“MY MOM was Dr. Mayko Shiga Hornback. … Hatch was my mom’s cousin (their moms were sisters) and I grew up knowing him. He came from Hawaii to live in Seattle when he was about 18 and my mom was 5. … her dad was Juro (Henry) Shiga, who owned the sweater shop in Seattle that you referred to in your article.
She adored him and he looked after her all the time she was growing up. … I have a photo of him collecting her from the roof of the family home when she sneaked out of an upstairs window and had to be rescued. … Hatch was an important part of the Shiga family history… he was the camera man/labeler of the family films (35 mm) that have now been digitized.
Mona Oge, another cousin whose sister Janet sent her your article about Hatch, sent me the link and I just read your article tonight. We all enjoyed it, hearing about your relationship with Hatch and Kyoko. If you would like more info on his earlier life with the Shiga family in Seattle, I have quite a few photos you might enjoy. We also have an extensive family tree chart that Frank Tamaribuchi and his wife Setsuko assembled for a large family reunion we held in Las Vegas in 2010…it delineates the Kita/Hirano/Shiga interconnections.
It was at that reunion that we saw Kyoko last… she had a wonderful time reminiscing with everyone and speaking frankly about Hatch! She was pretty outspoken. Sadly, she died suddenly just a few months after that reunion.
It was delightful to read your article and Mona, Janet, their mom, Mae all enjoyed it, too. …
— Franci Jeche, Prescott, WI
Editor’s note. See “May Shiga Hornback,” wikipedia.com
