Mickey Mouse tea set

Living in Berlin during the late 1920s, a young Jewish girl named Illo was given a child’s Mickey Mouse tea set. Upon receiving this treasure, Illo had no idea what a tremendous journey she and her tea set were about to take.

 

As Nazi power was rising in Germany during the 1930s, Illo and her parents were forced to flee to Shanghai, China. Her father went first, and, in 1940, Illo and her mother followed. They traveled by train through Siberia and into China and were only allowed to carry about $4 per person and a small amount of luggage. A teenager at the time, Illo wished to take her beloved tea set, and her mother agreed.

 

Upon arrival in Shanghai, Illo and her family were confined to a ghetto for Jewish refugees and lived there until 1945. Illo then married Ernest Heppner and immigrated to the United States in 1947. They arrived in New York City with $11, very little clothing, and, of course, the Mickey Mouse tea set. After a couple of moves, the Heppners made their home in Indianapolis. In 1978, Illo Heppner donated her tea set to The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. She wished for thousands of others to enjoy it as much as she had—and they will for years to come. What an amazing journey!