Back when I was a student at Iowa Wesleyan College one would drive to Burlington on 34, wind around inside the city till one found 34 again, past a taco shop and then through West Burlington. After that you would drive through Middletown, Danville and New London, eventually making it to Mt. Pleasant. All on 2 lane roads.
Nowadays were hit Burlington and are whisked to Mt. P via a 4 lane practically interstate driving and you don't go through any towns anymore. Poor business along that old route must have withered up and died.
On our annual trip over to the old school last month we noticed a sign along this route that read "Anne Frank Pen Pal Museum" pointing toward Danville, Iowa. Because we all thirst for knowledge we stopped into the museum on the way back. Jerry's Pizza always comes first before knowledge, however.
We discovered a newly opened, that week, display and time frame of the Iowa pen pals Anne had shortly before being captured by the Germans. Anne and her sister Margot communicated with two Iowa girls at the urging of their teacher here in Danville.
We spent an hour talking to the curator and examining the wonderfully laid out information and exhibits. It even contained a replica of the attic area the Frank family lived in with the rest of the people who were being hidden and protected by the owners of the house.
Enlarged copies of the letters have been available to view by appointment only, but they’ll be more accessible in the museum. These letters are the only known documents where Anne wrote in English.
“Anne’s father had studied in New York for several years, so he was pretty proficient in English. They wrote the letter in Dutch and her dad transcribed that in English and then the girls copied his English.”
Our host was apologetic that she had to charge $4 for admission but it was more than well worth it. That and the Wombie paying for it made it quite harmless. Slip behind that bookcase and you enter into the world of Anne and family's living quarters for a couple years.
The story of Anne Frank and the courage of these people who lived, sequestered, from Nazi harm is an enduring one. Anne, a child, through no fault of her own, and isn't that usually the case, tells us from the grave to be optimistic, to be compassionate, and to squeeze all the joy from life one can.
So many deaths, so much art, writing, music, and culture lost. Did I read that the total number of deaths from World War II was around 45 million? Anne and her family represented just a handful, but their voices speak to us still. Those voices tell us that it is the innocent who suffer in war, that even though dark forces may vanquish us, we transcend the filth and brutality of hatred.
Please take the time to honor her and what she stood for when traveling past Danville, Iowa.
http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20180415-anne-franks-american-pen-pal
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