After World War II the countries in Western Europe had been returned to their original states. I have often wondered why the same had not happened in the case of northern Romania (Bukovina and Basarabia). So rather than spend days researching (with a magnifier), I wrote to a friend who was in the midst of what happened there. During the war Florica was a young lady in Romania and very much aware of what was happening to her country.

In a letter to me she summarized what happened and gave me permission to share this with you.   (Please see the attachment).  I suggest that those of you who are interested in history read it more than once. I have read it several times and seem to find something new every time. Dave too has made the same observation.

Florica Pascal was born, lived and educated in Romania. She came to Canada almost twenty years ago with her husband and young son. I met her many years ago when Dave hired her to work for him at the U of A. She is a mathematician. Over the years her son studied and received his Ph.D. He is now employed at Rhyerson University in Toronto.

Florica retired and moved east to be with her son. Her husband died a few years ago.

Since I met her, Florica has been a wonderful help to me. When I could not remember a Romanian word when writing to our family in Bukovina I called her. She gladly helped. Now she helped me again.

Through her account I was surprised to learn that the USSR took the northern part of Romania in the early part of the war (1939). As well, I am surprised that at the Yalta conference Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin did not return the land to Romania. But as Florica noted, the USSR/Russia has always been greedy for land and took all it could get including Romania's oil. Sadly, Romania, standing alone, could do little about it

Bukovina was still in Romania when our parents and grandparents left for Canada.

Take care. God bless.

Love Pearl