<Begin Segment 25>

TI: So earlier you mentioned how you and your future wife were in the volunteer group. So at some point, you got married when you were in Idaho. Can you describe the process of getting married in camp, how you'd do that?

TK: Well, we were, let's see, we asked for leave, leave to, to go to Idaho, go to the town to get married. I think we got the license in the courthouse. And justice of the peace there to marry us, and one of the stenographers there was a witness. And paid two dollars and we were married. I don't think it took one hour.

TI: So you didn't have any friends or anyone, just the two of you and the court people. And this is in Twin Falls, Twin Falls courthouse?

TK: Twin Falls, yeah.

TI: So you get married, pay two dollars, get your license and then you, what, go back to the camp?

TK: After that? No, we didn't go back. We went, since we were out, we went to Spokane to where her folks lived. And we got hit for that, later when we came back.

TI: Explain that. What happened? You mean when you, 'cause you weren't supposed to do that?

TK: No, we weren't supposed to, we were supposed to come right back after we got married. And I told my wife, "To heck with that." Said, "Let's go to..." we, I think we carried money with us to go to Spokane. It was train fare then, and I forgot now how much it was.

TI: And so what kind of trouble did you get in? What happened when you got back? You said you got in trouble.

TK: They just reprimanded us. That's it. "It's okay," she said, "Because you didn't get into any legal troubles." If we had, they would have, it would have looked bad for the whole camp. And if it was, got in the papers, but so, we didn't get into trouble. We didn't make any fuss about anything, so it was okay.

TI: But when they reprimanded you, is it like going to the principal's office, do you have to go to a place where they just tell you that you did something bad or is it more serious?

TK: No, it was just the talk, they would talk to us about it. That's all.

TI: And do you recall who, who talked with you? So who actually talked with you? Was it the camp director?

TK: Oh, camp, no, the assistant director. As far as I know, I think it was the assistant director.

TI: So after you're married and you have your in-laws in Spokane, did you, so what did you do next? So your in-laws are already resettled in Spokane, you and your wife are married in camp, then what happened next?

TK: We just lived there, I mean, I was still part of the electrical group, so just carried on the way it was.

TI: So when you finally got back to Minidoka after you got married, did your friends give you a party or anything, now that you were married?

TK: Yeah, they gave us a party.

TI: So describe that. What was that like?

TK: Well, it was just a small party, about half a dozen people. Our good, real good close friends, that's all.

TI: And did you guys bring anything back from Spokane for them or anything?

TK: No, we didn't expect anything. We just expected to just come in quietly and that's all. So we didn't have any money to buy presents anyway.

TI: So any other memories from Minidoka? It sounds like you had a lot, as an electrician, but anything else, like I'm guessing that you and your wife set up a small apartment, or small barrack room now that you were married. What was life like being married in camp?

TK: I don't know, it was just another, I can't say any difference. Nothing special that I can remember.

<End Segment 25> - Copyright © 2008 Densho. All Rights Reserved.