<Begin Segment 35>

MA: So going back a little bit, I'm curious how you met your wife.

GY: [Laughs] You know when you first talked to me, Megan, that I told you "stalking?" That was a very poor word to use. Not like, you know, hiding behind trees, bushes and all. No, I, I knew a lot of the evacuees, guys and gals that came into town, I knew the locals, which, you know, born and raised in Spokane. However, our hotel was located in middle of downtown where Susie, my wife, was employed, close by. And she would be having coffee at this marketplace, she and her, I think, couple other girlfriends, and I noticed her a couple of times. I had to shop for my mother, where we used to go down, I used to go down to help her make beds and sweep the floors, sweep the outside concrete, sidewalk. But anyway, I saw her, and I told my mother -- I was taking her home from the hotel one afternoon, and I saw Susie waiting for a bus. And I pointed, I told my wife I pointed to her as we drove by, and says, "You know, I'm going to marry that girl." And then my mother would say, "Sonna baka na koto you." Baka is crazy thoughts or whatever, but anyway, she told me, "Sonna baka na koto," and she, she kind of castigated me and I just let it run off my shoulder.

And I saw her couple times after that again, I made it a point, I got to find out her telephone number. And through another Nisei, he worked in the same office, insurance. And he forced me to buy a thousand-dollar policy, so I bought a thousand-dollar life insurance policy from him. And I think it was a term insurance one. Anyway, it, no cash value or anything, but anyway, I called her up. And I told her my name, and I tried to make a date for a week ahead, or two weeks ahead at Natatorium Park, which was the one I was telling you about, the roller coaster and dance floor for two thousand couples, big band days. But anyway, I made a date two weeks ahead and I thought, "Gee, I'm sure loving talking to this girl." I just saw her, I never spoke to her before, and the more I talked to her, the more I thought, "I got to see her quicker than that." So I said, "Instead of seeing you two weeks from now, is it possible to get together next week?" And she said, "Yeah, yeah, I'm open that day." I said, "Matter of fact," I jumped at the opportunity again, said, "Long as I'm able to see you seven days from now, why not tonight?" [Laughs] Anyway, so I got together with her that night. Went to, could be a movie or whatever, and that's how it all started out.

MA: And then you got married.

GY: Then we got married, and it's fifty, it's the fifty-fifth, fifty-five years now.

<End Segment 35> - Copyright © 2006 Densho. All Rights Reserved.