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| Eddie Kobayashi |
Following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Eddie, his wife, Jean and brother, Koichi Kobayashi were evacuated from Watsonville to the Salinas Assembly Center in the spring of 1942. After a few months, they were moved to their permanent war time living quarters at the Poston, Arizona internment camp on June 29, 1942. On October 7, 1943, Eddie, Jean and Koichi Kobayashi were transferred out of Poston to the Tule Lake Segregation Center, located in Modoc County, California. Sumiye Madeline was born in September of 1944. After leaving Tule Lake, they returned to farming in the Pajaro Valley, and a son, Ronald Thomas was born in 1948.
Eddie Kobayashi was one of the Pajaro area's first farmers to successfully raise strawberries. They were distributed nationally by Driscoll. His farming business extended to farms in Castroville and Salinas, and his strawberries won numerous Blue Ribbon awards at the Monterey County and Santa Cruz County Fairs. Eddie had a private label, "Eddie K Strawberries." He retired in the early 1980's and lived in Watsonville for over 40 years.
On October 25, 1999, Eddie Kobayashi moved to Guam and lived with his son's family. Eddie died at the age of 94 years on June 20, 2011. He is preceded in death by his parents, Soichi Kobayashi and Kinuyo Masaki Kobayashi; brothers, Soeru Robert (2006), Susumu, and Koichi Kobayashi; and sisters, Misuko Kobayashi, Fumiye K. Akimoto, and Sachiko Okihara.
On October 25, 1999, Eddie Kobayashi moved to Guam and lived with his son's family. Eddie died at the age of 94 years on June 20, 2011. He is preceded in death by his parents, Soichi Kobayashi and Kinuyo Masaki Kobayashi; brothers, Soeru Robert (2006), Susumu, and Koichi Kobayashi; and sisters, Misuko Kobayashi, Fumiye K. Akimoto, and Sachiko Okihara.
Eddie Kobayashi is survived by his wife, Fumiko Jean (Yagi) Kobayashi; son, Ronald T. (Sheila) Kobayashi, M.D.; and daughter, Sumiye Madeline Huffstutter.
Primary source: Santa Cruz Sentinel, July 13, 2011
