Densho Digital Archive - Kay Endo Interview (denshovh-ekay-01-0014)

<Begin Segment 14>

RP: I want to just step back a little ways and just kind of cover briefly your return to Milwaukie.

KE: There was no... transition was very easy, there was no prejudice. We were accepted in the community, in fact we kind of looked upon being good citizens. We never had any trouble, no trouble within the community of Milwaukie, the business people we never heard any derogatory remarks. There may have been some but not face to face.

RP: What did you father do?

KE: He passed away in 1942.

RP: And you were eight years old?

KE: Yes.

RP: So your mom had quite a bunch to take care of?

KE: Yeah, so in our case it was kind of blessing that we went to camp. Because otherwise we don't know how we would have survived.

RP: That way at least you were fed.

KE: Yeah, got three meals a day, just like going into the service, three meals a day and a place to sleep.

RP: While you were in camp did you sort of long for a father figure?

KE: No, never occurred to me even to this day.

RP: There was nobody that really kind of stepped in and took that role? How about your older brother?

KE: No, it's just kind of Mom took over. Oh and then we had her brother was with us for four, five years. He was more of a ruthless leader. [Laughs]

RP: Now one of your mom's brothers was picked up by the FBI?

KE: Yes.

RP: Was that the brother you're talking about?

KE: Yes.

RP: And he ended up at Kooskia?

KE: Kooskia, that's on the Lolo Pass.

RP: And he came back to Minidoka, didn't he?

KE: Yes, and then when we went to Ontario he went to Ontario with us and he stayed there and he worked with the Saito family. And they really missed him when he went back to Japan 'cause he was all work and no foolishness.

RP: And so did you have an aspiration to go to college?

KE: Yeah, and I went to Oregon State, was there four years, got a degree in horticulture.

RP: And shortly after you go into business?

KE: Yeah, back in the greenhouse business.

RP: And what did you raise?

KE: Raised bedding plants. And then later on we gave the greenhouse up because our business was not that large and then that was a transition period between... you had to be either real big or be kind of on your own and there's no seven-eleven type of operation in the greenhouse field. In fact, even in the nursery business.