Francis Chung and Elinor Shimakage Wedding Picture |
Francis Kam Wai Chung
Born: 05/07/1899, Honolulu, OA, Hawaii Died: 12/03/1959, Honolulu, OA, Hawaii Cause of Death: Complications during heart surgery. Francis Kam Wai Chung was the third-born child of See Hin Chung and Kam Lan Tom. He was the oldest boy of the first generation children. He graduated from Iolani High School in 1919. After high school, Francis attended the University of Hawaii, where he majored in Tropical Agriculture. Following his graduation from college, Francis became a teacher in Ewa, Hawaii, where he taught 8th grade. He fell in love with and married one of his former students, Elinor Tomiyo Shimakage. Elinor attended school through the 8th grade at Ewa. Afterwards, she attended McKinley High School, which was the only public high school at that time. Francis and Elinor crossed paths again during her high school years, and the day after she graduated from high school, the two married. Elinor was of Japanese decent and their mixed marriage was not at first accepted well by either family. Francis and Elinor initially lived with Francis' mother, Kam Lan Tom, in the house on Gulick Avenue. As the oldest boy, it was expected that Francis would take care of his mother. After five years, the couple bought a house across the street and eventually both sides of their families came to accept Francis and Elinor's union. Francis and Elinor had two children together: Juliette and Lawrence (Larry). After the two married, Francis gave up a teaching career for a profession with the Army Corp of Engineers. His World War II draft card states that Francis worked for the U.S. Army War Department, Department Signal Office on Fort Shafter. His job was to draft maps for the U.S. Army. Francis was working as a civilian for the Army during World War II. Francis didn't come home for the first 5 days after Pearl Harbor because he was needed at work. Right after Pearl Harbor, the Island went under Marshal Law, with forced black-outs, gas rationing, and curfews. Francis and his brother Kam Lum built a bomb shelter in front of Francis' house. The bomb shelter had benches to sit on and electricity and was stocked with food and water. Francis worked for the Army until he retired. In retirement, Francis took up real estate and became a realtor. He advised his son, that if he really wanted to make money, he needed to buy and sell real estate. Francis retired in about 1954 and passed away just five short years later. Francis had significantly high blood pressure, and although on medication for this issue, suffered a heart aneurysm and died during emergency heart surgery. |