pieces from the past

Pieces From The Past - Russian Sunflower from Melva Loves Scraps

Today's letter is from Alfred (last name unknown).

His handwriting is not of the best penmanship, and for that reason I have the transcribed the letter below. Even though the writing on the envelope is much better... you'll notice that even the envelope makes the last name unreadable...

Munich

December 11, 1946

Dear Mr. Schleich,

I hope that you will remember of me because I left already the United States several months ago. I am the former prisoner officer who has been working in your farm and at that time I gave you by leave the picture of ...

added by Melva 5 years, 10 months ago. under pieces from the past , pow series

Pieces From The Past - Dragon Fly Part II from Melva Loves Scraps

The letter from Herbert Wenzel had a tiny PS at the end of the letter that I wanted to touch on...

A small experience of a friend of mine who is a watchmaker and is still in the old homeland: a Russian came to him with an alarm clock and asked him to use the alarm clock to him make a wristwatch.

I don't know about you, but when I think of vintage alarm clocks I envision something like this... Large and bulky.

I know they made smaller travel clocks as well, something like this one...

In the Kurt ...

added by Melva 5 years, 10 months ago. under pieces from the past , pow series

Pieces From The Past - The Dragon Fly from Melva Loves Scraps

Herbert Wenzel's letter, dated November 18, 1946...

Hohenlimburg, Nov 18, 1946

Very Honored Mr. Schleich:

You will not know what to make of this writer. In June of last year, I was sent to work from Camp Trinidad, first with Mister Eckert and then, in the same group, with you in the sugar beet fields. We all hoped to also come help you with the harvest, but unfortunately we were employed elsewhere. We were then quickly discharged and started our homeward journey in San Francisco. The trip will remain unforgettable for me. But once in Europe, I had a ...

added by Melva 5 years, 11 months ago. under pieces from the past , pow series

Pieces From The Past - Friendship Quilt from Melva Loves Scraps

Bremen, Germany
American Enclave
November 10, 1946

Dear Family Schleich!

You will be certainly astonished to receive a letter from a former German prisoner of war, who returned home three months ago.

Because you were the best farmer I ever worked for, I want to tell you that I like to remember those some days when I did farmwork at your farm. It was really a good job, the five days beet-topping at your farm (after three days by water-Hart) and I’ll never forget Trinidad, Colorado and the friendly family of Phil Schleich.

Before I continue my letter, I ...

added by Melva 5 years, 11 months ago. under pieces from the past , pow series

Broken World and Modern Broken Dish from Melva Loves Scraps

In the most recent published letter from Helmut Müller he implies that something big had happened either on August 21, 1946 or in recent days. Perhaps he was simply referring the atrocious conditions of Germany in general... buildings bombed and destroyed, living conditions were poor, not to mention the lack of food and work/income.

The men that have written all seem grateful for the jobs that they had. Ernst Ruehr found work in a nursery, while his brother worked for a farmer in Bavaria and Alert Baldauf obtained a position with the American Military Government.

As I researched for ...

added by Melva 5 years, 12 months ago. under no guilt::go quilt , pieces from the past , pow series

Pieces From The Past - Modern Broken Dish from Melva Loves Scraps

Another letter written in English, but I have typed it out for your reading pleasure so that you don't have to decipher the hand writing.

Jmpekoven b./ Bonn/RH
Waldstr 20, Germany
August 21, 1946

My dear Mister Schleich,

After being back in Germany I often remember the nice time at your farm. I should like to say once more many thanks to you for this beautiful time. But I must say that Colorado is a very beautiful country and I like to think of the sugar beet time at you and Mr. Eckert’s. How are you and ...

added by Melva 6 years ago. under pieces from the past , 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 6 years, 1 month 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 6 years, 1 month 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 6 years, 1 month 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 6 years, 2 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 6 years, 2 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 6 years, 3 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 6 years, 4 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 6 years, 4 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 6 years, 5 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 6 years, 5 months ago. under pieces from the past , pow series

The Year in Review and Plans for 2020 from Melva Loves Scraps

Hey there!

As we prepare to usher in the new decade and year 2020 resolutions are being thought of and plans considered for implementation... but how did I do with my goals for the current year?

My list was quite brief... just three items.

✔#1 - Assemble and complete the Sunbonnet Sue blocks that I got from Dave's aunt.

The quilt has assumed its new home with Dave's aunt. She has placed it on her guest bed which happens to have an antique headboard, close to the same age as these Sue's.

✔#2 - Continue participating in weekly linky ...

added by Melva 6 years, 5 months ago. under camping journal , pieces from the past , planning party , year end review

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