as told to Janet Wilcox
January 2020
I can barely believe that it has been nearly twenty years of emailing, visiting and revisiting San Juan County in my efforts to assemble components of the story of my father Midori Shimoda when he lived in Monticello and Blanding.
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| 2nd half of article at the end. |
I’m not writing to re-hash the story of Midori who took advantage of the US ‘voluntary
evacuation’ afforded to Japanese and Japanese Americans prior to the massive relocation to
camps scattered around the nation, but to seek more information and photos. At that time in Midori's life Japanese people were given just over a month to leave their West Coast homes, and businesses and avoid incarceration if they could secure a sponsor. This entire topic resonates eerily with headlines familiar to us today, and offers food for another article.
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| Cooper Jones, nephew of DeVaughn Jones with Risa Midori |
My family and I extend continued appreciation to the families of Frederick Peter Jones and his son, DeVaughn Jones (Monticello) for offering to sponsor my dad, allowing him to leave California and come to a safe haven. Current Jones family members, ironically, have no record of this sponsorship, but someone in their clan approved an application filed in Pasadena March 1942. Whoever you were and wherever you are: Thank you! And if a written record of this paper appears in someone's box of historical documents, please contact me!
We also thank Oscar Hurst for offering to pay for Midori's thrashing skills. For many years the Hurst combine sat in full display adjacent to the South Chapel, but because of all the children who loved climbing on it, it was eventually considered a hazard and was relocated to the north end of town.
If Oscar had not been such a roving thresher with this machine, he would not have learned of the Jones’ worry for the Shimoda family’s safety in Monticello. Once he learned of the situation, he invited the Shimodas to Blanding without a second thought, and in many ways saved them from harm’s way.
Risa wrote primarily to share the outcome of her continued research and subsequent trips to Monticello and Blanding where she visited with daughters of Midori’s roommate, Devon Hurst. His daughters, Nancy Hurst Dutcher and Etta Hurst Durow, as well as members of the Lyman family were very generous with their time: Joe F. Lyman and Clisbee Lyman as were members of the Frederick Peter Jones family in Monticello. Cooper in Monticello and Fred in Salt Lake City. Historian Gary Shumway also made many suggestions and shared discoveries that were very helpful. She added,
" I would also LOVE to learn if there are photos still in existence that were taken by my father and if there are other photographs in existence of him while he was in San Juan.
Some Portraits discovered
During an absolutely coincidental meeting in Blanding the summer of 2016, I met historian Gary
Shumway during a trip to Blanding with Etta Hurst Durow. Gary Shumway informed me that my father was given permission to start a portrait photography business and publicized it by hanging a poster in the front window of Parley Redd’s Mercantile. I’m sure this income would have been helpful, as he probably just received room and board at the Hurst household, and his niece May and sister Setsuko also lived there until the end of the school year before heading to Mapleton to live with his brother and May’s family.
Risa wondered, how was Midori able to take photos, as he was not allowed to bring his professional photography equipment from his home in Pasadena. She believes he may have bartered with high school Principal Ernest Biggs who was described as a camera bug. He even had a dark room when he lived in the Castle House with his family.
In exchange for the use of equipment and a darkroom, Midori shared tips and techniques, and he produced a beautiful portrait of the 1942 Victory Queen, Audrey Adams, in the otherwise modest mimeographed year book. To see other images taken of the 1941-42 Piñon go to http://skalooza.com/utah-san_juan-blanding/san_juan_high/index.html.
This also created additional opportunities to discover
several photos taken by my dad in 1942. Gary Shumway then shared a copy of his Master’s Degree thesis (c.1964), which he dedicated to his father, Asa Shumway. Ironically, the dedication page featured a favorite photo from his office, taken in the 1942 time frame and which he was certain was shot by Midori.
The Vint Jones Connection
During this visit Gary also showed us two images from a family photo album for which he was
providing production assistance for Donna Nielsen Jensen, daughter of Ruth Jones Nielsen.
Enclosed are two fine photos of Ruth, one bearing a caption stating that Vint Jones, her brother hired a Japanese photographer’ to take the picture. Donna recalled learning Vint had a photo taken of himself also, and that it had been posted in Parley Redd’s window for an extended period of time.
"If Vint’s portrait or a photo of the store window with Vint’s photo displayed is hanging on
a descendant’s wall, I’d love to add a snapshot of it to the Shimoda family collection!" Risa
Gary also suggested I considered purchasing a set of the 2005 Blanding City Centennial Family Histories. So Etta and I went to the Blanding Visitors Center. Etta offered to ship them to me in Maryland as the bundle was very heavy, and in the follow up mentioned she’d paged through the volumes and noticed a super nice photo of a five-year old Suzanne Lyman, who died that very year at this tender age. Gary knew the girl and the family well, and connected me with Joe F. Lyman.
The next summer (2017) Joe shared originals of that very image and several others taken by my dad.
Enclosed also is a photo of a beautiful young woman whose name has not endured my less-than-excellent record keeping but whose owners have approved its use. If you know her identity, I would appreciate connecting with family members to re-introduce myself!
I am forever thankful for the Jones and Hurst families for hosting my dad, aunt and cousin
during a crazy period of time. Please feel free to contact me with comments, questions or
suggestions for locating additional photos Midori may have taken, and simply about any
additional tidbits you may have heard about his having lived in town that year.
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| Hurst family on outing with Midori
Top left to right, Caroline Lyman Christensen, Marie Harvey Cornwell, Lady with military Hat (?), Devon Hurst. Bottom : John Hurst and Midori. The artesian well used to run 24 hours a day, thus creating the pool of water as seen in the picture. lt was located beneath the twin rocks, where Simpsons' businesses now exists.
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Are There Other Photos taken of/ or by Midori?
Risa wrote primarily to share the outcome of her continued research and subsequent trips to Monticello and Blanding where she visited with daughters of Midori’s roommate, Devon Hurst. His daughters, Nancy Hurst Dutcher and Etta Hurst Durow, as well as members of the Lyman family were very generous with their time: Joe F. Lyman and Clisbee Lyman as were members of the Frederick Peter Jones family in Monticello. Cooper in Monticello and Fred in Salt Lake City. Historian Gary Shumway also made many suggestions and shared discoveries that were very helpful. She added," I would also LOVE to learn if there are photos still in existence that were taken by my father and if there are other photographs in existence of him while he was in San Juan.
Please send information to: risa@theshimodagroup.com
Some Portraits discovered
During an absolutely coincidental meeting in Blanding the summer of 2016, I met historian Gary
Shumway during a trip to Blanding with Etta Hurst Durow. Gary Shumway informed me that my father was given permission to start a portrait photography business and publicized it by hanging a poster in the front window of Parley Redd’s Mercantile. I’m sure this income would have been helpful, as he probably just received room and board at the Hurst household, and his niece May and sister Setsuko also lived there until the end of the school year before heading to Mapleton to live with his brother and May’s family.
Risa wondered, how was Midori able to take photos, as he was not allowed to bring his professional photography equipment from his home in Pasadena. She believes he may have bartered with high school Principal Ernest Biggs who was described as a camera bug. He even had a dark room when he lived in the Castle House with his family.
In exchange for the use of equipment and a darkroom, Midori shared tips and techniques, and he produced a beautiful portrait of the 1942 Victory Queen, Audrey Adams, in the otherwise modest mimeographed year book. To see other images taken of the 1941-42 Piñon go to http://skalooza.com/utah-san_juan-blanding/san_juan_high/index.html.
 |
| Audrey Adams (Halliday) taken in 1942 |
This also created additional opportunities to discover
several photos taken by my dad in 1942. Gary Shumway then shared a copy of his Master’s Degree thesis (c.1964), which he dedicated to his father, Asa Shumway. Ironically, the dedication page featured a favorite photo from his office, taken in the 1942 time frame and which he was certain was shot by Midori.
 |
| Ruth Jones Nielson photo taken by Midori |
During this visit Gary also showed us two images from a family photo album for which he was
providing production assistance for Donna Nielsen Jensen, daughter of Ruth Jones Nielsen.
Enclosed are two fine photos of Ruth, one bearing a caption stating that Vint Jones, her brother hired a Japanese photographer’ to take the picture. Donna recalled learning Vint had a photo taken of himself also, and that it had been posted in Parley Redd’s window for an extended period of time.
"If Vint’s portrait or a photo of the store window with Vint’s photo displayed is hanging on
a descendant’s wall, I’d love to add a snapshot of it to the Shimoda family collection!" Risa
The next summer (2017) Joe shared originals of that very image and several others taken by my dad.Enclosed also is a photo of a beautiful young woman whose name has not endured my less-than-excellent record keeping but whose owners have approved its use. If you know her identity, I would appreciate connecting with family members to re-introduce myself!
I am forever thankful for the Jones and Hurst families for hosting my dad, aunt and cousin
during a crazy period of time. Please feel free to contact me with comments, questions or
suggestions for locating additional photos Midori may have taken, and simply about any
additional tidbits you may have heard about his having lived in town that year.
Other Related Photos:
The Oscar and Retta Hurst home as it looks today. This is where Midori stayed in 1942.
Nine children were raised there, and many visitors were welcomed to this little home.
This photo was likely taken at the Oscar Hurst farm
It shows Midori Shimoda holding a new calf.
Unfortunately, as the rest of the Panorama story below reports, Midori's love for photography also got him in trouble, as cameras Devon Hust loaned him were considered "contraband" and he was arrested, and spent the next several years petitioning for parole.
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