<Begin Segment 18>

TI: So it started off fairly small. So what do you think is the success? What allowed it to grow so much over the years. Because it kept growing, right?

SI: Yes. Whatever we did, we did something right. [Laughs] I think all the kids did their part, and their ideas were good, whatever they said to do, you know.

TI: Can you remember anything like an idea that you thought was a good idea that helped?

SI: Well, Lon knew quite a bit about putting in certain icing equipment and all that stuff, and how we'd fix a corn packing line, that you have more efficiency by the way he planned everything. I think he knew a little bit more about those things to improve it, how you could do things better, you know.

TI: And then how about Wayne? What were some of the things that he was doing?

SI: Well, he always, as long as he did the marketing and the bookkeeping, planning everything, we were okay.

TI: So he would find people to buy the produce, keep the books and figure that out. And when the boys were doing that, what would Ken be focusing on? What would he be thinking about?

SI: He would be running the farm, you know.

TI: Okay, so the workers and...

SI: Yeah, all the other things, how the farm should be run. Because they didn't know what you have to do on the farm, and they helped whether they can improve anything.

TI: And then what was your role? Because you worked with the three of them, what would you do?

SI: Well, I was working in the office. And anytime they would sell all their stuff, I would do all the paperwork, bill of ladings and invoices, and I paid all the bills and did those things.

TI: Okay. So a lot of the things that you were trained to do...

SI: Yes, it came in handy.

TI: So it actually didn't come in handy. After all those years, you actually did get to work?

SI: It did, uh-huh.

TI: Was it special working with your family, I mean, your sons and your husband? Or was it harder? Because you worked seven years in an insurance company doing that, and now you're working with your family.

SI: I think working together, we did all right. We did our part anyway, whatever we could do.

TI: And how was it for your other siblings? Because it seemed like the four of you kind of ran things. But there were four other children, I mean, what was their involvement?

SI: I think they were still young yet. Norman, he didn't really care too much about the farm, but he did stay with the farm. But he was not that interested in it, but he did what he was supposed to do. I think he did the payroll. I think he did the payroll, that's right, he took care of that. And I don't know whether... I think he knew his Spanish real good, so he could talk to all these workers, and we didn't know.

TI: Oh, good, so Norman got involved. But after some time, I think we were talking earlier, you said your husband died about twenty-five years ago. So this would be kind like the late 1990s or something. Do you remember when he passed away?

SI: See, I'm trying to... all I remember was twenty-four years ago, I'm trying to remember. Was it June? About June 30th, he passed away.

TI: So it's like 1999 or something?

SI: I'd have to go back twenty-five years and find out, subtract it.

<End Segment 18> - Copyright © 2023 Densho. All Rights Reserved.