☛ ... the most recent messages are on top !
From: Leslie Soltay
Sent: Friday, March 24, 2023 7:36 PM
To: leopold pander
Subject: Fwd: Molly
Dear Leopold and Weihsien friends,
It is with great sadness that I have to report to you and all members the passing of my beloved wife Molly (nee Valentine Amelia Foyn] on March 7, 2023. 
Molly passed away in her sleep peacefully, just as she always hoped to do. There will be a Celebration of her Life on April 22, 2023.
Molly had a wonderful life full of adventures, worthy of a television series. One of the recent highlights of her life was the last reunion in Weisein and we were speculating about the possible next reunion.
Best wishes
Leslie Soltay
From: 乐道院·潍县集中营博物馆
Sent: Friday, March 10, 2023 7:49 AM
To: Leopold PANDER
Subject: Re:FW: FW: Marvellous!! re your trunk!!
Dear Leopold
Thank you for your letters. The photos of all of you are very nice and we have kept them properly.We have got in touch with Mr. Li Xiang. He will hand over the trunk to the museum after he returns. Thank you for bringing and sharing the precious and memorable trunk to our museum through Mr. Li. We attach great importance to this handover. Thank you again for your strong support and help in improving the museum's exhibition and historical research content!
We will share the details with you of the handover later, and look forward to seeing this full of history and memories trunk as soon as possible.
Best regards,
Liang Jingyao
The Courtyard of the Happy Way and Weihsien Concentration Camp MuseumFrom: Sancton
Sent: Wednesday, March 8, 2023 4:18 PM
To: pander.nl@skynet.be
Subject: Re: FW: Marvellous!! re your trunk!!
Such a lovely story about your trunk, Leopold: I don't remember our camp trunks but of course their usefulness was mentioned in my mother's diaries.
http://www.weihsien-paintings.org/ChSancton/diary/Diary/calendar.htm
A few years ago, when we were visiting Gay, Graham was in a tidy up mode and the old, battered trunk that had accompanied Gay from China to the UK then to Canada, was going to be part of the tidy up. I hadn't realised how attached Gay was to that trunk which had been hiding in a garden shed for years and what memories it held for her. It still remains in their home.
I am so glad that your trunk has found such a good home, as you must be.
How are you all these days? We are looking forward to Spring, always so late in coming to us here in New Brunswick. Our winter has been really quite mild. I miss the English spring with the early daffodils and snowdrops. Still our Autumn (Fall) is usually spectacular.
Anyway I am not to complain because we are very lucky and have a comfortable life. Hope the same for you.
All the best to you and Nicky and Jeanette.
Christine
From: Angela
Sent: Tuesday, March 7, 2023 9:31 PM
To: Leopold Pander
Subject: Fw: MOLLY
----- Forwarded Message -----From: Molly & Leslie Soltay
To: Molly & Leslie Soltay
Sent: Tuesday, March 7, 2023 at 11:58:36 a.m. PST
Subject: MOLLY
Dear friends
Sad news.
My beloved wife of 44 years, Molly passed on peacefully in her sleep this morning on Tuesday, March 7, 2023.
Her remains will be cremated in accordance with her wishes and the celebration of her incredible life will be scheduled at a later date.
Her daughters Tabatha and Leonie and the family are devastated by this shocking turn of events.
Leslie
ps: no flowers, please.
From: Angela
Sent: Tuesday, March 7, 2023 8:28 PM
To: Leopold Pander
Subject: Marvellous!! re your trunk!!
Dear Leopold,
Imagine after all these years your old trunk is returning to
China mainly Weihsien & time in a place of honour "the museum".
Yes I recall such trunks — have several larger varieties here
were all crated to endure the journey by ship to Vancouver.
If only your trunk cud talk?? it wud provide so many memories.
Such a splendid time to talk about Weihsien with Li Xiang &
his father who doesnt look that old — he must have a been a
child or not even born during camp years?? Now your trunck has
found a new home. Sure you'll miss it?? maybe not! It served
its purpose for many years. Still so very interesting after all
these years..
cheers angela
PS really nice group photo of all of you!
From: Terri Stewart
Sent: Tuesday, March 7, 2023 12:42 AM
To: weihsien@proximus.be
Subject: Re: Li Xiang
Thank you for sharing this!!
Terri Stewart
From: Leopold PANDER
Sent: Monday, March 6, 2023 2:31 PM
To: weihsien@proximus.be
Subject: Li Xiang
Dear Weihsieners,
Remember that after the 2015 celebrations in Weifang, Nicky and I were contacted by Li Xiang in Belgium.
http://weihsien-paintings.org/TheGroup/messages/2017-12/2017-12.htm#xiang
He was sent to us by Mr. Sui Shude for I don't remember which supplementary artefact for the Weihsien museum. We didn't leave him empty-handed, but he flashed on our old cabin trunk used as a low table in the middle of our living room (… also used as beds in Weihsien). I told him that he could have it for the Weihsien museum providing that he cared for the transport from our living room to the museum in China. As his car was too small for the volume, he said that he would come back for it with a bigger vehicle.
In the meantime, he was much occupied in France by the concretisation of the Chinese monument in Arras (France)
http://weihsien-paintings.org/TheGroup/messages/2017-12/2017-12.htm#xian2
(…) and then the Covid years came. The frontier between Belgium and France was partially blocked and nothing happened since then until Saturday last.
He came to visit us in our little house in Corroy-le-Grand accompanied by his little daughter ― Cecilia (her French name) and his parents on a special visit to France from Weifang.
So, after a very enjoyable afternoon, around the dining room table of the veranda, exchanging memories about Weifang and Weihsien, looking at the Weihsien-website with our I-Phones and photo albums, Xiang ― translating all that his father had to tell me in Chinese, they left us just before sunset with the precious trunk that had accompanied the Pander-family all the way from China on board the m/v Félix Roussel from Hong Kong to Marseilles in 1952.
The photos:
The trunk ― a photo I found on the Internet.
1) - Cecilia next to her father Xiang ― Leopold ― Nicky and Mr. Li on the right.
2) - Cecilia next to her grandfather Mr. Li ― Leopold ― Nicky ― and Mrs. Li.
Mr. Li also told me (translated by his son Xiang) that the Weifang Museum had been upgraded in China and that from now on, they would be celebrating the date of our liberation by the Americans ― August 17, as well as the date of the Armistice in Europe or “Poppy Day” ― November 11.
There is a new URL on our website.
http://weihsien-paintings.org/books(other)/Tyler/Tyler01.htm
and have a look at the You Tube video on this URL:
http://www.weihsien-paintings.org/books(other)/Tyler/ch14-02.htm
it is all about “History”
Best regards,
Leopold
From: 乐道院·潍县集中营博物馆
Sent: Thursday, March 2, 2023 1:57 AM
To: Douglas Westfall
Subject: Re:History Question
Dear Douglas
Hello. Nice to meet you. The Courtyard of the Happy Way and Weihsien Concentration Camp Museum is really prefer to make friends with all the people who involved in the history of the Weihsien concentration camp and those who are interested in that period of history. I am Liang Jingyao, a staff member of the Courtyard of the Happy Way and Weihsien Concentration Camp Museum. The Courtyard of the Happy Way and Weihsien Concentration Camp Museum is located in Weifang City, Shandong Province, China. Its a non-profit commonweal museum.
The museum building itself is a historical relic as well.The museum now is collecting the survivors relevant personal files and the stories about their time in the camp and also the stuff about the camp and oral histories. All the survivors are very important to us, and make a great contribution on the development of the Weihsien Concentration Camp Museum. All the precious memories and stories of the survivors are valuable to the museum.
As for the contact information of James Hannon's children, I'm sorry, there's no record of that in the museum. Considering that James Hannon was a member of the Duck Team who liberated Weihsien concentration camp , I think another member, Eddie Wang, may have the contact information of his children. Here is his email address,1626320433@qq.com, you can inquire by email.
If you have any questions or need any other help, please feel free to contact me and be happy to help.
Best regards,
Liang Jingyao
The Courtyard of the Happy Way and Weihsien Concentration Camp Museum
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