First photo of Mom with Dad in Wichita, 1948

My Mom arrived in Wichita in May 1948.  Here she is with Dad by one of the bridges over the Arkansas River (I can't remember which street, Central?). Definitely fashionable in the USA.  Contrast the fashion when they married in 1936.  I was born in August.

Pan American radio, ~1940s

I wonder if this is the "best radio in town" mentioned in my post three days ago.  Standing around the radio on the front counter of the Pan American Cafe are (l-to-r) King Mar, Chin Wee, ?, and Robert Mar (my guess based on his wedding photo I posted two days ago.  Date unknown, maybe mid 1940s. Note the two photos of men in the services along with the unknown guy. The photo on the right looks like Wayne Wong (Wayne and Wayne's Dad had worked at the Pan American). My guess is Dad (Chin) had already been released from the army.  He joined right after Pearl Harbor and was inducted Feb 2, 1942 and discharged Jan 20, 1944.

Mr and Mrs Robert Mar, 1940, New York City

In King's files was this 11x14 wedding photo of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Mar taken in New York City in 1940.  I was quite impressed with the quality of the photo and that the dinner was at the Hotel St. George.

To the left of the groom is Sam Joe Mar.  In the lower left corner of the photo are the brothers Junior Mar (BokBok) and Keng Lem.  This Robert Mar is not the Bob Mar that Kim and I know from California.  Does anyone know the relationship with Robert Mar - the one in this photo? I don't recognize anyone else in the photo.

Here's the photo of the wedding couple:

Feb 20, 1936 - Best radio in town

                                                                                February 20, 1936

Dear King.   

We received your good letter a few days ago.  We were sure glad to hear from you and to know that you reached home alright.  Hope you keep well and have a good time.  We have been having very cold weather here as low as 10 below zero.  We are in at the Pan American every day or so, see Henry and all of the Boys.  They seem to be getting along alright.  But we sure do miss you being there.

Our radio is working good and we think it is about the best one in town.

Hope you are having a good time.  Tell your Mother hello for us and hurry back to Wichita for we want to see you.  Write to us as often as you find time.  We are glad to get your letters.

Mrs. Hill and Anna, Bob & Helen send their regards to you.

                                                                                 Your Friend
                                                                                 Geo. A Hill

[notice in the letterhead, only five digits to make a phone call]

1933 May 23: King Finishes Radio Course, Corsicana & Fruit Cake, New Car

                                                                              Tyler, Texas,
                                                                              May 23, 1933

                                                                              428 South Fleishel Avenue,

Dear Cousin King :

      We were so glad to hear from you after so long, and to get the pictures.  I should have written you long ago, and have started you a letter here at the office several times, but something always happens and I have more work to do and I have never finished them.  I am working pretty hard now, and never seem to have a minute to spare. I go to work at 8:30 in the morning and work until 5:30 usually. Sometimes, I get off a little earlier and sometimes a little later.

      Let us all congratulate you on your good work in finishing your radio course.  It is fine that you could take up something like that, and that it would be so interesting to you.  We know you will make a success of anything you undertake to do.

      Your new car is lovely.  I know you are enjoying it.  There is nothing like having a car and being able to go to the places you want to when you want to.

      Jake and Julian are in the middle of their final examinations. If they are promoted, Julian will be in the Low 9^th and Jake will be in the High 10^th.  They are anxious for school to be out. Both of them say they are going to work, and I hope they can find something to keep them busy all summer.

      Papa, Jake, Julian and I went to Fort Worth Sunday.  We left here early Sunday morning about 15 minutes to 7, and sent around Corsicana, which is about 30 miles out of the way, but arrived in Fort Worth about 11 o’clock, so we made good time. Papa wanted to go by Corsicana, because he had not been in Corsicana for a good many years.  We came back the usual way, by Terrell, but didn’t make so good time, because I was driving and I didn’t drive as fast as Jake does. I sometimes think he goes too fast for anybody’s good. While we were in Fort Worth, Papa saw all of his old friends.  One of the men at the Worth Café, I don’t remember his name, told us that we would be going to Wichita before long, so I guess you will see him soon.

      When are you coming to see us? Now that you have your car, you should drive down sometime this summer when you can get off. We would like to see you so much. We have wanted to come to Wichita but it doesn’t look as if we can ever get off, since I am working and all of us keep so busy. Any time you can come, though, don’t fail to start!!

      My boss is out of the office this morning, but I have some more work to do, so I had better close for this time. Write to us soon.

      With congratulations and best wishes for all of us, and thank you again for the pictures.

                                                                              Your Cousin
                                                                              Lucille Mardock

At the Mar/Wee home in Wichita in the 50s, Christmas nearly always had fruitcakes and I bet they were from Collin Street Bakery from Corsicana, Texas.  At the time as a child I wasn’t aware of our family connections to Texas.

Upon completing his radio course, King must have joined the National Radio Institute Alumni Association.  Here's a letter from the national office to renew his membership.

MarDocks in Wichita - 1948, 1957

Thanks to photos Kim sent me from Mom and Dad's photo albums, I learned the MarDocks of Tyler, Texas, had come to Wichita on several occasions.  So, my recollection of the trip Ken and I took with Grandpa King to Tyler in 1956 wasn't the first time I had met Lucille and Wong Shee.

Less than a month I was born, here's Lucille hold me with Wong Shee on the right.  I think that's Uncle Sam (Thlam Gong) on the left.

Here's this photo (undated) with Mom holding my brother Don.  Lucille is left of Don with Wong Shee seated in front (in the middle).  Since my great-grandmother is seated (right), this puts the year at 1957.   (back row) - BokBok and MuMu (Tick Pon "Junior" Mar  and  Oi Ling "Judy" Mar), Lucille, Don, Yim, Suzon and King Mar.  (seated) Thlam Hoo (Wong Shee Mar, Uncle Sam Joe Mar's wife), Wong Shee MarDock (remember I got confused with the two Wong Shees a month ago), and Cheung Tsui Tai (King's Mom).

More posts coming on correspondences from Tyler, Texas.

Earlier Letters from cousin Lucille - Oil and New Car

1930 Oct 5 – Oil Discovered, Lucille starts Junior College

                                                                              428 South Fleishel Avenue,
                                                                              Tyler, Texas,
                                                                              October 5, 1930.

Dear Cousin King :

      How are you and everyone now? We are all getting along fine and business is getting better.  Did you know that oil has been struck in another field about 40 miles west of here?  It has seemed to help our business quite a bit.

      Jake, Julian and I are all going to school again this year.  I am going to [Tyler] Junior College here in town.  Jack is in the high 7^th and Julian is in the low 6^th.

      How is business in Wichita now? Did Poy go to China? Mamma wanted me to be sure to ask.

      How is your mother getting along?  Have you heard from her lately – or any one in China?

      You must write to us soon and tell us how everything is.  We always like to hear from you so much.

                                                                              Your cousin,
                                                                              Lucille Mardock

 

1931, Nov 1 –Trip to Ft Worth, New Car

                                                                              428 South Fleishel Avenue,
                                                                              Tyler, Texas,
                                                                              November 1, 1931

Dear Cousin King :

      We want to thank you for the good candy that you sent to us by Cousin Joe.  He got here Friday afternoon about two o’clock.  Yesterday, we drove him to Gladewater, Longview, Kilgore, Henderson, Arp, which was right through the center of the oil field down here.  Wish that you could have been here to go with us.  We surely did enjoy having him visit us.  It was the first time Jake, Julian or I had seen him.  He left here this morning at eleven o’clock for Fort Worth.

      How are you and everyone there by now?  We haven’t heard from you in quite a while.   Is business any better for you now?  Things were a little quiet around here for several weeks, but seems to be better the last few days.  All of us have been getting along fine.  I finished my business course in the Tyler Commercial College about a month ago, but so far have not found a job.

      I went to Dallas to the State Fair on the special train on October 18.  I left Tyler at 6:30 in the morning and got back to Tyler at 11:00 o’clock at night.  I had a nice time.  I went with one of my girlfriends.  Last Sunday, Papa and Jake and Julian and I went over to Fort Worth for a short visit.  We left Tyler at 5:45 in the morning, and were back by 8:15 that night.  I enjoyed that, too.  It was the first time I had been to Fort Worth in about ten years.  Nobody over there knew Jake, Julian or I because we had grown so much.  Julian is larger than I am now, guess I will be the baby.

      We drove to Fort Worth last Sunday in our car.  We have a new car, now.  It is a DeSoto six.  We have had it about two months.  If we had known Cousin Joe was coming, we could have met him in Fort Worth and brought him down here.  Anytime you can come to see us, let us know, and we will meet you in Fort Worth.

      Write to us soon, because we always like to hear from you.  And come to see us if you can possibly get off.  Thank you again for the candy.  It surely was good and we really enjoyed and liked it.

                                                                              Your cousin,
                                                                              Lucille

1942 - Julian, Lucille, Jake