<Begin Segment 4>
JS: Okay, so let's start again with your family, your sisters. So you were...
KM: My brother was born, but then he passed away when he was nine months old. I remember that. Only part I remember is I was hiding underneath the porch when he was real bad, that he was upstairs, no, downstairs. The doctor came, and he had pneumonia. That's all I remember of him.
JS: So you knew he was sick, and so you went to hide?
KM: That's why I hid under the porch again.
JS: And were any of your sisters with you, hiding, or just you?
KM: No, just me. I don't remember my sisters.
JS: So your brother was...
KM: Nine months old.
JS: Nine months old, and how old were you at the time?
KM: He was just one, one year younger.
JS: Oh, so you were quite young. You were only maybe two years old when he was sick.
KM: Yes. But that's all I remember. I remember hiding under the porch. I knew he was dying.
JS: So did someone come and find you, or do you remember what happened after you were hiding?
KM: No.
JS: Wow. And then after that, then after... what was your brother's name?
KM: Takeshi.
JS: Takeshi. So Takeshi passed away, and then your sister was born?
KM: I don't remember my next sister. She was born in Stockton.
JS: She was born in Stockton?
KM: They must have had a midwife there, or hospital. But she wasn't born... my second sister was not born in Stockton.
JS: Huh. So was it that your father went to Stockton to work?
KM: No. I think they just...
JS: Took her to the hospital there?
KM: Must be, or midwife there.
JS: Or the midwife there.
KM: And I don't remember my third sister either. She was born in Walnut Grove also, where she was born.
JS: Okay.
KM: But my youngest sister, I remember her when she was born at the house.
JS: And what was your youngest sister's name?
KM: June.
JS: The youngest sister is June.
KM: June.
JS: And she was born at Canal Ranch, in the house?
KM: Yes, in the house.
JS: And do you remember who helped deliver her?
KM: It was Ishizuka.
JS: Ishizuka. So the midwife came to the house.
KM: Uh-huh.
JS: And what do you remember about that day?
KM: That day? Well, they were running around and getting in a lot of hot water, that's all I remember.
JS: Did you help at all?
KM: No. I must have just sat and watched, I guess.
JS: Okay.
KM: She's, what, five years younger?
JS: Uh-huh. So you were... about five years old.
KM: I was maybe five years old.
JS: Wow.
KM: But that's what I remember.
<End Segment 4> - Copyright © 2009 Densho and Preserving California's Japantowns. All Rights Reserved.