Chris (grandson-in-law, 3-2006)

Simple Testimony (2006 interview)

Proving Loyalty (2006 interview)

How the world changed (2006 interview)

Most Challenging Experience (2006 interview)

Kibune Gakko (scrapbook)

1932-Graduation class for my brother, Henry 

March 1931-6th grade graduation class of Kibune gakko.  Can you find me?

Uncle & Aunt (scrapbook)

1927
This picture was taken just before Henry and I went to Japan.  They got married in April and my Uncle Tsunetaka 2as 31 years old and my Aunt Etsuko Otsu Morio was 21 years old.

In October, Henry and I arrived and lived with them.  They became our mother and father.  I was 12 years old and Henry was 10 years old.  These are my aunt's mother and father, Mr. & Mrs. Otsu and they lived in Tokyo

Akio & Iwao (scrapbook)

Akio

Akio & Iwao

Iwao

Akio and Iwao Morio of Tsunetaka and Etsuoko Morio's sons and they were born while Henry and I lived with them.  I enjoyed babysitting them.  They were my brothers and called me (ne-chan) meaning big sister.  They were my family in Japan.

Arriving in Japan 1927 (Scrapbook)

L-R Iku Morio, Riki Yoshitomi (grandma), Shoishi Morio (baby), Tsunetaka Morio, Misa Morio (grandma), Henry Morio, Michi Morio

This is a picture taken when my brother Henry and I arrived in Yokohama, Japan after spending 2 weeks on a rough sea on the ship.  We were both very sick and didn't enjoy it at all.

Our friends, Mrs. Nigorizawa and her grown son Toyojiro was going to Japan so they took us.  Our Uncle Kaoru Morio and his wife Iku and their small son Shoichi from Tokyo was there.

Our grandmother, Riki Yoshitomi was there from Fukushima.  This grandma was in Sesattle for a while and we knew her very well and we were happy to see her but in a few days we had to say "goodbye" to her because she lived in fukushima, she was the only one we knew so it was sad to see her go.

My Uncle Tsunetaka Morio and his mother Misa Morio came from Shizuoka to meet us and that is where we went and lived with them for 7 years.

As you can see, my hair was cut short and the girls in Japan wore their hair in braids, so it took me 1/2 year for my hair to grow and be one of them.  My brother Henry just had to shave his hair to be one of the Japanese boys.

I guess we never thought how it would be going to school in Japan but soon after we started to go to a Kibune gakko which was just a walking distant away.  I was 12 years old and Henry was 10 years old.  Henry was put in 1st grade and I was in 2nd grade and I was so much bigger than the rest and it was very embarrassing when we went out as a group.

As soon as we learned the language, they advanced us and I was able to finish elementary school in 3 years.  In Japan, when one is in the 6th grade and is planning on going to High School, we had to study hard for a year for entrance test.  The test was hard so I don't know show I passed but I did pass and was able to go to girls high school.

by the time I started high school, I was the same size as the others and I didn't show up too much and was one of them.

We had to walk about 25 minutes to go to school but I had a friend and we walked together for 4 years.  her name was Shiokawa-san.

When we have our entrance test and they tell us that at a certain date it would be posted so we go that date and our names who passed are posted and we are so happy when we see our name but when your name is not there, they start crying and it is very sad.

Passport Picture (scrapbook)

October 28, 1927
We left from the Seattle Harbor on the Africa Maru (ship) with Mrs. Nigoriza and her son Toyojiro nNigorizawa.

Farewell Talk (July 16, 1989) Continued...last part

May I brag about my family.  I have 2 sons in law and 3 daughters in law.  I have 3 sons and 2 daughters.  They have been marrie din the Temple, and I think they are very smart because they chose the right mate for themselves and seem like they are more of a sweetheart as they grow older and it is wonderful to watch.  I have 27 grandchildren and they are growing up fast.  3 of my 27 grandchildren are return missionaries from Japan.  One grandson is in Japan on his mission, a granddaughter is in the Venezuela mission, and another grandson is in the MTC, going to the Italian Mission.

I was hoping that they would all go to Japan so they could learn the Japanese language, but this is a world wide church, and I guess they will be going all over the world from now on.

I have worked in the Salt Lake Temple for many years and enjoyed it very much, it is a blessing and a privilege to work in the House of the Lord.

Maybe some of you do not know, but my mission president is President and Sister Douglas Matsumori and they are from Dai Ichi Ward.  They have just left for Japan.  I have known them for a long time.  I have watched Sister Matsumori grow up into a beautiful lady and I know they will be great mission president.

I hope I will not be too much of a burden to them.  The other day, my daughter in law in California said she's never seen a calm missionary like you but as the days get closer, I am wondering if I am doing the right thing, but I know the Lord will bless and watch over me.

Please pray for me and I will be ok.

we have celebrated the 4th of July and soon we will celebrate the 24th of July, and I would like to tell you that I was made in the USA and very proud to be an American and to be a mormon.

I am glad my parents came to America when they did although they had to go through many hardships.  They had to endure a lot like the mormon pioneers did and I am proud of my ancestors.

I would like to thank my family, my West Bountiful friends, Temple friends, and Dai-Ichi friends.

Amen

Farewell Talk (July 16, 1989) Continued...part 3

The parents [Michi & Eisaku] were quite stubborn and didn't get baptized for a while, but the West Bountiful people are very clever.  They asked me to be a primary teacher before I was a member.  I told them I couldn't do such a thing but they said they have a teacher's manual and I just had to study it and it would be easy.

I started to teach the 10 year old girls and they were so cute but one cannot teach the gospel if you weren't converted so I was baptized soon after and my husband got baptized much alter.  Our eldest son, Ken, baptized both of us.

I can testify to you that our life has changed for the better and I am always grateful for the example that the West Bountiful people showed to us.  My heart is still in West Bountiful because I was reborn there and I have many wonderful friends there.

My 3 sons went on missions to Japan.  when my sons went on their missions many years ago, I remember Bishop Samuelson saying "Let's send Sister Mano on a mission"  I know he was joking then but I don't think he ever realized that I would go on 3 missions, did you Bishop Samuelson?

(Continued in next post)

Farewell Talk (July 16, 1989) Continued...

I was born in Utah many years ago but I left when I was very young and never came back until I was married and had two children Ken and Irene.

The reason we came to Utah was because of WWII and the Japanese were chased out of California.  I guess you cannot imagine a thing like that could happen in America, but it did, but I do not blame anyone for it because after all, it was war and many strange things happen during wars.

We thought it was the end of the world, but it was actually a blessing in disguise because if there was no war, I don't think we would have come to Utah and if we didn't come to Utah, we would of never known about this church.  Although we came to Utah, we didn't hear about this church until we moved to West Bountiful, but when we lived in Rockport and Murray, my daughter always went to church.

In Rockport, they had a tiny one room church and Irene was only 7 or 8 years or maybe 10 years old.  She went to church all by herself and when we moved to Murray, Irene went to church with a friend named Marlene.  I think she went to the Mormon church.  I really didn't know what church she was going to but I knew as long as she went to church it was ok.

Soon as we moved to West Bountiful, my children were invited by their friends to go to primary after school and to church on Sunday.  Stake missionaries came to visit us, not to preach to us but to fellowship, they wouldn't leave us alone.  Soon after that, my eldest children, Ken and Irene were baptized, then the next two, Ron and Sharon were baptized, and my youngest son Dick was baptized when he was 8 years old.

(continued on next post)

Farewell Talk (July 16, 1989)

~Note from Joy:  I'm breaking this up into 4 posts because it's a little long, and it will also give me more time to find more material to post :)  I'm just going through some of grandma's scrapbooks.~

Opening Prayer:  Irene
Choir with Dick conducting
Talk: Ken
Musical #: Piano solo by Tiffany
Talk: Ron
Talk: Michi
Remarks:  Bishop Suzuki

(Note from grandma:  I was hoping that the meeting would not go over time, but it did and lasted until 4:30.  Ken & Ron & Bishop gave good talks.  Choir was small but very nice.  Tiffany played well.)

Farewell Talk:
My dear brothers & sisters, isn't it wonderful that the Lord has invited to go on another mission?  I thought he would reject me because after all the age limit is 70 years old or so I thought.  Maybe I am over 70 but I sure don't feel like it.  We read in DC Section 4...

As it is written, we must have a desire to serve God to go on a mission, but it is ver important that you have good health because missionary work is not easy but I read that "As a job, a mission is hard, but as a calling, it is wonderful"  I have good health and I do not have a pain in my body.  I asked a friend why she doesn't go on a mission and she said "you're brave, I'm scared to go on a mission by myself"  but there is nothing to be scared of.  The Lord is with you all the way and there is nothing to fear.

About a month ago, I went with my son Ron and his family to Disneyland and there was a ride we were going on there was a sign that said "if you have bad heart, you shouldn't ride on it."  Although I have a good heart, I was wondering if I should ride on it or not and Ron said "if you are crazy enough to go on a mission at your age, you should be ok"  I rode on it and I was ok, and it proved to me that I was ready for my next mission.

In the church news sometime ago, I read that "every man that is called to serve was pre-ordained in Heaven"  In Ephesians we read...

When I read these words, I wondered why it took so long for me to find this church and it thrilled me to think that I was ordained in Heaven.

I did not become a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Days until later in life, but because of the wonderful example of the people of West Bountiful, we were converted and baptized.  All 5 of my children, my husband, and I.

(continued in next post)

Granger Elementary School (Joy)

When I was in 1st grade, one of the things that I loved was that grandma volunteered in my 1st grade class.  She volunteered in Mrs. Walton's class.  Even when none of us grandkids were in Mrs. Walton's class, grandma still volunteered.  I remember going with her to volunteer a few times when I was in Jr. High.  Grandma was notorious for keeping busy whether she was working, doing church stuff, or volunteering with community things.

My brother Henry (Michi Mano's History)

On October 28, 1949 my brother Henry passed away after a long sickness. Henry and I were very close because we were together in Japan for seven years and we were like the only brother and sister in the family. Henry became sick in Japan and when he came back to America and tried to get insurance he was told that he had heart trouble and couldn’t get insurance and he was very sad. He married right after the war and went in the Minidoka concentration camp in Idaho. His son Michael and daughter Sylvia were born there. Later, when they got out of the concentration camp, they moved to Chicago and worked there for a few years and then they moved to Seattle. Not too long before he passed away, he came to Murray, Utah with his son and spent a few weeks with me. That was the last time I saw him. He left a young wife and two small children behind but he always used to say that he won’t be living too long so he might as well die so his wife might have a chance to marry again. I miss Henry because we were very close. He was only thirty-two years old. When Henry died we went to his funeral in Seattle in our old Dodge car. My brother-in-law Sadamaro Takemori drove and Mary, Grandpa Morio, Sharon, and Dick went with me.

Trouble (Michi Mano's History)

About a year later [around 1949] we had the chance to move to Wood Cross, Utah. We had so much trouble with water rights and people going through our field for fishing or pheasant hunting. One year a car came in and helped themselves to a box of onions. They even put it in our box to take it away. Another summer Daddy had fertilizer loaded on the truck and dropped a bag so when he found out he went right back but it was already gone. There was a nice stream running close to the field so lots of people came fishing and didn’t care if they stepped on our vegetables. We got so disgusted with them, one year Kenny and his friends scattered a box of thumb tacks on the driveway and made them have flat tires.

Dick's birth day (Video & Michi Mano's History)

2000 Interview

In 1948 our fifth child and third son was born. We named him Richard. The reason we named him Richard was because Kenny had a real close friend named Richard Bartholomew and Kenny always talked about him, so Sharon, who was about four years old, thought that was a neat name and said “if it’s a boy, let’s name him Richard.” So we did.

Murray (Dictated by Michi to Joy)

I would like to tell you about Mrs. Brown. She was a true friend during the war. She was very good to us and helped us any time we needed help. They had 3 children, Nita Lee, Geraldine, and Tom. Later Mr. Brown passed away and she married Mr. Blonquist and lived in Coalville, but we stayed close friends for many years.

I guess my husband found out about this place in Murray when he went to the wholesale Market. There was a Japanese family called Kato that lived there and they decided to move back to California. They came to Utah from Califronia when they had to evacuate and after the war ended, they had a chance to go back. When we moved to Murray, our children were still young, and they were not too much help for us, so we had to hire some Japanese from Salt Lake City to help us on the farm. At harvest time, the children went to Lincoln Elementary which was located on 3900 South and 500 East. Ken, Irene, and Ron went to school there.

The Kato’s left a dog behind and he stayed with us. This dog was scared of lightning and thunder, when we had thunder it went around and around the house trying to find a place to hide. This dog barked a lot so someone must have poisoned him, and he died. He was quite a big dog and was black with white spots.

We had a farm which was about 10 acres but we had lots of trouble on this farm. We had water turn (once a week water would come down the ditch for you to use, and everyone had to take turns), and every time it was our water turn, the water didn’t come so my husband with a shovel over his shoulder would go up the ditch to find out who was taking the water. Since we were the last on the line, we always had trouble and never had enough water for our vegetables. We had a stream running close to the farm land and people just came through the field to fish and grab some vegetables while they are there and when hunting season came, they would trample through our field not carin gif they stepped on our vegetables or not. My husband cleared a path so they wouldn’t ruin our vegetables, but they were rude, and didn’t stay on it. I guess we barely made a living, but stayed in Murray for about 5 years.

This farm house wasn’t very big either, but my father lived with us all that time. My father’s brother, Hiroshi Morio, came to live with us, but he was not help on the farm, and later went to Salt Lake City, and then went back to San Francisco, California where he lived before the war. We used to hear from this uncle for a while, but later we never heard from him, and then finally heard that he died when he was hit by a car. He never married and never went back to Japan since he came to America many years earlier.

Farming was very hard work, and we worked hard from morning until late at night. While living in Murray, Utah, I had another baby. I think I worked on the farm even to that day and in 1948 I had a baby boy at the Holy Cross Hospital. We named him Richard and called him Dick.

Sharon's birth day (Dictated by Michi to Joy)

After my father came to live with us, my father wanted us to call the Takemori’s from Idaho. This was a small farm, and we knew we couldn’t’ make a go with it with two families, but we called them. The house wasn’t that big and we had trouble all the time, so we finally decided to move away from Rockport. The summer in Rockport was very nice but the winter was long, too long. There were ticks and with the well water, we had to get shots for the children every spring, and I didn’t like it.

My brother Noboru stayed with us off and on. Before we moved away from Rockport, I had another baby in 1944 at the Coalville hospital. Although I was pregnant I worked hard all summer but that day I didn’t feel good and knew my baby was going to be born that day. Towards the evening, I called my husband to have him take me to the hospital. He just came back from the field and said he was awfully hungry and had to eat first. I remember I had noodles for him to eat.

We had a dear friend, a neighbor Mrs. Lorea Brown and she came over and was with us at the time and when my husband said he had to eat first, that made her real nervous and she said “isn’t that just like a man.” After he ate, we got in the truck and drove 12 miles to the Coalville hospital. The rough ride on the truck must have not helped at all because as soon as we got to the hospital and Dr. Oldham was washing his hands, we heard a noise and when the doctor looked, the baby was out. The doctor and nurse looked at each other and started to laugh. I always had easy deliveries. The baby was a girl and we named her Sharon. Mrs. Brown wanted her named Sharon. She had dark black hair and at the hospital people asked to see the Japanese baby with the dark black hair. She was very popular.

When we came home, one of the children had chicken pox, so we had to keep the baby away from them for a month and the older children were very unhappy because they wanted to hold her.

Lettuce (Dictated by Michi to Joy)

The summer in Rockport was much cooler than Salt Lake, so we were able to raise lettuce there when it was too hot in Salt Lake. We raised lettuce and green onions, but it was a small farm, and we couldn’t get rich on it, but I guess we were able to make a living.

 One year, we thought we were really going to hit right, our lettuce was doing great and the green onion was good and we thought this was the year we were going to get rich. About a week before we were going to harvest, grandpa would count the lettuce heads and would figure out how much we could make. Then one afternoon it started to rain, and we were glad because the only time we could rest was when it rained. It rained and rained and then there was a cloud burst and all of a sudden we had a great flood. Just above our place, there was a huge gully and the water started gushing out. When it came to our field, we just had a small ditch so the water flooded our whole farm, and everything was covered with mud. All the beautiful lettuce and green onions that were ready for harvest were gone and we were sick.

 There were two Japanese (one was named Kotoku) were farming near by and when they saw our farm, they told us to cultivate it, take care of it and as long as there are hearts left, it will come back, so we really worked hard to revive it. It really came back and in a month they looked beautiful again, but at that time, the Salt Lake market was flooded with lettuce and green onions and we couldn’t’ sell it or we had to sell it for really cheap. We decided that it wasn’t our time to get rich and never did have a chance to get rich since.

The Kurumada's (Dictated by Michi to Joy)

After the first year of farming, the Kuramada’s let us farm by ourselves, and we wereon our own. People used to tell us that the Kurumada’s are not to be trusted, but they were very good to us, and helped us a lot.

The Kurumada’s are very old friend of my family. When my mother, Masa Morio died on May 7, 1922 she left behind 6 children. My brother Henry was 5 years old, and Noboru was only 3 years old and after mother died, they played quite well in the day time, but when it got dark, they started to cry and cry for their mother. Soon after mother died, I think we stayed with the Kurumada’s and Mrs. Kurumada’s sister, the Sato’s. Our sister, Sachie who was born the same day our mother died, was being taken care of by my mother’s sister, Chiyo Sakuma until the Shiki’s decided to adopt her.

My mother’s family in Japan had lots of brothers, but she had only one sister. When I met my Aunt Chiyo Sakuma in Japan many years later, she told me that she wanted to go to Utah, and not too long after that before she could enjoy being with her sister, she died and they really didn’t have time to enjoy each other and she was very sad. I wish I could feel close to my sisters like that, but being raised separately like we did, didn’t help at all, but I feel very close to my brother Noboru, and if my brother Henry was alive, it would have been fun, because Henry went to Japan with me and we were close. Anyway, the first year at Rockport, Utah was share cropping with the Kurumada’s and they taught us how to farm and to sell our produce.

Fallen Tree (Dictated by Michi to Joy)

The house was much larger than the home in Layton, and my father, Tsunemichi Morio, came from the Minidoko concentration camp to stay with us. Before grandpa came to live with us, we had to work hard on the farm early in the morning until late at night. Ken and Irene would follow us to the farm, but baby Ron had to stay in bed, and he was happy to see us when we came back for lunch, or when we were through for the day.

One time, while we were in the field, we heard a large crash and we looked, and saw a large tree fall and it looked like it fell on the house. We hurried and ran to the house. I never knew my husband could run that fast. And I couldn’t catch up with him. I dropped my straw hat, and kept running towards the house because baby Ron was in there, and we were worried that he might be hurt. Ken and Irene knew something was wrong because they picked up my straw hat, and followed us. Luckily, the tree didn’t hit the house, and the baby was ok, but very scared.

After Grandpa came to live with us, he didn’t help on the farm, but took care of or played with the children and we didn’t have to worry about the children and Ron didn’t’ have to stay in the bed any more.

Rockport (Ken video)

March 2006

Moving to Rockport (Dictated by Michi to Joy)

I don’t remember how much we got paid for helping on the farm, but I guess we were able to pay the hospital bill and feed our family. I don’t know, but we could have brought quite a bit of money from California. It must have been hard for us to live in that tiny house with 3 children, but we lived there throughout the winter.

In the spring, we moved to Rockport, Utah with the help of the Kurumada family. Mr. Kinji Kurumada and his son Joe were farming in Rockport in the summer time and asked us if we would like to farm with them. We knew we couldn’t stay in that tiny house at the Miyagishima’s , so we were glad for the change. We still had our truck, so we moved to Rockport in the spring. The house in Rockport was an old house and had no modern convenience in the house. We didn’t have running water, we had to get our water from a well, from a neighbor’s well, where we put the bucket down, and pulled it up with a rope. We usually took 2 buckets to get our water, which we used for drinking and cooking. There was a ditch running close by, so we used that water for laundry. We had a coal stove for cooking and warming the home. We warmed the water in a large tub on the coal stove, and I had to do the laundry by hand. It was not an easy life.

Ron's birth day (Dictated by Michi to Joy)

In 1942, I had my baby boy. That day around noon, I had to go to the hospital because I knew I was going to have my baby, but my husband was somewhere on the farm, and we couldn’t find him. Luckily, at the Miyagishima’s, there was a family that came from California, just like us, and they had a grown son married to one of the Miyagishima’s daughters and he was able to take me to the hospital. He was happy to take me because he said he could speed and that he would have an excuse if he got caught. We lived in Layton, Utah, and we went to the hospital in Ogden, Utah. He was disappointed when he didn’t get caught, but I was glad because I barely made it before the baby was born.

The baby waited until I got to the delivery room, but soon after that our baby boy was born. We named him Ronald.   He was a healthy baby, and we enjoyed him very much. In the hospital, there was a Japanese lady in the next bed, and when they brought her baby in, she started to undersss the baby, so I asked her what she was doing and she said she had to check if her baby was ok. I asked her why she did that and she said she had a friend that had a baby that had something wrong, so she had to make sure that her baby was ok. I never saw any baby like that so I never worried about those things.

A new farmer (Dictated by Michi to Joy)

There was a farmer named Miyagishima, and he needed a farm hand, and the best part was that they had a place to live. It was a small one room house, actually it was a chicken coupe type home, and the farm land was right around it. It was a far cry from the life we were living in Los Angeles, California. We didn’t have any running water, so naturally we didn’t have a toilet in the house. We were lucky we had light. Ken and Irene were so scared of those outhouses, when they had to go, I had to hold them because they thought they might fall in the hole. My husband helped as farm hand and I think it was very hard for him because he had never farmed before, and thinning beets acres after acres is not an easy task. Even though the home was small and crowded, we were here as a family. Just before I had my baby, my fingers got quite swollen, and my wedding ring got too tight, so I took it off during the night and put it under my pillow, but in the morning I couldn’t find my ring. I looked all over for it, but never found it.

Arriving in Utah (Dictated by Michi to Joy)

When we got to Utah, we went to the Sunrise Market. While we were there we ran into Mr. Sauki, who was Eisaku’s friend from many years earlier. They knew each other in Bingham Canyon.

We reached Roy, Utah to the home of the Shiki’s. Mr. and Mrs. Shiki are the family that adopted our Sister Sachie when our mother died, so Sachie’s birthday and mother’s death date are the same. The Shiki’s named her Sachie after they took her. Just Mr. Shiki and their son Roy was home. Mrs. Shiki and Sachie were in Nevada for something and were staying there for a while. Mr. Shiki was very nice to us, but we knew we couldn’t stay with them too long because they really didn’t have a very big house. As soon as Mrs. Shiki came back, we knew we couldn’t stay there any longer. I often wondered if we were better off if we stayed with our friend and went with them to the concentration camp. I guess when we wrote to the Shiki’s and asked if we could go there because we were being evacuated, they couldn’t say “no”, so it was a sticky situation and we cannot blame anyone how things turned out. We didn’t know what to do because the Japanese could not get a job anywhere during the war. We didn’t have home or a job. If the government didn’t chase us out, we couldn’t have made a living anyways because nobody bought from us. We were really in a bad situation.

Diploma (Feb 2006 video interview)

Burning Everything (2000 video interview)

Losing Everything (Dictated by Michi to Joy)

As soon as people found out that the Japanese had to evacuate, many second hand store people came to buy our furniture. We sold out belongings dirt cheap, and I think those people did well because during the war, they didn’t make any new furniture. We took our truck to Utah, and since I was pregnant with my third child, we knew it was impossible for me to drive. We had a practically new car that we just finished car payments on it, and since we didn’t use it too much, we still had a brand new tire in the trunk. We sold the car for only $500. Our furniture was also quite new, since we were married only 3 years, and we had to sell it too.

Eisaku’s friend and relatives were very generous, and we got furniture for our wedding presents. We had a new bedroom set, dining set, kitchen stove, and kitchen set. We had a good life and were very happy. We heard that Utah was such a primitive place and didn’t have any gas or electric stoves, so it was no use taking them. However, they did have gas and electricity in Utah, but where we lived when we got to Utah was not modern at all. In fact, it was entirely different. When we came to Utah, we stayed with the Shiki’s in Roy, Utah.

The second hand store bought our furniture for very cheap. They would pay only $3 or $5 for our dining room set, and carpets, but we knew we couldn’t take them all, so we sold a lot of things. We loaded our truck with just the things that we knew we would need, we thought it was the end of the world. We never thought that we would have another Christmas, so we just left our Christmas lights in the closet. We did have Christmas, but couldn’t get Christmas lights for many years. Ken had alittle car that he loved to ride around the yard, but we just left it there too. Lots of friends came to help load the truck and to say goodbye. I still remember that day, and how sad and scared we were. We left on March 31, 1942, the last day of the voluntary evacuation date.

In our truck we had Eisaku, myself, our 4 year old son, and our 2 year old daughter. I was also pregnant, expecting a child in August, so it must have not been a very comfortable way of traveling to Utah. We were scared to travel because there were rumors that when they see Japanese traveling by themselves, you never knew what would happen. I guess we were lucky because we didn’t have any problems. The only problem I remember is when we came to Utah, and went to a restaurant and they didn’t come to serve us and finally said, “we do not serve jap.”

The War (2000 Video Interview)

December 7 1942 (Dictated by Michi to Joy)

Our business was doing fine and we were happy, but on December 7, 1941, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, which started World War II. Then everything changed. All of a sudden,l the Japanese in America were treated as enemies and were so scared. It was a Sunday morning and we first heard it on the radio and we froze.

The Japanese couldn’t go anywhere without a permit. We had to make black curtains for our windows so the light wouldn’t shine at night. Everytime we heard a plane, we were so scared that Japan might bomb America, and we would get blamed for it.

My sister, Sachie, was staying with us and going to sewing school, but she hurried and went back to Utah. It was a good thing too, because we couldn’t travel soon after that time. The Chinese didn’t want to be mistaken as Japanese, so they wore a tag saying “We are Chinese.” Then, we, the Japanese living on the coast from the state of Washington to California, had to evacuate. In other words, we were being chased out. As soon as the war started, our business suffered because people did not come to buy produce from the “jap”, as we were called as soon as the war started.

We were told that if we had a place to go in Utah or somewhere else inland, there would be a voluntary evacuation period until March 31, 1942. We decided to go to our relation, the Shiki’s, who lived in Utah. The ones that didn’t have a place to go were put in concentration camps. My father, sister Lily, and brothers, Henry and Noburo lived in Seattle and went to a concentration camp in Idaho. It was called Minidoka and it was where they built barracks as concentration camp. It was a sad way for the Japanese to live. Those barracks had only 1 or 2 rooms and a family had t  live in that room. They all ate together in a mess hall because there was no kitchen for cooking. They just had a pot belly stove to keep them warm, and it was cold in Idaho. They had a fence all around the barrack and soldiers were outside, not to guard us, but guarding to see that the Japanese didn’t get out. The concentration camp was manned by the Japanese and whatever job they had, their wages was about 15 dollars month.

My first two babies (Dictated by Michi to Joy)

My husband had a produce market in Hollywood, California with his cousin Teijiro Mano. Teijiro Mano went back to Japan when Ken (our first son) was about a month old. Teijiro had a wife and family in Japan

Our first baby was born in 1938 and we were very happy. My husband was a hard working man and got up early in the morning to go to the whole sale market to buy his produce. He worked at the market until it closed at 10 pm.

After we were married, I helped at the market until my baby was born, then I stayed home. Our first child was a boy, and we named him Kenneth. He was a healthy baby. Our second child was born on in 1940. She was a girl and we named her Irene. She was a cute baby. Both of our children were born at home under the care of a midwife. When our first baby was to be born, I called the midwife and told her that I thought I was going to have the baby. She said that the first baby usually took longer, so about a half an hour later she came and was surprised that the baby was almost born. When I had my next baby, she was there as soon as I called her, but the baby didn’t come out that fast, so the midwife had to wait a while.

I had a nice aunt, Mrs. Kawana, who lived not too far away. She helped take care of the baby and me for a while, which was a big help to me. My husband was not home with either of the babies, and was just surprised when he came home.

Tennis Champion (2000 Video Interview)

How I met Eisaku (Dictated by Michi to Joy)

Eisaku Mano and Michi Morio met for the first time when Eisaku Mano came with his cousin Teijiro Mano to the home of Sadamaro and Mary Takemori to see their new baby boy that was born on April 8, 1937.

I, Michi Mano, was living in Seattle with my father, Tsunemichi Morio, my sister, Lily, and my brothers, Henry and Noboru. My eldest sister Mary married Sadamaro Takemori in 1931 and moved to Los angeles, California.

My brother Henry and I were in Japan when she got married. Henry and I went to Japan in 1927 and lived in Japan from October 1927 to October 1934. Henry stayed a year longer because he was not well and was under the doctor’s care. When Henry and I lived in Japan with our grandmother, Misa Morio, and our uncle and aunt, Tsunetaka and Setsuko Morio. They were very good to us and we enjoyed a wonderful family life, but when I graduated the girl’s high school, I was ready to come back to America because I was born here and this was my country and my home. After I came back to Seattle, Washington, although we were a family, it wasn’t like a real family because we did not have a mother. I missed the family life in Japan.

In Seattle, I started to go to night school at Baily Gatzert School. I went with my aunt, Mrs. Handa, to study English. I worked at a home of an American family as a house girl to get used to English. Although I had my own room and they were very good to me, I got home sick and came home in 3 months. I should have stayed longer because I could have learned a lot. I worked at a market in Seattle and we had about 5 Japanese girls that worked there so we went and came back together on the bus, it was fun.

My sister, Mary, was expecting her first child in April so she needed help and asked me to go and help her. I went to Los Angeles, California to help her out. Their baby was born on April 8, 1937. Mary had her baby at home with the help of a midwife. Mary suffered 12 hours before the baby was born. The baby boy was named Fred Sadayasu Takemori. He was a healthy baby with lots of hair.

Eisaku Mano came to see the baby and we met for the first time and started going steady right away. About a month later we were engaged and I went back home to Seattle, just to tell my father about my engagement and to get my belongings and then I went back to Los Angeles. We set our date for our wedding on August 22, 1937, just 4 months after we met.

We had quite a large wedding at the Shinto Temple in Los Angeles. The reception was held at a Chinese restaurant and many people were there. After our marriage on August 22, 1937, we lived in a cute house on 967 Dewey Avenue, Los Angeles, California

The Greater Morio Reunion 2011 (Ken)

I took this from Uncle Ken's e-mail, you've probably already read it in  your e-mail, but I figure it's a good history to post on here.  I apparently didn't take very many pictures, but I'll post a few on here.

We had a great time at the Morio reunion, it is quite a group, about 155 attended and they are all our relatives, quite amazing, so it must mean that we have about 500 relatives in the US, all descended from the Morio family.
The main branches of the family are the Morio, Kawana and Yoshitomi families.

My grandfather (Tsunemichi Morio) and his wife (Masa Yoshitomi) had 6 kids.
. Mary Takemori - they only had one son, Fred (who died in 1971 at 34), one of Fred's daughter's Jeal was there, with her daughter Natalee, husband and new baby. (Fred's other kids are Rick, Alan, Bret & Kirk)
. Lily Chiba - Both of her children, Betty Ann & Philip were there.
Betty Ann's son Chris was there in a wheelchair and they had to stop a couple of times on their drive for Chris to have dialysis.
Phillip & his wife were there with their 2 sons, Bain & Beau (great guys)
. Michi - Ron, Dick & I were there with several of our kids.
Ken & Carolyn, Gary & Racquel, Trent, Sarah & Charlotte
Ron & Cheryl, Patrice & Arnold, Tisha & Neil & kids (Max, Payton, and Ellie), Darin & Taryn were there
Dick & Linda, Chad & Rachel & kids (Logan, Carli, Emi, and Ryan), Stephanie & Joy were there
Irene & Sharon couldn't make it.
. Henry - Neither Michael or Sylvia were there
. Noboru (Nibs) - Aunt Mary didn't come, Tom says she won't go anywhere, but physically and mentally she's doing well.
Tom & his wife Debby, his kids were all there
David, Carol Sue & Laura (Dody) were not there

. Sachie was adopted by the Shiki family when Masa died during the childbirth.
They have Shirley, Kent, Mark, Shana & Lisa. (none of them were there)

Friday night we went bowling, which was pretty fun.
Saturday morning there was golfing (Gary, Trent, Ron, Neil went)
Saturday, there was a simple lunch in the hospitality room, but it was a good chance to just visit... spent quite a bit of time with Phillips sons (Bain & Beau). There was also swimming and ice skating, which we skipped.
Satuday night was the dinner with all the adults, kids had pizza before.... Pretty good buffet dinner, tons of raffle stuff, just about everyone won something except Mom and I.

Anyhow, it was really a fun time getting to meet a lot of the relatives that I really didn't know. When we were talking with Bain & Beau, they said the Mano's all have big families, ours are all only about 2 kids each, I told him that's because we're all Mormons....

Well, it was great, glad we went...
This was the 4th reunion and the first one in 11 years, they said they'll do it again... lots of work.

Getting my Temple Recommend (Dictated by Michi to Joy)

When Floyd and Irene were getting married in 1962, I really wanted to go to the Temple with them.  I didn’t think I would be able to go because I did not have a temple recommend.  I guess it was long before they were getting married that I decided to see if I could get a temple recommend and go to the Temple with them.  I went and talked to my bishop, bishop Clarence Samuelson and my stake president, President Henry Peterson.  They both said that the only way I could get a temple recommend was if my husband, Eisaku Mano, would get baptized.  I gave up because I didn’t think there was any way that he would get baptized.

My son Kenneth came back from his mission not long before this happened.  He talked to his dad about my wanting to go with Floyd and Irene to the Temple to see them get married and that I couldn’t go unless he got baptized.

A miracle happened and Eisaku told Ken “If that’s what she wants, I will get baptized.”  I guess that is not a good reason to get baptized, but both my bishop and stake president said, “he is a good man and will be a good member.”  They said it was OK, so he got baptized on September 2, 1962 and I got my temple recommend on September 3, 1962.

Floyd and Irene got married in the Logan Temple because the Salt Lake Temple was closed at the time.  Logan was far, so we had to leave early in the morning.  We were surprised when Floyd’s father and mother, Shigenobu, and Kusa Mori, came so early in the morning and we were not ready.  Irene and I got our own endowment that day, and Floyd and Irene got married the same day.  On the way home from the temple, someone (I think it was Floyd’s father) had car trouble.  We were really late coming back to Salt Lake City, and we barely made it to the wedding breakfast, and some people missed it.  The reception was held at the Ladies Literary in Salt Lake City.

Because I had my temple recommend I was able to attend all my children’s temple marriages and attended all my grandchildren’s temple marriages too.  I am grateful to my husband for that.  Because he was sick he never went to church, but he lived a Mormon life before he died.  He was a good man.

I am happy that I was able to get my temple recommend and that I was able to attend all my children’s weddings.

My Uncle Hiroshi Morio (Dictated by Michi to Joy)

Written in 2000

Hiroshi Morio was my father’s brother.  I think my uncle came to America quite early in life.  He lived in San Francisco, California.  My father knew his brother was in America, but never heard from him, so he really didn’t know where he was.  When I was in Japan, my grandmother (his mother) worried about her son wondering where he was.  While I was in Japan, he sent a package once and that made his mother very happy.  He sent the package through a friend that came to Japan, but there never was a letter in it, so she didn’t know where he was.  After I came back from Japan, I must of talked about my uncle to my relations.  My cousin Kiyoko Kawahara’s husband was a chauffer for a lady and he used to drive her places and once he drove to San Fancisco and went to a Japanese restaurant and asked around if anyone knew a man named Morio.  He told them that he was not a large man and had quite a big ear.  He was able to find him, and came back to Seattle and told my father  so my father was finally able to  find his brother.

When Henry, Noboru, and I were going to Los Angeles, California from Seattle, Washington, we decided to stop and see him.  We went on the train to Los Angeles.  Our father worked on the railroad, or at the station, so I guess we got a pass to travel, but I don’t know for sure.  Anyway, when we got to San Francisco, our uncle was there to meet us.  Our uncle took us around town on foot because we didn’t’ have a car.  When we told him about Japan, he said he already heard it from Mr. Kawahara.  Mr. Kawahara is quite an amazing person and remembers everything he heard.  People said once he hears anything, he doesn’t forget, but we were glad that he found our uncle and we were able to visit him.

It is now the year 2000 and Mr. Kawahara is in his 90’s and still lives in Seattle with his wife Kiyoko.  Kiyoko is my cousin.  They are both over 90 years old.  We stayed over night in San Francisco because our uncle got us a hotel to stay in.  The next day we left for Los Angeles.  Next time we met our uncle was when he got out of the concentration camp and came to live with us in Murray, Utah.  Then after the war, he went back to San Francisco and we never heard from him again.  Later we heard that our uncle died when he was hit by a car, but we didn’t know how we could find out.  I don’t know how much later it was, but my uncle Tsunetake, (Hiroshi’s brother) came to Seattle from Japan and stayed at my brother Noboru’s place.  Uncle Tsunetake wanted to find out about his brother.  My son Ken heard about it and started to go see what he could find out.  He must of gone to many places when he finally found out that he was buried in Oakland.  Ken made arrangements to have his grave dug up so they could get his bones and they were sent to Seattle where Uncle Tsunetake was .  Uncle Tsuentake Ojisan took it home and had a decent burial for him and he was happy.  When I went to California, Carolyn (Ken’s wife) took me where he was buried, and it had a number on it, and no name.  They said that was him, so we had to accept what they said.

Carolyn Takemori (Dictated by Michi to Joy)

 Carolyn married my nephew Fred Takemori.  Carolyn was a very lovely girl and we became good friends or maybe she was more like a daughter to me.  After she married fred, they seemed happy and had 5 children under 5 years old, in other words they had 5 children in 5 years.  It was very hard to raise 5 small children.  Fred was away from home and was not much of a help to her, I don't know why he was away so much.  Carolyn lived in Sandy and I lived in West Bountiful, Utah.   Every so often, she would bring her 5 childdren and visit me, we really enjoyed each other.  Once she visited me and when she was ready to go home, she had to help each child in the car, and when she got in to drive the car, she couldnt' find her key.  She asked each child if they knew wehre the key was, and they all said "no", so she had to get each child out of the car to look for the key.  It was on the floor, one of the children must of dropped it on the floor.  Instead of getting mad at them, she just said "we found the key" and all the children were happy and they started for home.  Carolyn was very patient with her children.  She was a very good mother.

 My children Ken, Irene, and Sharon were attending BYU, so I went often to Provo to see them.  When I went to Provo, I usually stopped to see Carolyn, but one Valentine Day, I didn't stop over, and later found out that she made cookies and was waiting for me.  I felt real bad about it.  When Carolyn was pregnant with her 2nd child and Rick (her first child) was very young, my father Tsunemichi Morio asked Mary to go with him to Los Angeles, California to visit relatives.  Carolyn said, "I will go with you, grandpa"  She took the little boy, and went with grandpa to visit his relatives.  She met lost of our relations and they were very impressed with her, and though she was very nice.  She was very nice and very thoughtful.  Fred didn't take responsibility as a father and she had a tough time and finally they separated and she had to go on welfare.  When she was on welfare, she tried to repay as much as she could.  Soon after that, she became ill, and went to the hospital.  While she was in the hostpital, I prayed that she will not die leaving those 5 little children.  They needed her and I was sure that she wouldn’t die, but I guess the burden was too heavy to bare, and she passed away.  I felt real bad.  The 5 little children were left without a mother.  Carolyn’s parents took them and raised them.

Carolyn was very special to me, and I still miss her.

Our move to Seattle (Michi Mano's History)

After Mother passed away Father must have farmed by himself, but it was hard for him. Our Uncle Junichi Yoshitomi (Mother’s brother) lived in Seattle and he sent a letter to Father telling him to go to Seattle because there was a job for him. Father and five of us children rode on the train. And we went to Seattle in 1925 and lived next door to the Yoshitomi’s (Mother’s brother) and Father started to work at the railroad station as a red cap. Grandmother Riki Yoshitomi (Mother’s mother) was there. Grandma came to the United States for a visit and Mother died before she was able to see her. Mother came to America in 1911 so it was over ten years that they hadn’t seen each other. It must have been a big shock for Grandma to be in America and wasn’t able to see her daughter. Aunt Chiyo Sakuma was Mother’s sister and she was living in Utah but later moved to Seattle too.

After we got to Seattle, we started to go to Bailey Gatzert School. Our principal was Miss Maho. She was Irish and liked green colors a lot and made a big thing out of St. Patrick Day. She wanted everyone to wear green that day. She was very nice. I think it was much better for us to live in Seattle because we had lots of aunts and uncles. They were the Yoshitomi’s, Handa’s and Kawana’s and we had lots of cousins. I was still lonesome without a mother so I went to my aunt’s and uncle’s. We lived in the same apartment with the Yoshitomi’s so I just had to go downstairs. The Handa’s didn’t live too far away, just walking distance so I went there often too. The Kawana’s lived in Bellevue, Washington so it was far away and I had to ride on the ferryboat to get across Lake Washington. Mr. Kawana used to come and get me so I could go over for the weekend and help take care of their children because they had a large family with lots of small children. I stayed there all the time during the summer vacation. Mr. Kawana was quite a drinker and everyone was scared of him but he was always nice to me. Grandma used to go to the Buddhist Church and on Sunday one of the grandchildren would go with her. We all liked to go with her but I don’t think we understood what was going on in church.

Advice to Posterity (Feb 2006 Video Interview)

Most Rewarding Experience (Feb 2006 Video Interview)

Meg's influence on Joy (Joy video)

I recorded this on June 8, 2011

Grandma's influence on Meg (Meg Video)

This was filmed after grandma's funeral in March 2006

Teaching Meg (Feb 2006 Video Interview)

A letter from the Harris Family

This is an e-mail our family received after grandma passed away.  It is from the husband of someone grandma taught on her mission.  Our family has become close with this family, as they have been going to Dai Ichi Ward for quite some time.  I will share the story later, but Grandma had a big influence on Meg's life during and after one of Grandma's missions.  And Meg had a big influence in my life, especially right before my mission.  Her testimony helped me a lot on my mission. ~Joy

3/27/2006

I am saddened by your loss and even though I didn't tell you in person because you have so many well wishers I wanted to express to you how much your mothers efforts had a positive affect on our lives.  Meg will be eternally gratful for your mother and the way she introduced her to the gospel, the love she showed her after she was baptized, and her powerful testimony.  If not for your mother I would have never met Meg nor would I have all the blessings I enjoy today.  Meg is the reason for all the good that has happened in my life and through your mothers efforts this was made possible.  Your mother was an example to me of what I need to become to return one day to my Heavenly Father, her faith and love and character was amazing

Sincerely, Carl Harris

How my mother died (Feb 2006 Video Interview)

In February 2006, I had the opportunity to interview grandma.  This was about a month before she passed away.

When my mother died (2000 Video Interview)

Chad's interview-not sure of the date, I'll have to check into that.  I think you can hear Logan in the background sometimes though, so it was probably around 2000.

News Article from the Deseret News 9/18/2001

Japanese Americans call for restraint

Published: Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2001 3:39 p.m. MDT

By Barbara Jean Jones
Deseret News correspondent

After the attack on America, 7-year-old Jimi and his siblings didn't go back to their Salt Lake City schools for days. The family feared their black hair, distinct eyes and skin color would make them targets for misdirected retaliation. Their fears held true.

Gangs of boys attacked Jimi's teenage brothers when they returned to school. Family members were met with taunting, racial slurs and shouts of "Go back home!" Jimi's father was accosted and falsely accused.

Now 67 years old, Jimi Mitsunaka says last week's terrorist attacks and subsequent retaliation against some Muslim and Arab Americans have brought back painful memories.That was December 1941.
"As soon as I saw the destruction on TV and heard the media making references to Muslim, Middle Eastern suspects, I thought . . . 'It's going to happen all over again to those people now,' " said Mitsunaka, still a resident of Salt Lake City.

Mitsunaka is not alone in his feelings, says 62-year-old Floyd Mori, national president of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), a group of some 30,000 Japanese Americans spread across the United States. "I think any Japanese person who was in the U.S. during Pearl Harbor immediately became concerned for the innocent people who would be blamed," said Mori, who lives in Sandy.

"The day after Pearl Harbor, we became the enemy because of our Japanese faces, even though we were American," said Michi Mano of Murray, who in 1941 was a 26-year-old mother of two living in Los Angeles.
"We were so scared," Mano recalled. "We burned photographs and everything we had that might link us with Japan. We lost nearly all our business at our produce store." When the federal government required all Japanese Americans living on the West Coast to relocate inland in 1942, the Manos had to sell their possessions for pennies on the dollar before they moved in with friends in Roy, Utah.

The Manos were fortunate. Because they had voluntarily relocated, they were not forced to enter a Japanese internment camp like Topaz, located in the desert 20 miles west of Delta.

For Mano, the events of last week have made the memories seem like they're happening again. "I've felt afraid every time I go out," Mano said. "I have to keep reminding myself that I am not being targeted as the enemy this time."

In an effort to deter further discrimination, the JACL released a statement last week urging people not to unleash their anger on the innocent "simply because of their ethnic origin. . . . Let us not make the same mistakes as a nation that were made in the hysteria of WWII."

Mori wrote the statement last Tuesday afternoon, just a day after returning from Japan, where he had joined with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Japanese-American Peace Treaty, signed Sept. 8, 1951.

Other Asian-Americans, some of whom were also persecuted during WWII simply because they looked Japanese, have also condemned the backlash. Monday the Asian American Advisory Council of Utah, whose council members represent 10 Asian nations, unanimously denounced any retaliation against Muslim or Arab Americans.

"But maybe the comparisons are good," Mori's nephew Daren, 18, said. "Maybe the references to Pearl Harbor will remind our generation what happened to the Japanese Americans so we can learn from the past and be better."Mori and others say they cringe each time last Tuesday's attacks are compared to Pearl Harbor. "It's wrong to compare a hateful act of terrorism to a strategic military attack. Pearl Harbor was a different story."
At an outdoor candlelight vigil last Friday at the Islamic Society of Greater Salt Lake, passing motorists gave friendly honks and waves. About 40 non-Muslim neighbors joined these Muslims in a special prayer for peace, healing, and justice.

In spite of local and national reports of backlashes, Utah Muslims say the retaliations have been the exception rather than the rule. Their co-workers and neighbors have inquired after their well-being, even inviting them to stay in their homes for safety if needed. Dozens of supportive calls have come into the mosque. A single rose was left on the mosque's front door step.

"For every bad comment or threat, there have been 50 expressions of kindness and concern," said Ghulam Patel, 51.

When told how these local Muslims had been treated, Mori's face showed visible relief. "Maybe America has learned something. Maybe our suffering was not in vain."

Kindness (family e-mail, Dick)

3/26/2006

This morning, at 5:00 AM, I lay sleeping or dreaming or waking.  As I thought about my Mom, about her life and times, I thought about how she's assured a place in heaven for all the things she did here.  It's easy to become an angel in heaven, when you were already one on Earth.  In the last three years that she lived here with us, she never criticized or became angry.  It was only while she was living here, did I realize how often she said, "Thank you". 

She's so thankful for every little thing, even when it was nothing.  Holding her arm to steady her gait or getting home from church, she'd thank me.  I thought how lucky I've been to have her here, to have an angel so close by.

I never remember her being angry or scolding me, when I was a child, though she must have for me to turn out to be such a fine gentleman.  I don't really know what she did to create such a calm household in my childhood, but I don't think we fought as kids either.  I remember that Ron made me cry a few times when I was little, but really only once distinctly.  I tore his shirt pocket and he got really mad at me, made me cry.  But that was the only time I even remember having harsh words with any of my siblings.

Then I realized that she not only was an angel, but she created angels too.  My two sisters and my two brothers always took care of me and looked out for me.  My dad was always by my side, checking my work, seeing if I had left any weeds in the row of onions.  Making sure my radish bunches were big enough, but not too big.  He never yelled at me either.  Not when I drove the tractor into a ditch and not even when I drove the truck into a ditch when I was 15.  It was a slick road though, it wasn't my fault.  Not when I got the tractor so stuck in the mud that we couldn't get it out.  I think it's still there.

I remember when I was 5, Ken taught me how to drive the tractor.  I sat between his legs on the tractor seat and drove, while he made sure I didn't crash.  Either he wasn't a very good teacher or I needed him a few times, down the road.

Ken coached my primary softball team.  We weren't very good.  One time we lost a game 53 to nothing.  I was pitching.  It was pretty fun though.  I was only about 9 at the time, I guess, because Ken went on his mission when I was 10 and I was playing little league when I was 12.  I wonder if it was Ron who was our coach and not Ken, because I thought I was 11 and Ken was already gone by then.

Everyday at noon Ron would pitch fast pitch softball to me.  I was a good catcher for being 11 or so. 

My Grandpa Morio used to live with us too, when I was in my preteens.  He was kind, gentle and a very hard worker.  I loved my Grandpa.  He was a great guy.  Sometimes he lived with us and sometimes he lived with my Uncle Nibs and family.  He would write me letters and say, "Dear Dickie,  How's the weather there?  It's raining in Seattle."  I think every letter started that way, I wonder if it rains a lot in Seattle or something.

My two sisters, Irene and Sharon were always nice to me.  I don't remember them ever being angry with me either or raising their voices.  Of course Irene only has a quiet voice.

So now I realize that I didn't just have one angel in my house, I had lots of  angels and just now figured that out.

In these last few years, when Grandma Mano lived with us;  I call her Grandma mostly, even though she's not my Grandma.  We used to call her Mommy when we were kids, but then we got older and although Mommy was endearing it sounds funny coming from adults, I guess.  That's why we all call her different things, some Mom, some Mother, some Grandma. 

Anyway, in the last few years while she's been living with us, she was always kind and supportive.  She always gave us $200 a month, even though I protested that she didn't need to.  I guess that was for room and board although she never ate that much.  She did use a lot of material for all the quilts and projects.  Linda would set up a quilt or two or three a month for her so she'd have some projects to do.  I think that's where that money went mostly. 

And since she gave us that money every month, we'd allow her to cook dinner and wash the clothes and clean out the dishwasher.  She loved doing those things, especially the laundry.  We couldn't stop her from doing that, it was her daily routine.  She was still doing laundry two weeks ago, when she was very wobbly.  I asked her not to go downstairs when we weren't home because she could fall.  She said, I hold on tight to the rail.

Chad told me that while they were here visiting a few weeks ago that she walked by the stairs, she kind of lost her balance and caught herself on the banister right by the stairs, so I put up a gate at the top of the stairs so she wouldn't fall down them.  That was right after the last time she did laundry and she hardly came to the kitchen after that, she was mostly in bed.  She said, "I didn't know I could stay in bed so much", she was so tired.  I hope it wasn't because I put up the gate up.

I didn't have the heart to tell her she was wasting water by washing clothes everyday or washing dishes when the dishwasher wasn't quite full.  Maybe that's why it snowed so much in the mountains this year.  I don't think God minded her wasting water.

She always seemed wobbly in the last few years.  And she did fall sometimes, but she'd always get right back up when she fell.  I think that was a metophor of her life.  Mostly she didn't tell us that she fell.  Sometimes we or some of the grandkids could pry information out of her, she'd reluctantly say that she fell.  Or sometimes someone would hear her fall and go running and usually she was already back on her feet.  I had a Joe Poluka punching bag like that once.  You'd hit it and it would just pop back up to be hit again and it always was soft and had a smile on his face, like, "I didn't fall down, what are you looking at?"  It had sand in it's shoes to make it pop back up.  I think I'll check Grandma's slippers to see if there's sand in them.

In 2003 she was having little blackouts.  Sometimes she'd fall from them.  One day she fell a couple of times and I helped her up.  I had a dentist appointment, so I went to it and on the way back to work afterwards, I had the distinct feeling that I should go home to check on her, but I was late for work and figured she'd be okay.  That afternoon, Joy came home and Joy phoned me and said that Grandma keeps having blackouts, I told her to take her to St. Mark's emergency.  I met them there and we sat in the waiting room while they took her in, but she waited quite a while in one of the rooms until a doctor checked her.  Then they started rushing around like it was an emergency, later that day she had a pace maker placed.  It's a good thing Joy is more in tuned than I am, she gave Grandma a few more years.

Being so wobbly, I didn't think she could travel so much.  Even in the last few years, after she was 88 she traveled all over the place.  She went to Seattle for Keith's wedding reception with me.  Or I went with her.  She got to see Stephi and Uncle Nibs and Aunt Mary while there too  She traveled to Japan with Floyd and Irene to see Brent and Paul and families and to see her Obasan one last time.  Saying things like, "One last time" makes me cry.  I shouldn't say that. 

She went with us to Chicago and Nauvoo to see Jon and Chad and their families and Bruce and family too, Jenny is so nice to her. Jenny took her and the kids to a swimming pool.  Grandma didn't go swimming, but she sat by the pool and watched them.  She said there's all those people running and splashing, but I could always see where they were because they were the only ones that weren't black.  Stephi took her to Nauvoo. 

Just this past December, 2005, she went to Pleasanton to go to Trent's homecoming.  Natalie flew here to take her there, that was nice of Natalie.  She enjoyed that trip, being with the California Manos, making sushi, going to a movie.  Ken and Carolyn told me there was some bleeding and that we should have her checked.  Afterwards she said to me, "I wonder how Carolyn knew I had blood coming out, I never told her".  She didn't want to bother anyone.

I think there were a couple of other trips in the last few years that I can't think of.

Linda has been so nice to her.  Especially providing projects for Grandma to do.  Preparing quilt blocks, sewing them together and setting them up for her to quilt.  Or getting yarn for her to make her presents for all the grandkids and great grandkids.  All those hats and scarves and shawls and afghans and pot holders and toilet paper covers (or hats for some) and pillows.  Linda gets off work early on Fridays and almost every week she would take Grandma to get her hair done.  Linda has been an angel to Grandma and she's my other angel.

One week, just the second to the last time she went there, I took her.  It's across the street and down the road a little bit from Ron and Cheryl's house.  I said, why don't you find someone closer to our house to get your hair done.  She said, I guess I should, shouldn't I.  It's a long ways to go.  At the end of the session, I went inside and sat and waited for her to get done.  The hairdresser lady, Linda, was so nice to her and did her hair so beautifully.  She was concerned about her health and jauntice.  The lady waiting knew her too, I guess they've had consecutive appointments for a long time.  And Grandma said the lady before her is very nice too.  On the way home, I told her she should keep going to have her hair done there.  That was when I realized she went there to see her friends, not just to get her hair done.  Darin took her there a couple of weeks ago, I think that was her last time.  Last Friday she cancelled her appointment, because she had a Doctor's appointment that day.  One time Neil teased her about being vein, because she got her hair done every week, so she decided to just get her hair done every other week. Linda had to talk her back into going every week.

Joy lived here since she got home from her mission until a few months ago.  Grandma loved to sit in her big chair and listen to Joy play the piano for her.  I told Joy she might be taking over first place as favorite grandchild.  I think all of the Grandkids felt like they were the favorites.  Patrice and Jon always said, I'm your favorite aren't I, Grandma.  Although Jon would say "favorite grandson" not grandchild.  I don't recall her ever saying she had a favorite, although many assumed it was Stephi.  She once said to me, "I don't have a favorite.  But when Stephi comes to the house she just keeps herself busy all day and doesn't ever say, I'm bored or want to go home, or what shall I do now, Grandma."  She didn't really like whining, but she didn't do favorites either.  She knew every grandchild and great-grandchild's name and face and birthdate.

Yesterday some of her stuff was sitting on the dining room table and Darin saw some lists.  He said Grandma was always sending him lists like that.  We looked at these lists, one had all the great grandkids names in order of birth.  Another had all the grandkids that went on missions and what country they went to.  Darin said she was always sending him lists like that when he was on his mission.  Darin has a claim at favorite grandchild too, after all he got the stamps for his birthday.

When Steph was here a few weeks ago for the 91st birthday and Emmali's blessing, she spent a lot of time with Grandma.  In her room while Grandma was in bed.  Grandma really appreciated that. She said, "That Stephi, kanshin da ne."  Whatever that means.  Steph did a lot of studying about pancreatic cancer and jauntice and bile ducts and stints recently.  And she and I were working with Grandma on herbal remedies when the doctors were taking tests and more tests and not doing much.  Grandma would say, what's that and I'd say, Stephi thinks it might help you, so she'd take it and say, "So many pills."  I think the water she had to drink to take the pills kept her alive a little longer, she wasn't drinking much the last few days or even week.

When Jon and Kim were here Grandma was still healthy.  It was nice that Kim got to know Grandma better then.  Grandma was glad to have Chad and Rachel and the kids here a few weeks ago too.  Grandma loved to hold the babies, she had lots of fun holding Emmali and Marissa and Noele.  Although it was a close race between Marissa and Noele, I think Marissa was the last baby that Grandma held in her arms.

I'm glad Sharon got to see her last week before she went back home to Virginia on March 13th.  I took a four generation picture with Noelle and Sandi and Sharon.  We should have taken one with the other kids too.

Grandma loved her sons in law and daughters in law so much.  Often it was them that were the most diligent in keeping in touch and caring and worrying for Grandma.  Carolyn and Cheryl and Linda were so close to her and Floyd and Wally took such good care of her on trips and when she was at their houses.  She felt at home at all her children in law's houses.

And now I realize, she wasn't the only angel in my life.  I'm surrounded by angels, I'm among a family of angels.  Thank you all for sharing in Grandma's life and for each one being her favorite.  She used to tell me how lucky I was to have a mother because she didn't have one when she was a little girl.  And she'd say, you'll be sorry when I'm gone, although she said that to Ron more than to me.  I didn't have a Grandma, just like she didn't have a mom.  So we're all lucky to have had a Mom and a Grandma like her.  And she was right, I was lucky to have a Mom and I am sorry now that she's gone.

History of Rockport

I found this online, it's a history of Rockport.  I'm just putting in a couple of the paragraphs that talk about grandma and grandpa.


ROCKPORT UTAH, A BRIEF HISTORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS OF HOMES
Edited and Compiled by
Thomas E. Brown
http://www.rockportoriginals.com/


From page 6:

Up to the 1950's there were still homes in Rockport without running water or indoor toilets.
Others had running water but no indoor toilets or bathrooms. The families in the four homes in
the center of town (those by the church and the school) got their water from the same well. They
hand carried water for every household use (drinking, washing, bathing, cooking, etc). Water
also had to be carried to the livestock. During the 1940's the following families lived in the
"town center homes" at one time or another: Della Gowns, Eisaku Mano, Frank Takemori, Wm.
D. Brown, Ted Brown, Florence Walsh Hunter, Vern Wardell and Alma Keyes.

From page 7:

Two of the last families to move to Rockport came as a result of an edict from the government.
After the attack on Pearl Harbor all Americans of Japanese decent living on the West Coast had
to move inland. Those who left voluntarily (by 31 March 1942) were not sent to relocation
camps. The Eisaku (Tom) Mano and the Frank Takemori families left their homes in California
and moved to Rockport. At first they both lived in the Della Gowns home and operated a "truck
farm" on her property. They raised lettuce, radishes, peas, onions, strawberries, and perhaps other
crops. A brother of Michi Mano, Nibs Morio was wounded while serving with the all Japanese
unit in Italy, the most decorated unit of the war.

12/22/1975 (mission letter)

Dec 22 to 28, 1975, District – Nagoya Dai 3.  

Hours spent in gospel study = 10; hours teaching investigators = 9; Total proselyting hours = 69

 Dear President Sato:

Ogenki desu ka?  Thank you for visiting us in our apt.  It was so nice to see you and thank you for giving me that extention after my mission.  I hope I can get the geneology I need so I could do more of my geneology sheets when I get back.

 The Lord has blessed us very much with this baptism we had last week.  Yoshimi Shimai and Matsuyama shimai are wonderful shimais and I know they will be a big help to the branch.

 I love my companion, Inouye shimai, very much.  She is a wonderful missionary.  Her nihongo is getting very good.  We are working hard in this cold weather.  I know that this gospel is true and I am happy to be able to be a missionary and tell the Japanese people about this wonderful gospel.  I know that Joseph Smith did restore this wonderful church.   I know  the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.  I know that Pres. Spencer W. Kimball is our prophet today.  The time is going real fast and the weeks are flying.

 Thank you for all the kindness you have shown to me.  I appreciate it very much.  Thank you.  Mano shimai