<Begin Segment 21>

BF: So, we, we sort of interrupted the chronology, when you were going to university, and I know that that timeframe, a lot of things happened.

AS: Yes.

BF: You start school, but your schooling is interrupted. Maybe you could sort of...

AS: Well, yeah. Well, I went one quarter, and I was discouraged because I was hoping that I wouldn't have to work in my father's store, and I'm at the university, that I could just be a student. And I thought my younger brother should take over, start working at the store. And oh, he wasn't, he was not dependable, let me say. [Laughs] He had other ideas, so I continued to work and go to the university, and then my -- and I was now engaged, and the man who was my husband and my fiance, boyfriend, fiance, would come over to our house every night after work. And it made it difficult to do homework, and so it, it just seemed like there was... and then with the war going on, and it just didn't make sense. So I decided I wouldn't return to the university, I would just work full-time, because he didn't really have money, and pay wasn't that good. He was an electrical engineer, but the pay was very, wasn't, just, I couldn't believe it.

BF: So after you got married, you, you were married at this point, and then you stopped at university?

AS: No, before, before we got married, because I did the first quarter and then the -- and then I said, "Well, I won't... that's it for now, and I'll just work and try to save money," and also still help my father at the store. And so we were married in June of '42, so anyway, so that... but then I resumed my education. [Laughs] What year was it?

BF: Well, and I understand that... now, I guess you married, you were, what, seventeen, eighteen?

AS: I was eighteen, yeah.

BF: It sort of seems -- I mean, I don't know you that well -- but it seems a bit out of character for you to marry so young.

AS: You're right, you're right.

BF: Were you swept off your feet? What happened? [Laughs]

AS: I guess so. [Laughs] You know, I didn't even really have boyfriends. There was one boy that really thought I was the greatest, but -- and when he was, when we were both about twelve, I thought he was so cute. And, but then as I got older, I thought, "Oh, he's, he's a kid." [Laughs] And, and so then, so I guess he did, he did sweep me off my feet. He just, he met me at this beach party at Alki, and it was kind of accidental because he went to, he saw some friends, relatives from Denver, and they said, "Why don't you come to the beach party?" And I was at Madrona beach that day in the morning, and it was Fourth of July, or, yeah, I guess it was the Fourth. Anyway, I was at Madrona beach, and in that time, we didn't have the Canadian geese and the park was really, the beach was wonderful, and it was a popular place for Jews as well as non-Jews. And I met a young man, much older than I was, and so he got interested in me and so he says, "You know, I'm going to a beach party tonight. Would you like to go?" you know, "Why don't you come with me?" And I said, "Oh, that sounds like fun." So he took me to the beach party, and Art was there, and it was actually a lot of people there. And, and Art just zoomed in on me, and I don't even know if I spoke to the guy that I went with. [Laughs] I guess he took me home; I don't remember, I'm sure I would have gotten home with... but that was the last time we saw each other, that other guy, but that's okay. [Laughs]

BF: Because wasn't... education was something that was important to you?

AS: Yes, very important, right, yeah. Yes, you know, I don't know whether it was the hormones setting in later than in most girls, because most girls would have crushes and they'd have their boyfriends, and, and all of a sudden -- [laughs] -- something's happening.

<End Segment 21> - Copyright © 2004 Densho. All Rights Reserved.