Greenwood-Midway: My Home, My Furusato

by Chuck Tasaka

Following the success of my book, Hanatare Bozu, I would like to make my next project a book called Greenwood-Midway: My Home, My Furusato. I am trying to get as many Greenwood/Midway families to write their family history so that they can leave a legacy to their grandchildren and I need your help. I will give you a brief template so that family members who are writing will know what is required. This may be a great project to encourage retired people or university students to do research on their families. There were pioneer families like the McArthur, McLean, Lucente, Cox, Johnson and Bombini familes, and many more. There were the Nikkei families who put down their roots in Greenwood like the Higashi, Asahina, Shigematsu and Oye families and more. In Midway, there were the McMynn, Sherbinin, Takahashi and Miki families, etc. I would like as many former Greenwood and Midway families as possible to write their histories.

The profits from the sale of the book will go to the museum that will be selling them. This is the template:
1. Brief family tree providing the origin of the city and country. Reason for emigrating to Canada and moving to Greenwood. I would like the maiden names on the maternal side.
2. Location of your dwelling in Greenwood. It could be more than one. Black and white photos of your grandparents and/or your parents’ family.
3. Your family history should consist of 4-6 pages, but there won’t be a limit since some families may have a long history in Greenwood or Midway.
4. Main points: I would like you to describe the most memorable moments in Greenwood/Midway, preferably humorous.
5. Note any historical facts that you may want to pass on to the readers. For example, background on the families who lived in those heritage homes; significant events like a major building fire, accidents, etc.
6. What life was like in a fading ghost town.
7. Conclusion: Life after Greenwood or Midway. The places you lived? The impact of your life in Greenwood that followed you to your new surrounding. Do you still curl, fish, hunt, and still maintain contact with your classmates?

Thank you very much for your support with my previous project! I think this will be a good fund-raiser for the museum. The family history manuscript can be dropped off at the Greenwood Museum or please contact me at Mr_T8@shaw.ca