Mountain View Memories The Kindness of the Minton Family by Margaret Nakamura Cooper
Margaret Nakamura Cooper was born and raised in Mountain View. During World War II her family was held in an internment camp. They returned to MV after the war ended. She graduated from MVHS in 1948 and from San Jose State in 1952. Three sons were born to the couple. The family settled in Santa Maria, where she still lives in the house they purchased in 1970. She was widowed five years ago.
The Minton family was known for owning a successful lumberyard. But what may be unknown is how kind and
helpful they were to the Japanese community. This is a personal story about how Mr. Earl Minton helped my family and the community. Uncle Harry was my mother’ s older brother. He was very smart and wanted to become a lawyer. This was in the 1920s and his family was poor. Harry’ s father Yonejiro Tsuruda needed his son to go to work to help put food on the table. Upon high school graduation, his father told Harry that he had to work to help support the family. After fifteen years of servitude, he would be allowed to go to college and pursue his dream.
Earl Minton heard about this and gave Harry a job at the lumber company. A Caucasian lawyer tutored Harry during free time and Harry became familiar with basic law. When the fifteen years were over the Mintons enrolled Harry at COP( now University of the Pacific). Harry studied hard.
Unfortunately, he became ill with tuberculosis and had to drop out. The Mintons drove Harry to a sanitarium in Arizona where many sufferers of tuberculosis went to recover. While there he learned to play bridge and played with members of the staff. Unfortunately, Harry never got well and passed away. I was just a toddler when he died. My mother said she got letters from her brother asking about me.
Mrs. Margerie Minton also had a good heart. She gave me free piano lessons. Once a week I would walk from grammar school to her house, and she would teach me to play the piano. Afterwards she invited me into the breakfast nook off the kitchen and served me tea and cookies. There was always a tablecloth on the table and beautiful China dishes. I shall never forget the feeling I had at these tea parties with just the two of us. So, this is how the other half lives! I was flattered that she wanted me to experience the finer things in life.
When the Japanese Christian community needed a church Earl Minton came to the rescue. My mother’ s stepfather, Mr. Tsuruda owned a walnut ranch with a few raspberry bushes located on Whisman Road not far from Moffett Field. He converted to Christianity after coming from Japan in the early 1900s. Mr. Tsuruda donated a corner of his land on which to build a church. Earl Minton donated lumber and know-how. With help from the young men in the Japanese community a neat little church was built for the young Japanese American Christian children and their parents. I was one of those sansei( third generation) children who went to Sunday school every week.
Mrs. Minton( front, 4th from left) 1930s‘ Girls Day’ at the Minton House
At the end of her life Mrs. Minton lived in a care facility in Mountain View. I visited her once with a piece of music that she had taught me to play. She remembered the tune and we hummed it together. That was the last time I saw her. I am now 94 but the memories of the kindness of the Minton family still linger.
Editor’ s note We received an email from Margaret after the Spring issue of our newsletter was released. In the issue was an article about Palmita Park, which included information about the Minton family. She included this personal story, which we are pleased to include in this issue.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY The MVHA is looking for a Treasurer— a position on the board. The ideal candidate knows accounting, bookkeeping procedures and Quickbooks. About 1 – 2 hours per week is the usual time commitment needed. Please contact Pamela Baird( 650-740-4847) or email info @ mountainviewhistorical. org. f
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