from Movie "Once Upon a Time in America"
One of my bucket lists is pursuiting trails of my father between 1930-1940, when he practised in the town of Youngwol(강원도 영월)as a young physician, immediately following his graduation from medical school. Dr, Chung's tireless effort following his dad's foot steps in America is truly a moving story.
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Thank you very much, Dr. Choh, for your nice tribute to me for the search of my father’s footsteps in America such a long time ago.
Certainly it was a rewarding work for me, which verified my father’s American education at his young age.
Because of lack of document and other information I had hard times in the search of his record.
I am glad that I was able to make some correction in some misinformation from my mother’s story.
It was because mother did not have modern and western education and not learn English or Japanese languages.
I still haven’t found his elementary school in New York City since there was no information on his former school in the Williston record.
It was a surprise that his former residence, 633 West 115th Street, New York City, turned out to be the Korean Methodist Church and Institute (뉴욕한인교회), where he rented at least from 1909 to 1913 with or without his uncle. The Church was started in 1921 at Madison Avenue Methodist Church, then moved to this current place in 1927, years after my father’s rental there.
Another surprise was that in the church book of old members, my father’s name was found as 정재원 with one-line note.
In the same building father met Rev. Syngman Rhee, and experienced deep sorrows of usurpation of our country in 1910.
I asked the church minister, 이용보 목사님, to include in the new-coming one hundred year history of Korean Methodist Church (뉴욕한인교회 백년사) my father since he was significantly and closely related to the Church though not simultaneously.
He referred my request to the church attorney, Chang Hi Yun, who has been in charge of the publication.
This is probably my last project in my search. If it is materialized, I will let you, readers, know about this joyful news.
Thank you again.