Densho Digital Archive - Kay Endo Interview (denshovh-ekay-01-0003)

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RP: Do you recall your father, physically, personality wise?

KE: It was pretty hard because I was eight when he passed away. So the memories aren't very vivid.

RP: How about your mother?

KE: Oh, she lived 'til 102 so we had a lot of contact with her.

RP: What do you remember most about her?

KE: Oh, she was very giving and understanding. And she was, in terms of Issei, probably very progressive.

RP: In what ways?

KE: Well, she tried to tell you to do things, which my understanding a lot of Japanese families kind of told their children not to be, stand out but study hard.

RP: Did your father originally work on the railroads or the canneries or any --

KE: All I know is he worked in the sawmill.

RP: In Oregon?

KE: In Oregon, yes. And that's all I know.

RP: And then your parents settled in Milwaukie?

KE: Originally in Gladstone and then they had a farm and then they moved to Milwaukie.

RP: Do you have any early memories of your life out on the farm in Milwaukie?

KE: No, not really, just too young.

RP: And what did they, do you remember them growing there? Was it mostly berries?

KE: No, he had about an acre and he grew a lot of carrots and things like that and then he had a stand at the public (market)... one of the markets down in Portland. They had two, well, they had a smaller market and later on they had a big public market, but he remained on the smaller market.

RP: They also had a greenhouse too?

KE: Yes.

RP: For raising plants?

KE: Raising plants, yes.

RP: And where was his farm located in Milwaukie?

KE: Oh, it was just about a half mile from where we lived, down in the bottom ground.

RP: How would you rate the quality of the land? Was it marginal or --

KE: No, it was good land. It was what they call beaver dam ground.

RP: Beaver dam ground.

KE: Yeah.

RP: I never heard that before.

KE: In agriculture terms they call it what they call peat and muck soil.

RP: Very rich.

KE: Very rich, yeah. And it was the part that... well, his part didn't have as much of that peat in it so... but the other part there was a lot of celery growers there. Which was I'm told that that was excellent celery grounds.