<Begin Segment 27>

TI: So you and Walt went back to Seattle, and to be with your mother and father.

MH: Uh-huh.

TI: And, so go ahead and keep telling the story. What happened next?

MH: Well, we were with Mom and Dad, and we had this baby, went to Swedish Hospital here, had the baby, and lived with Mom.

TI: So what year would this be? Your first child...

MH: First child. Could it be '49? Does that sound right? Now I can't keep track. And then we had her, then I think I had the second one thirteen months later, and it was in Seattle at the same hospital, the same doctor. So we had two children up here. I'm sure that's right. Isn't that terrible? And then Walt taught at Seattle University, but the pay was very low. I said to him, "Walt, we can't raise children on the pay you get at university." You know, I think it's terrible that a university prof. can't raise a family in those days. So I was looking at the newspapers in the Northwest Aeronautic company. Anyway, an aeronautic company was looking for workers, so I said, "Well, let's go down, you apply for that job." So he did and he got it, and we moved to California with two, two children. Had a hard time finding housing, but there again, Mr. and Mrs. Yoshida, a church old friend, was running a... what is it? What did they call it? Kind of a half-way house for people coming out of camp.

TI: Like a hostel?

MH: Hostel, yeah, they were in a hostel. And so we stayed there for a while, and they were so good to us. And then in time, we found places to rent. Rented and lived down there. Then our third child came, so we have three children.

TI: So why don't you give me the names of all three children, just so I have that for our records.

MH: The oldest one is Lani, L-A-N-I, Noel, N-O-E-L, and Craig, C-R-A-I-G.

TI: Okay.

MH: They're all grown now, they have families.

TI: Well, I'm curious, how many grandchildren do you have?

MH: I have, I have... I don't have many grandchildren, five, I think. And then I have one... well, and then I have two step-grandsons, and I have, right now I have two great-grandchildren from the step-, they're the step ones, and then I'm expecting my first regular biological great-grandson any day now.

TI: Wow, that's an accomplishment.

MH: That's Noel's daughter, (Craig) has three children, (Lani) has one, who's getting married.

<End Segment 27> - Copyright © 2004 Densho. All Rights Reserved.