Esther Fuyoko Okuda Tanizawa

Esther’s father Kataro Okuda was born in Hino, Wakayama-Ken July 25, 1892.  At the age of 14 with his 16 year old brother Sataro, he immigrated to the United States and settled in Livingston, California.  They cultivated a barren desert land and planted grape vines and peach trees.  Sataro went back to Japan, while Kataro stayed. Sataro later sent his son Richard to the Livingston farm to stay with Kataro’s family.  Kataro married Mineyo Matsuda.  Their son, Franklin Yoshitaka was born November 25, 1919.  Kataro passed away at the age of 57 in an automobile accident on his way back home from the World’s Fair on Treasure Island on April 23, 1939.

Esther Fuyoko Okuda was born May 27, 1921.  She attended Livingston elementary school, graduated from Livingston High School June 12, 1939.  She attended Modesto State (Merced Community College?) and graduated with an Associate of Arts degree in 1941.

All persons of Japanese ancestry, including American born citizens, were forced to move from the west coast during WWII between 1942-1945 by Executive Order 9066.  The Okuda family were sent to the Merced Assembly Center and were sent to the Amache Relocation Center in Granada, Colorado.

Franklin went out to farm in Rocky Ford, Colorado.  After World War II ended, he returned to Livingston to take over Kataro’s estate.  He replaced old grape vines and peach trees with almond trees.  He married Kikue and they had two sons, Calvin and Paul Okuda.  Frank passed away on February 13, 1996.  Calvin died in a car accident in 1980.

Esther went out from Amache to Colorado State College and graduated in the spring of 1944, majoring in Home Economics.  Returning to Amache she taught dressmaking in the homemaking department for 1 year.  In July of 1945 she went out to New York City and sewed for the House of Galbraith for ½ year before returning to Livingston with her family.

Esther married U.S. Army Military Intelligence Service linguist veteran James Nakanobu Tanizawa on June 1, 1946.  James’ mother Tomino Tanizawa lived with the couple until she passed away at age 88.  James passed away on December 3, 1989 at the age of 71.

Their first home was in Berkeley, California from 1946-1959.  They became members of the Berkeley Methodist United Church on Carleton Street.  Son Ronald was born on August 19, 1949, and daughter Susan was born October 11, 1952.  In 1959 the family moved to El Cerrito, CA.

Ronald married Charlene Tsurumoto in November 1974.  They had two children, Kristen Nicole born 1985 and Eric James born 1988.  Susan married Kenneth Yamashita in July 1976.  They have two sons, Kevin Casey born 1981 and Todd Michael born in 1985.  They each have 2 daughters, Avery Fuyoko, Reagan Kimiko and Naomi Olivia, Lexi Amaya Yamashita.