Grace Tomiko Tanbara (Poston 308-14-D) was born on February 25, 1908 to Miyota and Takeno Tanbara, immigrants from Okayama Ken, Japan. Miyota immigrated to the U.S. in 1898 via Portland, Oregon on the SS Monmouthshire, and his wife, Takeno immigrated in 1905 to the U.S. on the S.S. Iyo Maru via Seattle to join him in living in Pleasanton, California.
At the age of 19 years, Grace Tanbara married Japanese immigrant, Masao Kurihara, who born to Kiyosuke and Iku Kurihara in 1901. Both of his parents had immigrated to the U.S. Kiyosuke immigrated in 1899 and Masao arrived in 1914 as a passenger agent for the railroad. Grace gave birth to a son, Tommy, during the mid 1930s in San Francisco, California.
Grace's older brother, Earl Kazumi Tanbara, graduated in 1923 from Los Gatos High School, and in 1927, received a B.A. degree from the University of California, Berkeley. He was employed for the Dollar Steamship Company from 1928-1939. At its height in the 1920s, the Dollar Steamship Company was the largest and most successful United States shipping firm, and its signature white dollar sign mounted on red-banded stacks was known around the world. Earl became the Director of Marketing for Dollar Steamship Company and with his wife, Ruth, they traveled extensively around the world for Dollar Steamship Company.
In 1942, following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and with the threat of evacuation, Grace's brother Earl Kazumi Tanbara and his wife Ruth, moved from Berkeley, California to a farm in Reedley, California, with his parents, Miyoto and Takeno Tanbara in an attempt to avoid wartime internment. Unfortunately, the boundaries for relocating people of Japanese ancestry were moved further inland. Grace's parents, Miyoto and Takeno Tanbara decided to not relocate and were evacuated to Poston, Arizona internment camp block 308-14-D. Meantime, Grace and her son Thomas M. Kurihara were evacuated from Berkeley to the Pomona Assembly Center. They were later transported to more permanent living quarters at Heart Mountain internment camp in Wyoming. On December 1, 1942, Grace and Tommy were reunited with her parents when they were finally granted a transfer to the Poston Arizona internment camp block 308-14-A. Tommy attended elementary school at Poston camp 3 and explored the Colorado River. Grace, Tommy, and his grandparents, departed from Poston on August 28, 1945 and took a on a train bound to Chicago, Illinois. Thomas was raised and attended schools in the Twin cities in Minnesota.
Grace Kurihara died on August 5, 1992 in San Francisco. She is survived by her son, Thomas M. Kurihara, of Arlington, Virginia.
Primary source: http://www.twincitiesjacl.org/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={99BBC5F5-AA67-4BED-B535-C800CC824AE6}
