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NW: Actually, before we get into that, let me ask you, what happened to your parents? You said that they resettled in Cleveland, is that where they stayed?

MW: Uh-huh.

NW: So what were their experiences like after the war, after being in Tule Lake, Amache?

MW: Well, I'm sure they had the same problems. They didn't talk about it. They bought a house, eventually, in Cleveland. My father had this heart condition, so couldn't do heavy work. But he tried to have his own business, I remember, by doing vacuum cleaning with my cousin, the one that became like a, my father was like a father to him. And they tried to do this business for a while, but I think it was very hard going into homes. And so eventually they worked for a place that sold vacuum cleaners or parts or something. But my father had a heart attack, and Wendy never got to meet him. Lori was, she must have been a year or more, I'm not sure exactly, and I was in California. My brother sent a telegram and said, "Come quickly." So when we got there he was in, nowadays they don't have that big oxygen tent. Sneaked her into the hospital, you're not supposed to bring... nurse let her come in, so he got to see her. But it was kind of sad because he was not sixty, he was fifty-seven or -eight I think. So then my mother had a hard time. So when my brother got married and had three kids and the wife died, she had to take care of them. Until we were, they were three, five and six, something like that.

NW: That's a lot of responsibility.

MW: So she had a very, she didn't have an easy life, but her spirit was strong.

NW: About how long after the war was all of this happening? Is this pretty soon after?

MW: Let's see. My brother was... I'm not good about...

NW: I'm sorry, I don't mean to quiz you. I think I have in my notes that your father passed away in about 1951. So maybe six years after the war?

MW: Lori was born in '51, so he died maybe '53 while I was pregnant, I think.

NW: And you had mentioned that you thought maybe it was all of the stress and the hard work that he had to do at Tule Lake?

MW: Oh, definitely. I'm sure it all had an effect. So it's sad, that's very young to die in your fifties.

NW: Well, he didn't get to meet one of his granddaughters.

MW: Yeah, there was a time... I guess Lori was just beginning to walk. He did get to see her at that stage, but he wasn't supposed to lift more than ten pounds, but he was very tempted and she'd come walk.

NW: It's hard to say no to the toddlers. [Laughs] I did want to ask a little bit more about your family and also about your career because you went into nursing. So you mentioned that you had moved around a little bit and you had two daughters, is that right? Can you tell me their names?

MW: Lori is the oldest, and actually I had a miscarriage, I guess, in between. And then Wendy is not quite three years younger. They are the jewels of my life.

NW: So where did you eventually settle down? You moved around a little bit.

MW: Oh, I was longest in Pittsburgh, I guess. And once again, Frank was in student work. And then I became a single parent. And Lori was at Kalamazoo College, she was just going, I think, and Wendy was still in high school. And I worked as a student health nurse at the University of Pittsburgh, so I was there over thirty years, I think. And that was my main goal, just bringing up my girls to be self-maintaining, good individuals, which... I'm so proud of them. Couldn't be more fortunate. They've become individuals that serve the community, strong ideals, and much stronger person than I am. [Laughs]

NW: I don't know, I think you're pretty strong. I think they had to learn it somewhere.

MW: Must be from their grandmother. [Laughs]

<End Segment 13> - Copyright © 2018 Densho. All Rights Reserved.