The story of "Baby Peter"—update

Young Peter, c.1947

     Nearly a year ago, after my trip to Europe, I posted about a curious wartime episode of family history on my mother’s side: French Kiss: the sad story of baby Peter (July 11, 2011). The events of this story occurred largely in the northeaster section of then-Germany (from Berlin to the east—much of that territory is now in Poland).
     My post told the story of a relative—young Edith Martha Hänfler*—who, during the war, fell in love with a French prisoner-of-war, Frederic. These two had a baby. It’s all very Hogan’s Heroes—and a bit cloak-and-dagger. And, yes, it’s all true.
     For reasons I explained a year ago, the baby, Peter, was left by his parents with my mother’s people in the east—what was left of them—and, in particular, he was in the care of my mother’s Aunt Else, who loved children but who could not have her own. In the end, the child was taken from Else—to relocate him with his parents in France. The impending event resulted in Else’s suicide (c. 1950).
     "There are many such stories," as they say. (A line from Vertigo.)

Edith Martha Hänfler: fell in
love with a French POW in Berlin

UPDATE: 

     Yesterday (6/21/12), I was contacted by one of Peter's daughters in France. She identifies herself as Edith Hennion, and she was born, oddly enough, on Peter's birthday—February 28—in 1966, which would make her Ron's age (46).
     She had Googled her grandmother's name ("Edith Hänfler") and found my post. Amazed by what she found, she left a comment and her email address. I contacted her yesterday.

     She has already sent me several photos, including the one at left of her grandmother, Edith Martha Hänfler, who, Edith tells me, died in 1960, at age 42. (I do not know whether she remained married to Frederic.) She also sent a roughly written "family tree," which indicates that Peter's father was Frederic Francois Hennion, who was born on October 26, 1915. She tells me that he died of cancer in the early 70s.
     Peter's name is given as Peter Frederic Remo Hänfler (Hennion). For some reason, Peter's wife's name is not indicated. (In a more recent correspondence, Edith indicates that her mother's name was Josiane.)

     Edith indicates that her father, Peter, died ten years ago at age 58. That was news to us. (Sad news to my mother, who dearly loved the young Peter.)

     Edith also sent three old photos that she could not identify: one of a man by the beach, another (perhaps at the same beach) of two young children, and one of the two young children, slightly older, with a dog. She writes that she does not know who these people are. Do I know?

     I've already emailed her, informing her that the man is my father, Gunther "Manny" Bauer, and that the two kids are Annie and me. The dog, of course, is Prince. These photos were taken in 1960 and about 1961 (in Santa Monica and Orange).

Santa Monica, 1960

     Ma (our Edith) is very excited about this turn of events. She is surprised that Peter and his family had photos of our family, since, as she understood it, her sister Ilse was unwilling to part with any family photos and give them to Peter. (She and Peter were in contact, though Ilse, who is in declining health, has not contacted Peter for many years.) Maybe she did relinquish some photos afterall.
     Edith (the one in France) writes that, when she was twenty (c. 1986), she actually lived in Mission Viejo for a while as an au pair. At the time, her father suggested that she visit "his relatives" there in Orange County, but, she now says, she was young and independent and free—and she never got around to looking us up.
     Too bad. But now at long last we can connect, trade photos, stories, etc.

     For those who are interested, these old “Bauer” tales—lots of 'em—can be found on the Bauer family blog. (Baby Peter)

*Related how? Starting in 1934 (when her birth mother died), my mother lived with her father's sister, Marthe (Martha)--i.e., her aunt (whom my mother always refers to as her "mother"). Martha was married to Otto Hänfler (whom my mother would call her "father"), who had a brother living in Berlin. That brother's daughter, Edith Martha Hänfler, fell in love with the French POW, Frederic Hennion.