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| Kiyoko Kitagawa |
Kiyoko Ukegawa (Poston 22-8-AB) was born January 2, 1924 in Olive, California to Fukutaro and Tomoye Ukegawa. Her father nicknamed her "Lucky Baby" since 1924 was also a prosperous year for the small family farm and the Ukegawas were able to purchase their first car-- a Model T. Ford. On October 5, 1931 when Kiyoko was 8 years old, she traveled with her two older siblings, Hiroshi and Mutsuko on the S.S. Asama Maru on a return trip from Wakayama, Japan to the United States. Kiyoko attended Tustin High School, where she was active in sports such as softball, field hockey, and tennis.
On May 15, 1942, the Ukegawa family was evacuated from Thermal, California and arrived to their wartime home at Poston, Arizona (block 22-8-AB). In camp, Kiyoko became an accomplished seamstress, talented artist, and graduated from high school. She met her future husband, Yeji Kitagawa, who was evacuated with his family from Santa Ana, California. On August 24, 1943, Yeiji left the Poston camp and worked in Layton, Utah. Yeji and Kiyoko were married on December 16, 1944.
On May 20, 1945, Kiyoko left Poston and resettled to Thermal in the Coachella Valley, where the Kitagawa family had been farming since 1912. Kiyoko was integral to the success of the family farming business and saw the farm grow from 80 acres to over 1000 acres and eventually included Kitagawa and Sons, Golden Acre Farms, and YK Packing Company.
Yeji and Kiyoko had eight children. After the death of her husband Yeiji in 1978, she continued farming with her children. In 1992, Coachella Valley California Women for Agriculture named her "Farmer of the Year". Kiyoko Kitagawa, a long-time resident of Oasis, California, died on August 24, 2011. She was preceded in death by her husband, Yeji (1978); son, Eugene Kitagawa (1975); and brothers, Hiroshi (2009) and Joe (2003) Ukegawa.
Yeji and Kiyoko had eight children. After the death of her husband Yeiji in 1978, she continued farming with her children. In 1992, Coachella Valley California Women for Agriculture named her "Farmer of the Year". Kiyoko Kitagawa, a long-time resident of Oasis, California, died on August 24, 2011. She was preceded in death by her husband, Yeji (1978); son, Eugene Kitagawa (1975); and brothers, Hiroshi (2009) and Joe (2003) Ukegawa.
Kiyoko is survived by her sisters, Mutsuko Iwatate and Yoshi Kato; sons, Joe, Paul, and Richard Kitagawa; and daughters, Patricia Enochs, Mary Ann Voorhees, Janice Schmid, and Susan Kitagawa.
Sources: http://rafu.com/news/kiyoko-kitagawa/
