Densho Digital Repository - Jan Kumasaka Interview (Densho ID: ddr-densho-1000-518-10)

[Correct spelling of certain names, words and terms used in this interview have not been verified.]

<Begin Segment 10>

BY: And so you got married... you got your nursing degree, you got married, and then it sounds like, then what did you do after that? You said you worked...

JK: Oh, I worked for probably about a year or two after he got married, and then we started having kids. So by then, you know, life became more family-oriented.

BY: And how many children did you have?

JK: Four.

BY: And can you tell me their names and when they were born?

JK: Kyle is the oldest, Carrie, my daughter, Colby and Cory. So three boys and one girl. When was Kyle born?

BY: It's okay.

JK: I can't remember.

BY: He's the eldest.

JK: Yeah.

BY: And he lives in Seattle still?

JK: Uh-huh?

BY: And do the other three children also live in Seattle?

JK: No. Carrie lives, my daughter lives in Montana, and then I have one of the younger kids that lives in California.

BY: And do you have any grandchildren?

JK: Do I have any grandchildren? Yeah, I do, let's see...

BY: That's okay. Okay, all right. So thinking back, so it must have been in the 1960s that you were raising your kids. You were raising four kids in the 1960s. So thinking back to that time, what was life like for you?

JK: Well, I think it was kind of busy.

BY: What kinds of things do you remember doing?

JK: Well, you know, taking them to their swimming lessons and whatever other lessons they had, and taking them to different activities. So it was mostly, that was, you know, a lot of what I spent my time doing.

BY: And were you still active in the Episcopal church at that time?

JK: Yeah.

BY: And so your husband also went to the same church?

JK: Well, he was actually more... he was part of the Japanese Methodist Church when I first met him. But he switched over to the Episcopal church, but it was really more my taking, getting involved in the church. And he kind of...

BY: Joined in.

JK: Joined in, but it wasn't like he was really active.

BY: And what kinds of things did you do at the church?

JK: Oh, at the church? Well, they had things like coffee hours, they had different kinds of meetings to have Bible study or prayer or whatever, those kinds of things. So I got involved in those things.