<Begin Segment 15>

CN: During all this time, then, your father was in the Twin Cities, correct? And was he active, did he work while he was here?

JM: My father? My father ended up working for Gray's Drugstore his whole entire career, and probably retired when he was either in his late sixties or early seventies when he began to get sick. He was sick for quite a few years and then eventually passed away in 1984.

CN: When I asked that question I was thinking of your grandfather, but anyway, your father, did he feel that he was able to fulfill his career as a pharmacist? I mean, he felt pretty satisfied?

JM: I think my father had a very satisfying life. I think that he ended up being active in things in the Twin Cities, mainly through the Japanese American community.

CN: And he helped start the Japanese American Credit Union, did he?

JM: I don't believe he started it, but I think he came soon after. I think he was one of the early members. He began to become involved with a lot of these organizations through my Uncle Earl Tanbara. But continued through the JACL because of his former experience in Portland, Oregon.

CN: It just occurred to me, but was the credit union started because the Japanese Americans had a hard time getting credit elsewhere and this was like a way to make sure, it was like a co-op for the Japanese?

JM: Did you read that in my... it's in my aunt's book.

CN: Maybe that's where it's coming from, okay.

<End Segment 15> - Copyright ©2009 Densho and the Twin Cities JACL. All Rights Reserved.