Ingrid could still recall the sound of her mother’s gentle voice, telling stories of her childhood in the far-off land of Ortelsburg, Germany. As the founder of Liebe Candle Co., it was these stories—along with her mother Edith’s enduring strength and kindness—that had inspired the heart and soul of the brand. Every flicker of a candle carried a story, a memory, and a reminder of the light Edith brought into the world, even in the darkest times.

Edith had been born in 1933, a world away from where her life would eventually lead her, on a farm nestled among the rolling fields of Germany. Growing up as one of eight children, she had always been her mother’s right hand, helping with farm chores and taking care of the house. “We didn’t have much, but we had each other,” Edith would say, her smile as warm as the kitchen fire that would crackle at night, filling the home with comfort during those long winters. The family’s faith was their guiding light; each evening, her father would gather them by the hearth, leading them in prayer and Bible teachings before they tucked into bed beneath thick quilts warmed by the flames.

It was these tender moments, the feeling of being safe and held together by love, that came rushing back to Ingrid as she crafted each candle for Liebe Candle Co.—the company named for the very thing Edith had embodied: love. One candle in particular, #29 Spiced Cranberry, held a special place in Ingrid’s heart. Its rich, warm blend of tart cranberries, cinnamon, clove, and sweet mandarin orange carried the scents of autumn—a time of harvest and family, of gathering close and feeling the glow of both home and heart.

Autumn had always been a season that brought back a flood of memories for Ingrid. It reminded her of the stories Edith would tell about her childhood on the farm, the crispness of the air as the leaves began to turn, the preparations for winter. “We would ride to church in a horse-drawn sleigh,” Edith would say, her eyes twinkling as she recalled the sound of the horses’ hooves crunching through the snow.

The cold would bite at their noses and cheeks, but inside the church, the warmth of community and faith would melt the chill away. It was a reminder of resilience, of how light could always be found, even in the midst of cold and dark.

But Edith’s life had not been easy. Growing up during World War II, she faced unimaginable challenges—typhoid fever, the uncertainty of war, and the harsh reality of living in a refugee camp. Yet through it all, her spirit remained unbroken. She would tell Ingrid of the time she fell ill during planting season, only to emerge from the hospital months later when the crops were ready for harvest. It was one of many stories that spoke to her mother’s enduring strength and ability to find light, even when it seemed all was lost.

Ingrid’s voice softened when she spoke about how, at just 18, Edith had escaped East Germany, fleeing the shadows of oppression and hunger in search of freedom. It had been a perilous journey—trekking through fields under the cover of night, hiding in basements by day, crawling beneath barbed wire, and avoiding the police at every turn. The fear must have been overwhelming, but Edith’s resolve was stronger. She finally made it to Frankfurt, and from there, her dream of a new life began to take shape.

When Edith stepped onto American soil on July 10, 1953, it was as if a new chapter in her life had been written. She married Ingrid’s father soon after arriving and became a U.S. citizen in 1959. Despite all the hardships she had endured, Edith never let the darkness consume her. She gave of herself, selflessly, always finding ways to help others. “Even when she didn’t have much,” Ingrid recalled, “she always found something to give.”

It was this unwavering spirit of love and generosity that Liebe Candle Co. sought to reflect. With every candle Ingrid crafted, she infused the memory of her mother—her light, her resilience, and her kindness. The #29 Spiced Cranberrycandle, in particular, was a nod to Edith’s warmth, a blend of spices and fruits that captured the heart of autumn. The scent was both nostalgic and fresh, reminding Ingrid of the baskets of fruit Edith would gather on her family’s farm, of the homemade preserves and the smell of cinnamon lingering in the kitchen.

Ingrid imagined homes lighting the Spiced Cranberry candle as the first chill of fall set in, the tart scent of cranberries mingling with the comforting warmth of cinnamon and clove.

The fragrance would fill the room with a sense of gathering—of family, of tradition, of the quiet moments that made life feel full. The mandarin orange added a brightness, a little pop of joy that balanced the spice, much like the moments of laughter and love that had always balanced Edith’s life through both good and difficult times.

As the days grew shorter and the trees shed their fiery red leaves, Ingrid felt a deep connection to the season. Autumn had always been a time of reflection, of looking back at the hard work of the year and feeling grateful for the harvest it had yielded. Much like the fields of Edith’s childhood, life had its seasons of planting and its seasons of reaping. And through it all, Edith had been a light—a constant, unwavering flame.

“God is light, and there is no darkness in Him at all,” Edith would often remind her children, quoting from the Book of John. It was this belief, this faith, that had sustained her mother and that Ingrid hoped to carry forward through Liebe Candle Co. Every candle was a testament to that light, to the way it could guide you through life’s darkest times and warm your heart even in the coldest of seasons.

As Ingrid wrapped up a batch of freshly poured Spiced Cranberry candles, she smiled, thinking of her mother. Edith’s legacy lived on not just in the candles themselves, but in the very essence of the company. Liebe—love—was what Edith had given to the world, and it was what Ingrid hoped each candle would bring into the homes of others, lighting the way through the autumn days and beyond.

 

https://liebecandleco.com

Liebe Candles will appear as well in our upcoming Chandlers Coffee Tablebook
with an additional beautiful special >>