The decade of 1940 to 1950 was an active one for the Kwok family , for the Kai Wah School , and the Church. Here are some clippings from the local Sacramento Bee from this era.
My uncle Johnny gets an early recognition of his potential as an artist , his eventual career.
5/21/1940
And speaks at his Junior College Commencement ceremony at Sacramento City College .
6/7/1940
The church helps the war effort. 12/19/1941
The new Church building is dedicated 11/2/1941
The congreation hears of the horror of war first hand .
My Uncle Johnny enters the armed forces. He later sees combat in Europe flying in a bomber squadron.
7/23/1943
My Uncle Andy is called up from reserves to active duty while in Junior College.
2/26/1943
My Uncle Andy spent the war stateside. Toward the end of the war he was assigned to work at a hospital in Framingham, Mass. and then after the war was assigned to the freshman medical class at Tufts Medical School . Unfortunately for family reasons my Uncle never completed medical school at that time and went on to be trained as a pharmacist . Later in life he did complete his dream to
go back to medical school and enrolled in Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine.
9/21/1945
The Church continues to present Christmas pageants every year throughout the war years . Finally the war is over in August of 1945. This clipping is from December 22 , 1945 There is much to be thankful for this Christmas .
The law barring Chinese from citizenship is finally repealed and Chinese born abroad can finally be naturalized as US Citizens. The Church becomes the site of citizenship classes for those eager to become full Americans including my grandfather, grandmother and Fong Sik ,founder of the school.
12/5/1945
My Uncle Johnny and Auntie Katie get married
6/11/1947
An appreciative convert gives the church $100 anonymously
10/4/1947
A multiethnic group of temporary postal workers sort the Christmas mail including my Uncle Andy
12/24/1947.
Rev. Kwok is interviewed for a piece in the Bee about the meaning of citizenship in a democratic country .
10/29/1948
Rev. Kwok officiates at weddings and funerals and officiates at the funeral of Fong Sik one of the founders of the Kai Wah School and of the Chinese Church of Christ .
11/2/1948
Rev. Kwok often officiated at weddings conducted in the Christian church in the Chinese town of Locke south of Sacramento . This town was settled by people who like Rev. Kwok were from the Chungsan region of South China . He knew many of the people in that town and would be called upon to officiate at funerals as well .In this earlier post on another blog I discuss the
Christian Church in Locke.
7/25/1949
My Mom and Dad announce their enagagement !
8/18/1949