Japan going to war with several European countries. This changed the course of Solange's family lives overnight. Her family as well as many other civilians of Allied countries were confined and shortly thereafter evacuated to internment camps. The Weihsien Camp was the largest Japanese camp for civilians of Allied countries in northern China where over 2,200 people were interned, including 350 children. Solange has many stories to share about the hardships during these years, but also stories of hope.
Once the Americans liberated the Camp in August 1945, Solange and her parents spent several more months in Teinsien (now Tianjin) waiting to be allowed passage out of China and return to Belgium. In addition to being an accomplished dancer, Solange had a beautiful singing voice and was often invited to post war celebrations. During this time, she met William MacLean, a US Marine, who would many years later become her loving husband of 54 years.
Right after the end of WWII, Solange studied music and singing at the Conservatoire Royal in Brussels. Solange married Jeffrey Binda, another US Marine, in the late forties and moved to America to start a new life. Solange taught ballet and French. The couple had two children but their marriage didn't last. Finding herself a divorced single mom, she continued to find strength and resilience in her dancing and started her own dance school, the Ballet Academy of Northern Virginia.
The rest is a magnificent story of self-reliance, dedication, and hard work. Solange has taught thousands of dance students between the first classes at the Kilmer School and her founding and directing her ballet school for over 70 years. To this day at 100 years old, she still teaches a weekly ballet class on Zoom.
We thank Solange and her daughter Carinne (also a ballet dancer) for the warm welcome and for sharing so many unique memories and photos with us.
Captions:
#1-2 Solange with Gwenda and Anne-Marie
#3 In a dance recital in the late 1930's
#4 Her Belgian identification card, Tientsin, China, 1939
#5 Solange de Saint Hubert
#6 A painting of Solange in her ballet studio
#7 Photos of dance students in her ballet studio
#8 Supporting Team Belgium
Diplomatie.Belgium, Conservatoire royal de Bruxelles, The Washington Ballet
#100birthday #birthday #centenarians #ballet #balletdancer #dance #balletschool #weihsien
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