Fumiye Ethel Sakoda (Poston 219-7-C) was born on June 30, 1918 in Salinas, California to Japanese immigrants, Sannosuke and Suye Sakoda. Fumi grew up in the Salinas area, attended local schools and graduated from in 1936 from Salinas High School.
After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Fumi, her parents, and sisters, Yuriko Lily and Kineho Kay, and brother Isamu Sam Sakoda were forcibly evacuated to the Salinas Assembly Center, and later transported by train to the Arizona desert and arrived on June 29, 1942 at the Poston internment camp (219-7-C) there she met Seizo Kodani, of the pioneering Japanese family of Point Lobos. They were married in Poston on February 6, 1943. Her brother, Isamu Sam Sakoda found employment in Bridgeton, New Jersey and left Poston on August 8, 1944. Her sister Yuriko Lily Sakoda located work in Washington DC and left Poston on August 23, 1945. Her parents and sister, Kimbo Kay left Poston to return to Salinas on September 19, 1945.
After WWII, Seizo brought Fumi back to California after spending a few years out of camp in Cleveland, Ohio. Seizo returned to Point Lobos and they established their home. Fumi raised 3 daughters while working fulltime for more than 30 years.
Fumi was the devoted cook and companion to famed photographer, Ansel Adams and his wife, Virginia. Fumi had many interests including gardening, cooking, knitting, painting with her sister, Edna Ishikawa, and hiking and backpacking in the Sierras with nephews and nieces. She was an enthusiastic member of the local race-walking club established by Giulio di Petra. Fumi Kodani died at home in Carmel Highlands on February 11, 2008, at the age of 89 years. She was preceded in death by her husband, Seizo (1988).
She is survived by daughters, Eugenie Childress and Marilyn Kodani, of Carmel Highlands, and Lucinda Stenek of Honolulu.
Sources: http://www.pineconearchive.com/080222PCA.pdf
http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/GEN-OBIT/2008-03/1204481213
