The Koeppen family features in Beth Nance’s book ‘My Life’ as they were friends of the Nances during their time in Hong Kong. Eugenia Koeppen was a German Christian refugee from Ukraine, by way of Manchuria and Shanghai. Because of the terrible persecution of Christians in the USSR, her family had made their way through Russia with forged papers and train tickets to the Chinese border. It was a two-week terror-filled journey.
Once in China they were then bombed out of Shanghai by the Japanese. Her father and brother were taken by the Russians when Russia attacked Japan at the end of the war and not heard from again.
Eugenia Koeppen and Beth Nance came together in 1940 after the Nance’s arrival in HK as Beth was expecting her first baby and Eugenia with two boys was ‘experienced in maternity matters.’ Beth writes, ‘Her domestic gifts as well as great faith in God were a great help to Ancil and me when we held youth events. She also became my prayer partner.’
The Koeppens received special treatment in Hong Kong, though they were without passports, because Eugenia’s husband (name not given), a German chef, was such a skilled sausage maker. His sausages were desired so much that the Hong Kong government gave him permission to stay in the colony, with the freedom of a job!
Beth and Ancil Nance ran an outreach programme for young people, including the British servicemen. In December 1940 they arranged for the group to throw a party for the children of the Fanling Babies’ Home. Instead of having a gift-giving party for each other, the youth group gave gifts to the children. Afterwards Eugenia helped Beth prepare a special meal for the young people. No doubt her husband’s sausage was on the menu. It was a happy Christmas, in fact their last happy Christmas for some time, were they but to know it.
After the fall of Hong Kong, when a Japanese officer named Okamoto came to the Nance’s house in January 1942 to take them to Stanley Camp, their friend Mr Koeppen was sitting at table with them. Koeppen and Okamoto* knew each other as they had shared a cell together when they had been imprisoned by the British in the early days of the battle for Hong Kong. Koeppen asked for the Nances to be treated kindly as they were friends, and as a result they were permitted to take a lot more with them than other families were, like tools and food supplies which benefitted them and others later on. They had cause to be glad of Mr Koeppen’s presence in their home that particular day.
The Koeppens remained uninterned due to their German nationality and kindly looked after some of the more valuable possessions of the Nances until the end of the war.
During the war Eugenia sent a parcel of children’s clothing to the Nances, for which they were very grateful.
In the days immediately after the war ended, a group of Beth’s friends in Hong Kong, who had not been interned, including Eugenia, got together to celebrate Beth’s birthday (August 29th) with her. It was a very special and unforgettable day.
The last service the Koeppens provided for the Nances was in the summer of 1948, when the Nances were finally en route to their intended missionary destination of Kunming in Yunnan Province. Because Ancil's flat was full of items he'd collected, Beth and the children stayed with the Koeppens in Kowloon for a few weeks as they made their final preparations.
In 1950 the Koeppens moved to New South Wales, Australia.
*There is a Tatsuzo Okamoto who appears on the jurors lists before the war. I wonder if this may be him. Manager Chuwa Trading Co in 1935.
Comments
Beth Nance's memoir has more
Beth Nance's memoir has more information about the Koeppen family in Hong Kong:
http://ancilknance.com/bethnance/
Beth Nance on the Koeppens
The Koeppen family features in Beth Nance’s book ‘My Life’ as they were friends of the Nances during their time in Hong Kong. Eugenia Koeppen was a German Christian refugee from Ukraine, by way of Manchuria and Shanghai. Because of the terrible persecution of Christians in the USSR, her family had made their way through Russia with forged papers and train tickets to the Chinese border. It was a two-week terror-filled journey.
Once in China they were then bombed out of Shanghai by the Japanese. Her father and brother were taken by the Russians when Russia attacked Japan at the end of the war and not heard from again.
Eugenia Koeppen and Beth Nance came together in 1940 after the Nance’s arrival in HK as Beth was expecting her first baby and Eugenia with two boys was ‘experienced in maternity matters.’ Beth writes, ‘Her domestic gifts as well as great faith in God were a great help to Ancil and me when we held youth events. She also became my prayer partner.’
The Koeppens received special treatment in Hong Kong, though they were without passports, because Eugenia’s husband (name not given), a German chef, was such a skilled sausage maker. His sausages were desired so much that the Hong Kong government gave him permission to stay in the colony, with the freedom of a job!
Beth and Ancil Nance ran an outreach programme for young people, including the British servicemen. In December 1940 they arranged for the group to throw a party for the children of the Fanling Babies’ Home. Instead of having a gift-giving party for each other, the youth group gave gifts to the children. Afterwards Eugenia helped Beth prepare a special meal for the young people. No doubt her husband’s sausage was on the menu. It was a happy Christmas, in fact their last happy Christmas for some time, were they but to know it.
After the fall of Hong Kong, when a Japanese officer named Okamoto came to the Nance’s house in January 1942 to take them to Stanley Camp, their friend Mr Koeppen was sitting at table with them. Koeppen and Okamoto* knew each other as they had shared a cell together when they had been imprisoned by the British in the early days of the battle for Hong Kong. Koeppen asked for the Nances to be treated kindly as they were friends, and as a result they were permitted to take a lot more with them than other families were, like tools and food supplies which benefitted them and others later on. They had cause to be glad of Mr Koeppen’s presence in their home that particular day.
The Koeppens remained uninterned due to their German nationality and kindly looked after some of the more valuable possessions of the Nances until the end of the war.
During the war Eugenia sent a parcel of children’s clothing to the Nances, for which they were very grateful.
In the days immediately after the war ended, a group of Beth’s friends in Hong Kong, who had not been interned, including Eugenia, got together to celebrate Beth’s birthday (August 29th) with her. It was a very special and unforgettable day.
The last service the Koeppens provided for the Nances was in the summer of 1948, when the Nances were finally en route to their intended missionary destination of Kunming in Yunnan Province. Because Ancil's flat was full of items he'd collected, Beth and the children stayed with the Koeppens in Kowloon for a few weeks as they made their final preparations.
In 1950 the Koeppens moved to New South Wales, Australia.
*There is a Tatsuzo Okamoto who appears on the jurors lists before the war. I wonder if this may be him. Manager Chuwa Trading Co in 1935.
Sources:
My Life by Elizabeth Nance.
Goulburn Evening Post Article