Juji Matsumura

Juji Matsumura, 92, passed away May 20, 2011 at the home of his son in Ontario, OR. A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m., Friday, May 27, 2011 at the Idaho-Oregon Buddhist Temple, 286 SE 4th St., Ontario. A private family inurnment will take place earlier at Evergreen Cemetery, Ontario. Arrangements are under the direction of Shaffer Jensen Memory Chapel, Payette. Condolences may be made Juji's family at www.shaffer-jensenchapel.com.

The third of five children, Juji was born on Aug. 30, 1918 on the family farm in Green Lake, WA near what is now the University of Washington campus in Seattle to Jusaburo and Shie Tomoda Matsumura. Soon after, the family moved to a small farm in nearby Sunnydale, now Sea-Tac International Airport, where Juji grew up helping out with the farm work and developing what was to become a lifelong passion for fishing. Juji graduated from Highline High School and soon after the outbreak of WWII Juji and his family, in the parlance of Japanese Americans at the time, "went to camp." They were initially evacuated from Auburn, WA to the Pinedale Assembly Center near Fresno, CA. Later Juji, his parents and siblings were transferred to the Tule Lake Internment Camp in Northern California and finally to Heart Mountain Internment Camp in Wyoming for the duration of the war. Juji obtained a work pass and found employment on local farms. After the war the Matsumura family re-settled in Ontario where Juji worked in the fields and sheds packing fresh onions, potatoes, and lettuce. In Dec. of 1950 Juji married Fujie, "Fudge" Hashimoto at the Ontario Women's Club on SW 1st St. In the early 1950's with Fudge's support, Juji began farming around Fruitland, ID, always being certain to leave enough time between cultivating onions and changing water on the mint, for fishing expeditions with his buddies, especially Art Hamanishi. Wind, rain, sleet, snow...there was no trout or crappie safe from these two intrepid fishermen. By the time he retired, Juji had eventually become a partner in Idaho Mint Co., in New Plymouth and Treasure Valley Produce in Nyssa and had moved with Fudge from Ontario to a small farm south of Fruitland. During his life Juji had the opportunity to travel to Hong Kong and Korea and twice to Japan to visit the hometown of his parents in Kumamoto on the south island of Kyushu. In his retirement Juji continued his aquatic pursuits with several adventures to Alaska to fish for king salmon on the remote Nushagak River near Bristol Bay. He also cultivated an extensive garden during the summers, providing fresh fruits and vegetables for family and friends and in the spring and fall he often ventured into the forests of Idaho, Oregon and Washington to pursue the even more elusive morel and matsutake mushrooms. One of the periodic highlights of Juji's life was the bi-annual Okazaki-Matsumura Family Reunion held in various locations around the Northwest where he re-connected with his extensive family network. An extremely quiet man never given to emotional gestures, Juji never-the-less held his family with deep regard. Juji is survived by his son, Howard of Ontario; nephews, Larry Matsumura (Diane) and Jerry Matsumura (Brenda) of Ontario; little sister, May Okazaki of Boise; and many beloved nieces and nephews in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Utah. He was preceded in death by his parents, wife Fudge, daughter-in-law Heesa, sister Setsuko and brothers Juro and Bob. Juji's family would like to extend their thanks to Heart & Home Palliative Care for their kind support and to his special caregivers Consuelo and Alicia.

Service Details.

Service

When: Friday, May 27th, 2011
Location: Funeral Home
Address: