RALPH, CECILE AKEMI (SOGIOKA) 1942-2005

     Cecile Akemi Sogioka was born January 5, 1942 in Covina, California to Gene Isao and Minnie (Mayebo) Sogioka. She moved with her parents from Baldwin Park to Sanger, and evacuated with her grandparent and their families to war time living quarters in the desert at the Poston, Arizona internment camp 2 on July 14, 1942.  Her family finally left the internment camp at Poston, Arizona on January 4, 1944, and resettled in  New York.
      Cecile received a B. A. degree in English from Syracuse University in 1964 and a Master's degree in Educational Administration from the State University of New York at New Paltz in 1987. Cecile was employed at Orange County Community College from 1977-1998. She began as Assistant to the Academic Dean and retired as Associate Dean of Academic Services.

  Cecile Akemi Sogioka Ralph, age 63, died on September 3, 2005 in Stuart, Florida and was a resident of Gardiner, NY.

     She is survived by her husband of 39 years, David Ralph; and sisters Jean LaSpina of Tequesta, Florida., and Alyce Conklin of New Paltz, N.Y.

Source:  Times Herald-Record on 9/9/2005.

ROKUTANI, SHINOBU SAMUEL (1917-2011)

T/5 Sam Rokutani

      Shinobu Samuel Rokutani ( Poston 308-6-D) was born on November 20, 1917 in Alameda County to Japanese immigrants, Otoji and Tsuruno Rokutani. In 1939, Sam graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, where he was a member of the Japanese Club and south-paw pitcher for the University's varsity baseball team. 

     On August 4, 1942, Sam and his (widowed) mother, Tsuruno Rokutani and his brother,  George's family,  voluntarily evacuated from Alameda County and relocated to Reedley.  After a few months, they were evacuated to the Poston, Arizona internment camp block 308-6-D.  At Poston camp III, Sam worked in the Accounting Department.  On November 20, 1942, he volunteered for the U.S. Military Intelligence Service, after the recruiting team of Major Karl Gould, M/Sgt Joe Masuda and T/Sgt Jerry Shibata visited Poston.  He left Poston and went to Camp Savage, Minnesota for intense Japanese language training at the Language School section 16, and graduated in December 1942.

     After the end of World War II, Sam Rokutani became a member of the University of California, Berkeley Bullpen Club,  a team of Bear Backers who specifically donate to and fundraise for Cal Baseball. In 1980, Sam and his wife, Jun, moved from Minnesota to Bella Vista, Arkansas.  In 1986, Sam served as President of the Bella Vista Men's 18 Hole Golf Association. 
     Sam Rokutani died on January 28, 2011 in Bentonville, Arkansas. He was preceded in death by his parents Otoji and Tsuruno Rokutani; wife, Jun (2001); and brother, George (2000).

     Sam is survived by daughter, Laurie Rokutani Gresard of Williamsburg, Virginia.

ROBERTSON, Georgia Day (1886-1991)

Georgia Day Robertson

Georgia Day Robertson born October 9, 1886 in rural Iowa. After  her graduation from Iowa State College, she went to China as a missionary teacher.  While in China, she met a mining engineer named John A. T. Robertson, who was born in Canada and immigrated to the U.S. in 1917.  They were married and their first child, Angus, who was born in China.  A second child, David, was later born in Missouri. 

Unfortunately, Georgia lost her husband early; but she continued her education and received advanced degrees in mathematics and education and then employed as a teacher at many institutions of higher education in the U.S.  In the late 1930's, Mrs. Robertson earned her living in Orange County, California with running a poultry farm, while teaching in an adult education program, and writing short stories for publication.

When the war broke out in December 1941, Mrs. Georgia Day Robertson had been employed by the USO Club which was managed by the Salvation Army in San Diego, California.  Within the year, she was hired by the War Relocation Authority to supervise the Nisei mathematic teachers in the three camp high schools located in the Poston War Relocation Center outside of Parker, Arizona.  There she gained the information and insight into the Evacuation found in The Harvest of Hate.  Mrs. Robertson taught Trigonometry and became the Vice Principal of Poston II High School, and also taught math at the Poston III High School.

It was the postwar return to her native Iowa and the discovery that many Midwesterners had never heard of or refused to believe in the reality of the Evacuation that impelled her to put pen to paper in the service of civil liberties and social justice.

In the postwar years, Georgia Day Robertson continued for a number of years to teach school, not only in her adopted Orange County, where she has stayed in contact with many Japanese American friends from Poston days, but also in Japan (during the Korean War).  She has also continued to write professionally, though The Harvest of Hate was her first published novel.  On October 9, 1986, she celebrated her 100th birthday.   

Georgia Day Robertson died on December 6, 1991 in Orange County at the age of 105 years.