Was this Ste Agathe or Ste Adele, Quebec? The year is likely to be 1954 ... spring. Oma is keeping a firm hold on the cat (name forgotten), Margaret has her doll Bärbel. Gundel and Else are wearing handknits, in variously fine wools - indeed, everyone is, except the cat.

Family photo for Gundel and Alfred's 50th anniversary, 26 July 1997.

Susan's christening, April 1959.

Family gathering during Else and Ernst's visit, 1979 - Gundel, Susan, Martin, paul, Kate, Sue, Alfred, Nettie, John, Ruth, (front) Nick, Else, Oma, Norah.

Margaret in "ihr Gips" - probably summer of 1950. The congenital hip displacement was discovered when she started to walk, and she spent about a year in a cast to realign the leg in the socket. The floppy bow is another story...

16 July 1971 - Margaret and Roger had their wedding party at 17515 Ford Road, with family and close friends. Jim and Connie Cooter on the left, Gundel and Alfred in the background. The food, prepared by Gundel, was legendary, especially the potato salad.

Geoffrey and Alec (Norah's sons) visit Alfred and Gundel.

Gundel in her beloved garden, amid blooming azaleas and rhododendrons. Alfred would have clambered as high as possible on the ladders that led from roof to roof to take this photo, in the early 2000s.

Christmas in Pitt Meadows, 1977 - Kate (Hughes), Gundel, Alfred, Nick (Hughes), Nettie - tucking into Christmas cookies?

At 18035 Ford Road, 1956 - Margaret, Gundel, Steven, Oma.

Germany, 1975 - Susan, Margaret, Maria Langendoerfer, Gundel.

Gundel and her beloved hanging baskets, mid-90s - the greenhouses were right outside the deck, and Gundel spent a lot of time in them, potting up and trimming azaleas.

Oma and Gundel in the kitchen at 18035 Ford Road, spring 1957. The stove burned sawdust, which was delivered by the truckload from a nearby lumber mill. The sawdust was dumped in the driveway - and then began the work of taking wheelbarrowfuls round the back of the house. Of course the sawdust then had to be moved again, by the bucketful, and loaded into the hopper beside the stove. The refrigerator (a step up from the icebox we had in Quebec, less than five years before) was still running when the first house at 17515 Ford Road burnt down in 1973.

The bathroom was beyond the wall with the cabinets, just inside the back door. Before we moved here, we'd come out on weekends to get the house ready for habitation. The tub was absolutely filthy - scrubbing it was a big job for Gundel.

Six glasses of milk on the table - for Mom, Dad, Oma, Auntie Else, Margaret and Steven.

A celebration, mid-90s - Rosel and George Bell, Dieter and Frauke Claus, Alfred, Gundel.

Coffee and cake on a Sunday in 1960 - Oma, Paul with David, Wolf Galetzka, Martin, Margaret,Alfred, Barbara Galetzka, Steven, Ruth Galetzka, Susan, Gundel, Pat.

Gundel (dark hair) with brothers and sisters, probably about 1930.

"Als ich bei die Nonnen war" - Gundel, aged about 14, is on the far right. She tells of wanting to do sewing-related work, but her father decided she should learn typing instead.

1987 - the Pitt Meadows Schleichers visit Paul and family on Denman Island - beautiful weather, beautiful views, lovely meals, good times...

Alfred's family on the way to Paul's wedding - outside 2635 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, with Alfred's VW in the background.

Alfred and Gundel drove a VW to Vancouver in the summer of 1954, in the days before there was a Trans-Canada Highway, using up their last 25 cents on gas. According to family legend, at the time there were only three VWs in BC. That car was black and had a split rear window. The kids loved to travel in the luggage-well behind the back seat.

Vancouver (West 10th Avenue), 1955 or 1956 - Alfred, Gundel, Steven, Oma, Margaret. In the background is Kitsilano High School.