<Begin Segment 21>

DG: How about church? Did your family attend church?

KN: Mom went to Buddhist church, and we went to Congregational church, and Dad was Baptist. So we have all kinds in our family, right now. And Catholics, converted Catholics.

DG: Do you have any memories of attending church, from when you were little, even?

KN: Yes, and I was naughty, naughty. My mother -- it was hard in those days to give you nickels and pennies and dimes. And she used to give me five pennies, and the grocery store was down the street from the church, the Congregational church. The Loveridges had the store. So we start out early Sunday morning and go down to the store first to spend a penny or two instead of putting in the collection basket, and we'd buy licorice whip or whatever. So now, at this point in life, I am always feeling guilty, so I make sure I write a nice check for the church.

DG: So your Mom didn't know her pennies were going to buy licorice?

KN: No, she didn't know that I spent the one or two pennies from the offering, you know, and I just put the balance in the basket. And I still remember that so well, and I, really, even now at this age, I feel guilty. And this is what kids do, right, when you're growing up. But I tell myself that, well, you do it generously now for what you have done, your licorice sin. [Laughs]

<End Segment 21> - Copyright © 2006 Densho. All Rights Reserved.