Efringen-Kirchen has been a special place for us to this day. We have friends there that remarkably came to be so because of the second world war.

In 1943, Lee's father Pieter and Lee's uncle Jacob were conscripted as forced labour and were sent to Efringen to work in a bauxite mine. They were billeted with a local family, the Guldenschus. The fighting never came close to Efringen and the brothers worked in the mine. Friendships grew and after the war, Piet and Jacob with family, visited the Guldenshu and Schrodi families many times. Lee's father sent us with a letter, written in the local language that he had learned (Allemanisch) introducing us. After reading the letter, we were treated like royalty. We are friends to this day.