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| Haruichi Hanemoto |
Haruichi Hanemoto (Poston 318-14-A) was
born on January 30, 1919,on the family farm in Reedley, California. His mother
died when he was three years old, and he was sent to Japan and raised by older
siblings in a small seaside village near Hiroshima, Japan. He
returned to Reedley, California at age 16, attended Great Western School and
Reedley High School until he learned the English language. He met the "light of his
life" and future bride, Miss Kazume Nobuhiro at the Reedley Buddhist Church.
A whirlwind courtship ensued followed by a fast and furious marriage on June
24, 1942 hastened by the internment of people of Japanese ancestry during the
outbreak of World War II. Haruichi and Kazume had known that they would be
separated if they were not united as one family before the evacuation. They
were incarcerated at the Poston, Arizona concentration camp 3. They honeymooned
in a one room tar paper barrack that overlooked miles of dry desert sand, and Hiroshi
was born the following year.
After the end of World War II, Haruichi
and his family returned to Reedley, where he farmed and raised summer fruit
trees and grapes. He enjoyed fishing and raising his vegetable garden and
watching his bonsai trees grow very, very slowly.
Haruichi Hanemoto died on May 28.
2014. He is survived by his wife, Kazume Hanemoto; and children, Harvey (Pam) Hanemoto,
June (Yoshiki) Kagawa, and Lorna Hanemoto. He is also survived by grandchildren,
Corey Hanemoto, Jason Kagawa and Kelly (Mark) Tabay; and great-grandchildren,
Alex,and newborn Andi Tabay.
Source: Fresno Bee on June 4, 2014
