NAGATA, HITOSHI ED (1915-2017)

     Hitoshi Ed Nagata was born on May 2, 1915 in Sanger, California to Saichi and Tamaji Nagata.  He was raised in Dinuba, California and graduated from Dinuba Joint Union High School in 1934. He placed second in a long jump competition at a Tulare County High School Track Meet and played organized baseball with other Japanese Americans of the Central Valley. In 1941, he married Masuko Lily Abe and they lived on his farm in Kingsburg, California.

Ed Nagata

     On August 4, 1942, he and his wife were evacuated from their home along with other people of Japanese ancestry in the area and imprisoned at the Poston, Arizona concentration camp 3.  They lived at block 305 barrack 13, apartment H. On March 30, 1943, he departed with his pregnant wife for work in the military designated “free” zone in Marsing, Idaho. There, he helped raise and harvest sugar beets and their first child was born. After the war, two more children were born and raised in Kingsburg.   

     He successfully farmed peaches, watermelons, cantaloupes, cotton and grapes in Kingsburg, California for over 80 years. He attended many spectator sports, including the numerous West Coast Relays, and midget/car races in Fresno.  He was an avid San Francisco Giants and Fresno State Bulldogs fan. He encouraged his children to participate in sports that built character and teamwork. He enjoyed his family members who participated in football, basketball, baseball and swimming. Ed was proud of his college educated children and grandchildren in their accomplishments. He loved  fishing and digging for clams at Pismo Beach, California. He traveled with his wife six times to Japan, Seattle, Washington to Mexico, Disneyland, Hawaii, North Carolina, and Oregon.

     He served on the Kings River Elementary School Board of Trustees for 19 years and held various administrative positions at Palm United Methodist Church and the Japanese-American Citizen League in Tulare County.
     Ed Nagata, long-time resident of Kingsburg, California, died on November 8, 20017 at the age of 102 years, He is predeceased by his wife Lily ( 2010); brothers: Stanley Nagata, Gordon Nagata; and sisters,  Mallie (Nagata) Hanada, Lydia (Nagata) Shiba, and Lilyan (Nagata) Kiyomoto.

     He is survived by his youngest sister, Amy (Nagata) Akaishi of New York; children: Ronald (Margaret) Nagata of San Jose, CA, Gerald Nagata of Kingsburg, CA, and Valerie (Colin) Kageyama of San Jose, CA; grandchildren: Robyn (Rand) Ide, and Blayne (Heidi) Nagata of Hawaii, Kristyn (Noah) Jacobson, and Kelly Kageyama of San Jose, CA; Corrine (Luiska) Nagata-Varela and  Shelley Nagata of Daly City, CA; and great grandchildren: Jase and Cole Ide, Zachary and Tyler Kimura-Nagata, Mariana Jarquin, and Christine Varela.

NISHIDA, ISAMU "JACK" (1926-2006)

Isamu "Jack" Nishida
February 8, 1926 ~ Nov. 1, 2006
SEASIDE – Isamu "Jack" Nishida passed away at home at the age of 80. He was born February 8, 1926 in Imperial, California and lived in Seaside for 56 years. He was a member of the El Estero Presbyterian Church. He was incarcerated at Poston, Arizona concentration camp 1 (59-4-C) during WW II. 
He is survived by his wife Takeko of 26 years; daughters, Nancy Kitahara, Peggy Inokuchi, Connie Ures; son, David Nishida and 4 grandchildren.

Published in The Monterey Herald on Nov. 3, 2006 

NII, GEORGE GORO (1934-2113)

George Goro Nii

     George Goro Nii (309-11-C) was born on December 2, 1934 to Goichi and Yuzuko Nii.  He grew up in Dinuba, California and after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and signing of Executive Order 9066, he was incarcerated at the Poston, Arizona camp 3 concentration camp on August 5, 1942 with his mother, Mrs. Yuzuko Nii (widow), and siblings, Harry, Frank, Kazuo, Teruo, and Akiko. George left Poston, Arizona with his mother, and siblings, Teruo and Akiko, on September 5, 1945 and went to Orosi.

     George Nii attended Dinuba Union High School, College of the Sequoias, and University of California, Berkeley.  He earned both a Pharmacy and Dental degree at the University of California, San Francisco.

     George served in the United States Army Reserves, and he practiced pharmacy and dentistry for 35 years. George enjoyed traveling with his wife Doris; spending time with family, especially his grandchildren; golfing with his buddies; following his favorite San Francisco teams; and tending to his garden.

     George Nii died on November 26, 2013, at the age of 78.  He was preceded in death by his parents, Goichi and Yuzuko Nii; and brothers, Harry Nii and Kazuo Nii.

     He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Doris; children, Tammy (Mark) Kawakami, Marna (Mark) Kizior, Kevin (Karen) Nii, David (Sabrina) Nii; grandchildren, Emily & Megan Kawakami, Ryan & Erik Kizior, Hannah & Alex Nii, Jenna & Katelyn Nii; brothers, Frank (Bonnie) Nii, Ted (Mary) Nii; sister, Akiko (Barry) Hamlin.

Published in the Fresno Bee on December 1, 2013

NAKAMURA, MICHIYUKI (1928-2013)

Mich Nakamura

     Michiyuki ("Mich") Nakamura (308-8-C) was born on January 22, 1928 to Sojuro and Shizu (Nitta) Nakamura in Reedley, California.  He was raised in Reedley and grew up on a farm with five brothers and four sisters and helped harvest grapes with his family.

       Mich completed his freshman year at Reedley Joint Union High School, when he was evacuated and incarcerated at the Poston Arizona concentration camp 3, block 308-8-C.  The family arrived at Parker, Arizona on August 4, 1942.   While at Poston, he attended the camp 3 high school for 2 years. 

      Mich left Poston, Arizona  on July 25, 1944 after receiving an invitation to attend (and graduate) from a high school in Evanston, Illinois.  He lived at the Evanston YMCA while his older brother, Yoshiyuki "Yo",  lived in Chicago and worked at a factory.  Yo was Mich's legal 'guardian'.

     Mich continued his education and graduated in 1951 from the University of California, Berkeley  with an electrical engineering degree. He was employed at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory for nearly 40 years.

     Mich married Dorie Kawanami, and they raised three boys. Mich was an avid golfer.  He was a member of the Dai Ichi Golf Club and a longtime coach to numerous Diablo Valley Cardinals baseball and basketball team youths. Following his retirement, Mich was a dedicated volunteer of the Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Martinez.

      Michiyuki ("Mich") Nakamura, 85, died on April 21, 2013 at the Belmont Village in San Jose, California.  He was preceded in death by his wife, Dorie (1997); his parents Sojuro (1970) and Shizu (1944);  brothers, Shigeyuki Howard (1977),  Yoshiyuki "Yo" (1998), Nobuyuki "Nibo" (2012); and sisters, Fusaye "Fusa" Yamada ( 2007), and Yukiye Kanagawa (1991).

      He is survived by his sisters Haruye  "Hankus"and Sonoye;  and brothers Masayuki "Masa" and Hideyuki "Jim" (Aggie);  his sons, Robert (Patti), David (Cindy) and James (Jodi) and eight grandchildren.

NISHITA, HIROSHI (1932-2009)

Hiroshi Nishita

 Hiroshi Nishita (17-13-C)  was born July 15,1932, in San Juan Bautista to Shuichi and Kimiko (Sasaki) Nishita.  After the signing of Executive Order 9066 in February 1942, he was forcibly evacuated with his parents and siblings (Toshie, Satoru, Sadae, and Kikue)  to the Salinas Assembly Center. Later, they were transported to the Poston Arizona concentration camp I on  July 1, 1942 with others of Japanese ancestry living in the western states.

     The  Nishita family left Poston in July of 1945, and returned to San Juan Bautista. (Satoru went to Chicago.)  Hiroshi graduated from Hollister High School, and attended Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.  Hiroshi was drafted into the U.S. Army and served in the Korean War. Following his discharge from the military, he  attended Oakland Jr. College, and  the College of Arts and Crafts, majoring in advertising. He was a  produce manager for Mayfair Market in Redondo Beach.  He  enjoyed drawing and painting watercolors.  

     Hiroshi Nishita, 77, of Hollister, died on November 15, 2009. He was preceded in death by his parents, Shuichi and Kimiko Nishita;  and his sister, Toshie Sakai.
      He is survived by his brother, Satoru Nishita of Richmond; and sisters, Sally (Albert) Suezaki of Lafayette and Cookie (Henry) Hibino of Salinas.

Source: Published in The Salinas Californian on November 30, 2009

NAKANISHI, MIKE M. DDS (1943-2012)

Dr. Mike Nakanishi

     Mike Mitsugi Nakanishi (Poston 222-14-G) was born on July 24, 1943 in Poston, Arizona, to American-born parents, Tsugio and Miyoko Eva Nakanishi.  

      His parents were forcibly evacuated from Clovis, California to the Poston, Arizona concentration camp 2 on July 14, 1942. On October 4, 1943, Mike and his parents transferred to the Tule Lake segregation camp.

    Mike attended Roosevelt High School in Los Angeles, Whittier College, and Case Western Reserve School of Dentistry. He had dental offices in Irvine and Chino.

     Dr. Mike Nakanishi, D.D.S., 68, of Laguna Niguel, California, died on May 29, 2012.

     He is survived by his wife of forty-one years, Margaret; daughters, Stacey (Robin) Kang, and Denise; sons, Scott, and Ryan; grandchildren Todd, Ashley, Nathan; and brother Dr. Don (Marsha) Nakanishi.

Source:  Los Angeles Times on June 1, 2012