<Begin Segment 6>

TM: So you, what was the date of your birth?

FP: July 31, 1939.

TM: And what was your full name at birth?

FP: Frances Yoshiko Sumida, and Yoshiko means sweet smelling like a flower.

TM: And the significance of Frances is, as you explained earlier, you were named after a Catholic saint. [Laughs]

FP: Yes, yes. But it got to be an onus to me in high school. I didn't want people teasing me and ribbing me about being a saint, so I changed it to Fran, right, which was more Americanized.

TM: You came up with the name Fran, the short name of it?

FP: Yes, uh-huh.

TM: Now, at the time of your birth, the grocery store was no longer being operated, is that the case? Had your father moved on to any other...

FP: Yes, yes. He had, about that time, when the grocery store closed... but I think, if I remember correctly, he had, my Uncle Mizuhata was strongheaded, and he had a fight. He had a disagreement and a falling out with Uncle Mizuhata. And then he went and hired on with another relative named Mark Sumida. And Mark Sumida would send representatives all around the Oregon and Washington area and sell seed. And then later, Mark grew his famous gladiolas to sell nationwide, but this was when Uncle Mark was just starting out.

TM: And that was in Eastern Oregon, Uncle Mark, his business later?

FP: Yes, yes.

TM: After you were born, did you have any other brothers and sisters?

FP: I had my one brother, and for a long time it was hard to share that, because he is severely mentally retarded.

TM: What is his name?

FP: His name is Richard, and his nickname is Dickie, but for obvious reasons we don't use Dickie. [Laughs]

TM: And when was he born? Do you know his date of birth?

FP: He was born September 1, 1940, he's a year and so, and a few months, well, two months apart from myself.

<End Segment 6> - Copyright © 2014 Oregon Nikkei Endowment and Densho. All Rights Reserved.