Tak Okamoto, BHS Class of 1960

As I think back to the good old days, more questions come to mind than anything … how did our large families live in such small accommodations…what family was the largest living in one apartment..?

How did the German displaced families move out of the community into their own homes so quickly?Who was Ms. Kajikawa … was she in the ministry? Was she part of some religious organization? Who else passed out the “Glad Tidings” to the various parts of the village for door-to-door distribution? Where did the people who helped with our summer Christian youth group come from and where did they stay?

  • Who was in Knocker’s band?
  • What happened to George Matsui?
  • Was there more than one person with polio?
  • Did any other girls try working in a plant while in high school — (think Miwako and Jeanette tried Ritters for a very short time)?
  • Who were the families that came from South America?
  • Did any other family make much besides the Yamamoto’s?
  • Who else was in the first Seabrook Grade School band?
  • Who stayed in Seabrook after getting their degree?
  • Did Bill (?) Wakatsuki sing professionally? Does his son drive a Porsche?
  • Were Leland and Raymond the only ones who hunted and ate their kill?
  • What were the names of those guy groups besides Blue Devils, Hornets, etc?
  • Who else besides Gary Ikeda, Minpo and my brother, Seika, delivered newspaper?
  • What political party did Dick Kunishima push?
  • What are the names of those we called Mi-chan, Yu-chan, etc.
  • Was Mr. Yoshida an artist and did he publicly display his works?
  • Why did the Community Center close?
  • Was anyone else an ardent chess player besides Gary Ikeda?
  • How did Skeeter become interested in playing the uke?
  • Where did the Oharas make their tofu and who else sold it besides them and the Ito’s (the Ito’s made theirs in the old cafeteria)?
  • Who else besides Seiki and Eisuke played any college sports?
  • Who were the single parent families in our community?
  • How was it decided who played on Dick Kunishima’s youth baseball teams and how about our church league teams or Knocker’s camping nights?
  • Who else besides Mr. Sasaki drove the school bus?
  • Was there any other musical family besides the Morita’s?
  • Did it make any sense that they were not allowed to play football for BHS, but played pickup (I think Jerry was the fastest runner in our age group)?
  • Who was that man that Newell thought was his grandfather?
  • What other families had a garden in Hoover Village and Annex and who in our age group had to carry water to it?
  • Was there a barber before Mr. Ito and my brother?
  • Who sponsored the Easter egg hunts at Parvins?
  • Did anyone else besides me work at the seed house for Seabrook? What happened to Faith and Hope?
  • What professions did our people go into? etc., etc., etc.