Jason Spinnett was very important in my life. In 1961 I was a graduate student at Lewis & Clark College. I felt I needed to take a break. I wanted to teach English in Japan. My father, Harry Berney was in town. He got Millie to invite himself and me to dinner so I could talk to Jake about Japan.
Although I had been thinking of teaching in Tokyo, Jake said Toyama would be better if I wanted to live in the real Japan. In fact, he gave me the name and address of an English teacher, Mr. Kusunoki.
That man replied that since the Spinnetts had left Japan, he had been promoted to Inspector of English Instruction for the whole of Toyama Prefecture and it would be easy for him to be my sponsor and hire me to teach there.
I thus spent an enjoyable eighteen months teaching in Toyama Central High School, their first American teacher. Mr. Kusunoki even found a doctor's family who treated me as a son. We still correspond.
I learned from other teachers that Jake Spinnett was very popular, partly because he learned the local dialect so quickly, in addition to standard Japanese. Unfortunately, I never saw Jake or Millie again, for on returning, I took a job in the Seattle area.
God was good to me to me for giving me a few minutes with Jake. Such a blessing for my life!
Bruce Rochat Berney
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