pow series

Pieces From The Past - Basket of Diamonds from Melva Loves Scraps

Typewritten, but in German...

Albert Baldauf Wiesbaden, Aug. 14, 1946
Wiesbaden-Biebrich (16)
Bunsen Street 9

Dear Mr. Schleich and family:

Today I am keeping my promise and writing to you. At our parting, I promised to write and tell you how our trip was and how things now fare for me at home. You’re sure to still remember the POW, who helped you last year with the turnip harvest.

For me, much has changed since then.

As you know, Camp Trinidad was closed this past January. We traveled by train to San Francisco and there boarded a ship. We ...

added by Melva 4 years, 5 months ago. under pieces from the past , pow series

Our Country - Germany from Melva Loves Scraps

As I continue my research for the Pieces From the Past Sew Along, I have been reading a book authored by Kurt Landsberger, who was a translator for Camp Trinidad from June 1943 until its close in January 1946.

A portion of his book, Prisoners Of War at Camp Trinidad, Colorado 1943-1946, includes translated journal entries by one of the POWs. There were many things that captured my attention (and I will be sharing tidbits with future posts) but this particular entry Karlhorst Heil was especially reflective in June of 1943...

"We hope for an honorable end of the war ...

added by Melva 4 years, 6 months ago. under pieces from the past , pow series

Pieces From The Past - Our Country from Melva Loves Scraps

This letter is written in English... However, I have typed it out (below the copies of the letter) for your reading pleasure.

Karl – Heinz Born

(22) Solingen-Ohligs

Niederstrasse 7

Germany

British-zone July 15, 1946

My dear family Schleich!

Now, I am a few months in my country and will send to you the best greetings. Our crossing over the Atlantic Ocean was good. Most of the men was seasick but we all was glad to see our country so soon. All my relations were well too. Often, I must think of you and on your farm who we have harvested ...

added by Melva 4 years, 6 months ago. under pieces from the past , pow series

Piece By Piece - Flower Garden Block from Melva Loves Scraps

Last week I released Block #4 of the Pieces From The Past Sew Along - the Flower Garden block. It is an English Paper Pieced pattern, but mentioned that it could be pieced on the machine as well... so I decided I would give it a try!

If you hesitated with making this block because of the labor intensive hand stitching, I encourage you to consider trying this machine piecing method. It is still time consuming, but also much faster... I had it done in about 2 hours.

I started with tracing the templates onto the paper side of freezer paper ...

added by Melva 4 years, 7 months ago. under pieces from the past , pow series

Pieces From The Past - The Flower Garden Block from Melva Loves Scraps

This post brings us the first letter that required translation... Dated July 14, 1946 Mr. Ernst Ruehr opens with recalling the work in the sugar beet fields.

He had a lot to say! He covered both sides of the paper and he wrote in the margins as well as making a PS statement upside down on the top of the second page!

Here's what he shared... My volunteer translator, Amy, had some difficulty reading his hand writing (go figure!), but did a great job in translating. I offer my deepest appreciation to her.

Wiesbaden, July 14, 1946

Dear Mr ...

added by Melva 4 years, 7 months ago. under pieces from the past , pow series

Pieces From The Past - The Mayflower from Melva Loves Scraps

The letter from Gerd Hechler was short and sweet as he recalled the time working on the farm and shared a few details of his journey home that just over two months. The conditions that Gerd returned to don't seem too terribly bad... with the exception of food and clothing.

If you take a look at the envelope you will notice several things...

1 - The mail was censored for content. The censorship tape on the back of the envelope has a crown on it, which would indicate that it had been opened by the British. Perhaps Gerd resided in ...

added by Melva 4 years, 8 months ago. under pieces from the past , pow series

Pieces From The Past - The Lost Goslin' from Melva Loves Scraps

World War Two officially came to an end on September 2, 1945, following the signing of the surrender documents by the Japanese emperor. The Japanese surrender became official in early August 1945. Following the death of Adolf Hitler, German forces surrendered on April 29, 1945. Camp Trinidad closed in January 1946 and the German officers traveled to San Francisco to make their trip home.

Hans Worthmuller was the first of the men that worked for my Grandpa, Phillip, to write. His letter, dated May 6, 1946 took two months to arrive... Postmarked July 2, 1946 in Trinidad. You'll notice ...

added by Melva 4 years, 9 months ago. under pieces from the past , pow series

Pieces From the Past - Signature Block from Melva Loves Scraps

The Signature block is one of the first Kansas City Start blocks that I ever made. I had recently started quilting and pulled out the collection of patterns and fabric that had been Grandma Schleich's. Among them I found 15 pieced blocks with embroidered signatures on them (shown below). But there wasn't a block that featured my Grandma's name.

There were several pre-cut pieces that were saved with the pattern (shown in the upper left corner of the picture to the left...

I considered my options and decided that I would make a block using her fabric ...

added by Melva 4 years, 9 months ago. under pieces from the past , pow series

Pieces From The Past - A Sew Along from Melva Loves Scraps

Welcome to Melva Loves Scraps and the Pieces from the Past sew along!

I am beyond excited that you have chosen to join me in this journey to the past as I share the Kansas City Star quilt patterns that were collected and saved by my Grandma Schleich, as well as the letters that former German Officers that had been held at the Prisoner of War camp located near Trinidad, CO.

It is with a deep appreciation to C&T Publishing for granting permission for me to scan and share these patterns at no cost to you. Details of the ...

added by Melva 4 years, 9 months ago. under pieces from the past , pow series

The Piece From The Past That Started It All from Melva Loves Scraps

When I look at names on signature quilts time stops in its tracks and I love to think of the lives - the men, the women, the children and all they were to each other and how the way they treated each other has reached out into our time with these same ripples, or fingerprints.

Make sure the fingerprints you leave are happy, loving ones. ~ Bonnie Hunter

*******************

When my Aunt Clara passed away in 1996 I was given a collection of "stuff" that she had saved from her Mom, Katherine "Katie" Schleich. I received crochet patterns, fabric, quilt patterns and embroidery ...

added by Melva 4 years, 10 months ago. under pieces from the past , pow series

Exciting News! from Melva Loves Scraps

BIG NEWS!!!

I received a very exciting email message yesterday from C&T Publishing granting permission to scan and share the collection of Kansas City Star quilt patterns that my Grandma Schleich had. **happy dance**

So, what does this really mean???

This means that I will be moving forward with my plan for a blog series that will feature the patterns and the letters from former German Officers held at the POW camp located in Trinidad, CO.

You can learn a little more about the letters my Grandparents received over on my Grandmother's Flower Garden post.

I am still ...

added by Melva 5 years, 1 month ago. under pow series

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