In the fall of 1928, a young Chinese immigrant named John Jung entered Fanny Boulden's fourth grade class in Devils Lake, North Dakota. Besides attending school, Jung also worked in his father's laundry. The following year, Miss Boulden was married, retired from teaching, and moved to a farm near Larimore in Grand Forks County. Jung later moved to Bismarck where he attended school and worked in a cafe with his father.

In January 1932, Jung returned to China for approximately eight months. While in China, he visited his mother, and also enlisted in the Chinese Army. After returning to North Dakota, he graduated from Bismarck High School in 1935. Following graduation, Jung continued his education on a scholarship at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. He was enrolled as an engineering student at Purdue through the 1936-1937 school year, and was an active member of the Cosmopolitan Club, an all nationality organization.

The last letter to Fanny from Jung was from December 27, 1936. In this letter, there was no indication that he intended to return to his homeland. The question remains, however, whether or not Jung was part of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War, which broke out in China in July 1937.