Day 4557: The Legend & An Update

   

'Fatalities": junk collage, digital.

  

Want music?

    

Click: Supremes, Someday We'll Be Together.  

 

2GN2S

This is a repeat of Blog #448 posted

in October 17, 2013,  so 4,109 blogs ago!

 Visiting a Legend!

Ever had tea with a legend? I have.

Meet Mary Kageyama Nomura!

I had read about the "Songbird of Manzanar." 

 I remember watching Huel Howser interview her.

Born Mary Kageyama, one of five children,
born in 1925 to Machi and Tomitaro .
Mother, Machi, taught Shamisen, Opera and Odori.
Mary credits her Mother, for her love of music.
Father, Tomitaro, was a carpenter and calligrapher.
But, by age 8, Mary and her siblings had lost both parents. An orphanage loomed , but 17 year old brother, Frank and 16 year old sister, Mae dropped out of school to support & keep the family together.

Mary at the piano with her Sister

In 1942, at age 16, Mary's family was sent to Manzanar ...

one of ten camps, where 110,000 Japanese Americans were imprisoned during World War II.

Singing with the girls social club, the Modernaires
at dances and camp events, she became known as ... 
"The Songbird of Manzanar".

While in camp, Mary met Shi Nomura.
A camp leader and a bit older.

  I Am An American, about Shiro Nomura.
Married in 1945,  they had 5 children.
Later opening Shi's Fish Market in Garden Grove ...
a mainstay for the Asian community.
 Mary gave up her musical career for ...
motherhood and helping in their market.

When her children were grown and the market closed ...Mary's talent resurfaced, and she was in demand.

Awards, performances, interviews and return trips to Manzanar.

In 2012 Mary was Grand Marshall 

of Nisei Week Parade.

Now a vibrant 88, a fortuitous age in Japan, 
with 12 grandchildren, 2 great grandchildren 
and numerous nieces, nephews and family ...
you might think she would slow down?
But,  just last Sunday she performed with ...

a large audience sat spellbound, as young ladies ...

dressed from the 40's, sang camp songs with angelic voices. And then, the "Songbird of Manzanar" sang, it was Magic! I was so lucky to visit with Mary, I have a new hero! Her humor, intelligence. 

Last Wednesday, February 12, 2025, I was picked up by Jean & Craig Nomura, and their Auntie Mary Nomura (yes, as mentioned above!) We four were going to visit Grandma June Nomura, 97, in Orange. I was honored to be asked to tag along and to get to see Mary after 12 years. She looked the same, maybe  "sukoshi" thinner. Mary is 99 now and still lives alone, but visited often by her family. Mary said her oldest son was 79, and "he's an old geezer"! June was glad to see Mary and us. After our visit, we four went to Westminster and ate at Pho 101, a lovely roomy restaurant with a large menu of delicious choices. It was a rainy day, and we were careful walking from and to the car. No slips.You are thinking, where are the pictures? Well evidently, I wasn't thinking? But I do smile every time I think of such a great day.  Special thanks to Jean, Craig & Mary for inviting me.

 

  

 

A 11 minute video, Grocery Store Racketeer, here

 

 

 

  

 

Just because ...

Arctic Redpoll

 

Sunday's Smiles ...