<Begin Segment 20>

AC: So what kinds of other volunteer work do you do to help --

MH: Okay. I work two days at the senior center back here where they serve Meals on Wheels and also meals, and I serve Tuesday and Wednesday there. I take the money and count it and do that. I volunteer Saturday afternoons which is today, but I got excused because of the parade. I go to the, help in the museums, sell the tickets, and take them to the museum. I help at our church. Yesterday, we sent out our bulletin. I do fun things too. I play bridge. I belong to a couple of clubs, and we have what we call another group that we play Shanghai which is a card game with a little money on it, and I like bingo. So I also enjoy things too. I'm by myself, and I don't like to stay at home too much. I must tell you about my husband.

AC: Please do.

MH: He was, we were on the farm, and I don't know what happened, but he was in a farm accident. It's been sixteen years now, and he passed on. And so when I figure how long we were married, it was about forty-two years that we were together. And I told you, he is, was very active in judo. He had a fifth degree black belt. He helped a lot of people, very disciplinary. He left a lot of friends for me.

AC: So you said very disciplinary with the children and how he lived his life?

MH: Uh-huh, yeah. We went to a lot of the kids' programs and sports events. You know, my son played baseball, and so we work hard all day out in the field, hurriedly take a shower, and go down to the baseball field. And sometime, he'd be pitching and sometime he'd be sitting on the bench, but we don't care. We just went down and watched him. So I encourage these families now that raising kids, I says, "As long as they're doing something, go. Before you know it, they're gone."

AC: And where are your children now?

MH: Like I said, Steve is in Sacramento. He's an OB/GYN. I think he's practiced for over twenty years now in Sacramento. My daughter is the manager at REI in Redmond, Washington. She's just finished her thirtieth anniversary. I was surprised, and the company gave her a beautiful pin with two diamonds on it. Her employees gave her a surprise party, and she's still at it, but she is good. She's good with people, and she loves her company. The company is a good company that has treated her good. And then Steve has two children. This is my grandchildren. They're both adopted; Tommy, who graduated from high school this year, I went to the graduation, and then Kimmy, his daughter, will be graduating next year, and I'll be going down there. Arlene has a daughter. She's thirteen, and she goes to not a public school, but it's a school that is funded by the state, and it's called, what they call, they concentrate on environment, so they go out a lot, you know. And so I have three grandchildren and lucky that I have these two kids.

AC: So if your father were here today and he looked upon seeing you, you and your life, your grandkids --

MH: Right.

AC: What do you think he'd say?

MH: I think of that a lot. My father would be very proud, and I'm going to name all the people who, the grandchildren who achieved so much. Okay. He has a doctor and he has a dentist. He has about four, no, more than that, six pharmacists, manager of REI. Of course, some of these pharmacists come home to take care of the orchards though. I would call them orchardists. What else? Secretary, very professional secretary. Dad and Mom will be proud of the grandchildren. They all have good jobs, good homes, more than any of us would see.

AC: And you're still, someone still running the family farm?

MH: What?

AC: And someone is still running the family farm?

MH: Yes, my nephew, my nephew, my oldest brother's son. He had three daughters and a son, so the son took over, and same with my second brother. His son has taken over, but they're having a hard time in Hood River. Fruit is, apples, they import, and they're having a hard time. Pears and cherries is what's keeping them, apples, they're pulling out all the Red Delicious apples and all the apples that used to be, popular, putting in different varieties. Farming is hard, even here, so many of the Sanseis who took over their dad and mom's farm is quitting. They can't make it, cost so much to raise those onions and sugar beets and potatoes. But I feel for the Sanseis because we who are Niseis don't have any kids to take care of. You know, we can kind of get along, but the Sanseis still have kids going to school and high school and college that they need to do something. They got to fall back on something. Some, they have degrees, but I don't know about jobs, you know.

AC: Is there anything that we've talked about that you'd like to revisit or add more to?

MH: I think I've told more than my life than, maybe more than I should have. [Laughs]

AC: Okay, one last question. Looking back over all your experiences, I guess what advice would you give to your grandchildren and your great grandchildren?

MH: What I would give to them? Well, one thing is I believe in the Lord, and I hope that my grandchildren would go to church and become believers of Christ. I just wish them happiness, success in what they're doing. I always tell people, some people say, what are you doing? He says, "I got this dumb job, but I don't like it," and I think, "Oh, why do they do this job if they don't like it because money isn't everything." Do what you like to do because you can do it good. If you don't like it, you can't do it good. But I've heard so many people, "I don't like my job," you know.

AC: Have you always done what you really like to do?

MH: Yes, yes. I've always been wanting to be a secretary, and I got there. And I felt like every time I got my check, I earned it because I worked hard. I worked hard at it. I hardly miss, my husband, I got a little headache. "Stay home." I said, "No. If I don't go, it puts a hardship on the other person," so I hardly missed. Sometimes, the weather might do it. I know one morning, I started out and rained, and the rain just froze on the ground, so I thought, well, I better not proceed on to Ontario. So I turned and went to my friends, and I said, "Can I stay here a while?" And said sure. So I waited until about 10 o'clock, and then I said, "I'm going to go out, and I don't know whether I'm going to turn to Ontario or whether I'm going to turn home." Well, it wasn't too bad, so I came to work. That day, everybody was pretty late. But you know, it's better to be safe than sorry. And yesterday morning, it was pretty slicky, so when I talked to Tim, he said, "The road is okay," and I find the road is okay.

AC: Well, thank you so very much for taking the time and speaking to us.

MH: No, thank you. I've enjoyed it.

AC: Oh, no. It's been our pleasure. Thank you so very much.

MH: Thank you.

[Interruption]

<End Segment 20> - Copyright © 2004 Oregon Nikkei Endowment and Densho. All Rights Reserved.