Relatives we met at the Treffen who were on "The Trek that Wasn't"

Here are some photos of our Fransen relatives who were on the 1941 "Trek that Wasn’t" (see previous two articles), most of whom were at the Treffen.
There were 4 Fransen sisters (Liese, Justa & Mariechen, & Tina) and Liese’s two little girls, Tina & Regina Enns. Also in the group with his aunt was Jakob Fransen, age 11 at the time.

In the top photo you will see the 4 sisters (daughters of Jakob Fransen, our Grandfather’s brother), and just below that a photo of the oldest sister, Liese and her daughter Regina. Neither Liese or Regina were at the Treffen. Liese at age 97 lives in Bohmte, Germany but was unable to attend. Her daughter Regina died in 2007. Regina was one year old during that 6 day stay outside the Stulnevo train station. Regina’s husband and four daughters were at the Treffen. I had met the one daughter in Kant in 1978; she was pleased to meet Sharon Fransen at the Treffen, as she fondly remembered Werner pulling her long pig-tails when we were in Kant, and she was 12 years old.

In the next photo, see the 3 sisters (Justa, Mariechen & Tina) with Mariechen and Tina’s husbands, at the Treffen.

In the photo with Herb Fransen is Tina Enns Wiebe, daughter of Liese, who was two years old in October 1941.

And finally see Jakob Fransen (son of Abraham Fransen, our Grandfather’s brother) sitting with his cousin Justa and with Herb in the beautiful and peaceful setting of Rehe.

Reflecting on their difficult journeys, the relatives are incredibly grateful for their life in Germany.

Sorry for my less than perfect technological abilities; if you Click on each picture, it should enlarge.