WATANABE, KINYA "KEN" (1920-2008)

      Kinya "Ken" Watanabe (Poston 15-2-C) was the eldest child born to Japanese immigrant farming parents, Shusaburo and Tamano (Tanabe) Watanabe on November 2, 1920 in Holtville, California.  His parents had immigrated to the U.S. in 1918 and farmed around the Calexico area in California for a few years. The Watanabe family  moved to Arizona after Yoshiko was born. After high school, Ken worked as a farm laborer.

     In February of 1942, the Watanabe family members: Shusaburo, Tamano, Ken, Yoshiko, Gen, and Kenny were forcibly evacuated from their home to the Mayer, Arizona Assembly Center.  After several months, they were transferred to the Poston, Arizona concentration camp (15-2-C) on June 2, 1942. His brother Gen left the Poston camp on October 14, 1942 and stayed in Phoenix. Kinya left the camp on November 18, 1943 and joined his brother in Phoenix. His father left Poston on March 29, 1945 and headed to Glendale, Arizona. Ken's mother and brother, Kenny  left the Poston camp on February 22, 1945 and joined their family members in Phoenix. 

     Ken entered military service on September 29, 1944 and served in the U.S. Army.

Ken farmed at Watanabe's Flower Garden in Phoenix until his retirement. He died on October 7, 2008 in Mesa, Arizona.  He was preceded in death by his father, Shusaburo (2/7/1883); mother, Tamano (7/16/1893)

    He is survived by his wife of 35 years Aiko; sister Yo;  and brothers Gene and Kenny Watanabe.

Source: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/azcentral/obituary.aspx?n=kinya-watanabe-ken&pid=119139783&fhid=6532#fbLoggedOut

WATANABE, PAUL NOBUO (1928-2011)

      Paul Nobuo Watanabe (Poston 22-8-BD) was born on July 8, 1928 in Anaheim to Japanese immigrant parents, Tamenoshin Tommy and Fumiko Watanabe.  

     The Watanabe family members: Tamenoshin, Fumiko, Ben, James, Ruth, Paul, and Nancy, were forcibly evacuated from Anaheim and incarcerated in the Poston, Arizona concentration camp 1 on May 15, 1942.Paul attended Poston 1 High School.

     Setsuko Watanabe voluntarily evacuated from Joplin, Missouri  and arrived at  the Poston, Arizona concentration camp on April 16, 1943.  Baby Gary was born at Poston a month later.  Setsuko and Gary left Poston on July 27, 1943 and went to Camp Crowder, Missouri.

     Ben received an invitation in Chicago and left Poston, Arizona on November 9, 1943. James also received an invitation in Chicago, and Ruth left with him on June 27, 1944.  The remaining Watanabe family members, Tamenoshin, Fumiko, Paul, and Nancy  departed from Poston, Arizona on January 23, 1945 and went to resettle in Chicago. Paul was inducted in the military in February of 1946. 

     Paul Nobuo Watanabe, resident of Chicago for over 65 years, died on August 20, 2011 in Chicago at the age of 83 years.

     He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Kayo "Mae" (Hikido) Watanabe; daughters Dale (Dan) Kirchberg, and Joni (Rod) Starmer; grandchildren, Alex, Livia and Caitlyn Kirchberg, and Jackson Starmer; and brother, Jim Watanabe; and sisters, Ruth Shingu, and Nancy Nagai.

Sources:  Los Angeles Times from September 6 - September 11, 2011, Chicago Sun-Times on September 1, 2011

WADA, DR. GEORGE (1912-1981)

Dr. George Wada

     George Wada was born on February 22, 1912 in Oakland, California to Japanese immigrant parents, Shukichi and Sawato Wada,  who arrived to the U.S. in 1905.  Other children in the family was an older sister, Chiye and younger brother, Henry Kiroku Wada and they lived in San Leandro. 

     In 1940, George Wada earned a B.A degree and later, a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine.  He completed his internship at the San Francisco City and County Hospital.

      Dr. George Wada was practicing medicine in Los Angeles before the evacuation in May 1942.  He arrived at the Poston, Arizona internment camp I on June 3, 1942.  His record albums were used for the summer of 1942 Starlight Symphony.   He was served on the Poston General Hospital medical staff. In December of 1942, he traveled to Grants, New Mexico to visit his mother, who voluntarily evacuated. Dr. Wada helped to established the Poston III Medical Clinic.  Dr. Wada departed from Poston on November 23, 1943 and went to Philadelphia, where he served as a resident physician at the Stetson Memorial Hospital.  He later opened his practice for many years in Los Angeles, California. 

     Dr. George Wada died on April 10, 1981 in Los Angeles. He was preceded in death by his mother, Sawato (1952), and brother, Henry Wada(1981).

     He was survived by his sister, Chiyeko Fujii.

Source:  http://www.oac.cdlib.org/view?docId=tf596nb4h0&doc.view=items&style=oac4&item.position=4541

WAKE, William "Bill" Hiroshi (1912 -2008)

Bill was born in Reedley, CA, on January 5, 1912 and was the oldest of eight children. He lived almost his entire life in nearby Dinuba where he farmed and grew peaches and other fruit under the "AWAKE" label. Bill attended Reedley College and then U.C. Berkeley, where he graduated with a degree in architecture in 1935. 

During World War II, the entire family was incarcerated along with other Americans of Japanese descent in the Poston Relocation Center in Arizona. It was in Poston that Bill met and wed his wife Mary in 1943. 

With the end of the war, family responsibilities dictated that he return to Dinuba to take over the farm that they had been forced to leave. He became a successful fruit grower due to a combination of his own natural talents and his willingness to work tirelessly. In his later years, he was slowed by severe injuries suffered in an auto accident, and then by a stroke, but his inherent strong core allowed him to persevere. 

Bill was preceded in death by his parents and by his sister, Edna Shiota. He is also survived by his siblings: May Iwahashi, Alice Sakai, Lloyd Wake, Florence Nagano, Lillian Koda, and Betty Machida.