Hatsuzo Fukumoto born January 10, 1855 died November 25, 1930. Sitting with his grandchildren on right Sonoye, Kiyoko on lap, Shigemitsu, then Hatsumi in Pahoa, Hawaii.
My great grandparents immigrated from Hiroshima Japan at the turn of the century. Great grandmother was Yuku Kobata who was a picture bride married in 1914 to 1917 to Yotaro Ishimoto. She arrived on the Big Island on February 2, 1915. She was “deserted” according to Kalapana court records by her husband and granted a divorce on March 20, 1917.
Yuku Fukumoto born on March 15, 1894 and died on April 5, 1989. Pictured with my grandmother, Sumie, and her kid brother, Akiharu.
Yuku then married my great grandfather Juichi Fukumoto on June 30, 1917, shortly after her divorce. Juichi arrived in Hawaii in 1987 with his parents from Aki-gun Hiroshima, Hatsuzo (his mother’s maiden name was Fukunaga) and Hina (maiden name was Tanaka). Yuku’s parents were Seijiro Ansei Kobata born on June 6, 1857 and died on January 6, 1945 and her mother was Tamayo born on March 21, 1866 and died on June 6, 1940. They were still in Japan and did not move to Hawaii with her as I have no records indicating they left Hiroshima.
1920 map of Pahoa town with my great grandparents store, Fukumoto Store. It burned down after my great grandfather had forgotten a long on the fire while preparing tofu. That fire took place on November 8, 1953. Fukumoto Store front with great grandparents, Yuku and Hina, along with Hatsumi, Aki, and Sonoye.
After the fire, the Fukumoto family relocated to Oahu. Sonoye enrolled at UH Manoa and received a Bachelors degree in 1954 then went to Temple University to get her Master’s Degree in Education. She was a pioneer of her time and taught 30 years for the Department of Education.
Front from left to right is Akiharu and Sumie and back row is Sonoye, Shige, Hatsumi 1937Akiharu and ShigeAkiharu and SumieSonoyeAkiharuThe Juichi and Yuku Fukumoto family 1974Sonoye with her father, JuichiYuku and Sumie at my Aunty Pam’s wedding 1976Yuku with her great grandchildren, Nicole, Cori, Wendi, me, Matthew, Mike, and Deanna1940’s census recordYuku Fukumoto 1930Yuku’s citizenship ceremony in 1954. Juichi never became a citizen of the U.S. Pahoa classmates of Hatsumi May 1, 1933Kiyoko, the sibling who died at 10 years old in Shriner’s Hospital of polioShige taken at ChiyashiHina Fukumoto, died on 11/20/1951. Father was Hosogoro Kinoshita. Possibly could be of Yuku but we are unsure. Shige Kiyoko and SonoyeHina’s death certificateKiyoko FukumotoHatsuzo’s death certificate naming his father Yuhachi Fukumoto and mother as Hina Kinoshita, which I am sure is an error on the record.
HawaiiFarmersDaughter 