Sunday Schoolers

These were the younger kids at Chinese Baptist Church before WW II.

On a sunny Sunday in 1935, Ms. Ollie Lewellyn and Miss Amy Nims stood with several of the younger 1st Chinese Baptist Church kids, next to City Hall. The rear of San Fernando Cathedral is visible in the background between the palm tree and municipal building. These two Anglo ladies were Sunday School teachers who were also key members of the early church family. Amy Nims wrote her 1940 Masters Thesis about this modest oriental colony and titled it "Chinese Life in San Antonio." It has become a primary research tool for everyone writing about Texas Chinese over the past 65 years.(FCBC)

China Relief Parade in San Antonio

This activity was common in America's Chinese community before WW II.

On Leong Tong and Kuomintang members pushed a large papier-mache bowl along Ave. E toward Alamo Plaza with a sign urging onlookers to throw money into the “Rice Bowl” to “Help Save China”. This was one of several means that were common practice for raising funds to be sent to China during its war against Japan that began in 1937. San Antonio groups raised nearly $400,000 for the cause before the war's end in 1945. (Sam K. Eng)

"ACE"

Flight instructor Frank Eng during WW II

Civilian Pilot Training instructor Frank “Ace” Eng awaits his next student on the wing of a Fairchild PT-19A in 1942. Due to a shortage of military pilots, the Army paid contractors all over Texas to teach basic flight skills to thousands of recruits during W W II. Frank flew out of Ballinger Field near Vernon, Tx. while he was teaching other young Americans how to fly the Army way. (Virginia Wong)