Thursday June 30, 1949
[Morganville Tribune]

Thanks From Feves

Dr. and Mrs. D. C. Schaffner of Emporia sent a CARE seed package to Feves, France this spring and had their niece, Mrs. John Schaffner of Columbus, Ohio, a French girl, write to Alfred Roget of Feves. The following is a part of Mr. Roget's letter:

Dear Mrs. Schaffner,

We don't know how to express our thanks for your great generosity from which we so gladly benefit.

The parcel arrived just in time as we had not been yet at the grain merchants to buy our seeds for the garden, which saved a nice lot of money. We immediately sowed most of the seeds and as the weather was right, the garden is quite grown by now. Dear Mr. and Mrs. Schaffner, thank you a thousand times.

We want to give you an idea of our situation: two old people, living in a wooden shack, and in summer we almost suffocate and freeze in winter. I, the husband, am 78 years old and my wife will soon be 80. We have been married 53 years, and had three children, two boys and a girl, one of the boys died in a German concentration camp as did our daughter's husband. She is now a widow with two little girls to raise.

On September 4, 1944 at eleven a.m., a gun thumped on the shutters and at noon we had to be evacuated, we could not take the horse or carriage, we left with just what clothes we wore. We were lucky. We stayed at Metz during three months of misery and hunger.

On November 19, Patton's 5th Army entered the city to free us from Hitler's gang. We were at the city's gates when the first American boys entered. Dear Mrs. Schaffner, What Joy!

When we came back to our home village where we had had a beautiful little home, the result of our labor and savings, there was not a stone left of our home. Dear Madam, we have lived through some very sad times. As war damages, we received 58,500 francs, but what can we buy with the prices of everything? We bought, as we went along, a stove, a bed, a linen cupboard, a kitchen cupboard, three chairs, a couple of sheets two pillow cases, a suit of clothes for me, and the money is gone.

I have a social security pension 5,800 francs (about $19.00 Mrs. Schaffner added), but for two people, we have to go easy. We are still working in the fields more than our strength allows us.

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Schaffner, we only have to thank you again, a thousand times for your personal gifts and the gifts of generous Morganville which were bestowed on the inhabitants of Feves.

My two grand-daughters, children of my widowed daughter, have received some pretty clothes which fit them, as tailored garments do.

May God keep your generous uncle in good health, as you told me he had been ill, so he can bring joy and happiness to the underprivileged French.

Dear Families, please accept our thanks and wishes of sincere friendship. My wife, daughter and granddaughters join me in all these wishes. - Alfred Roget.