Isamu Uchida
‘Sam’
Sept. 29, 1919-Sept. 5, 2009
Wednesday, September 9, 2009 10:25 AM PDT
Ontario
Isamu "Sam" Uchida, 89, of Ontario, OR. passed away on Saturday, September 5, 2009 at home. Memorial Services will be conducted Friday, September 11, 2009 at 11:00 AM at the United Community Methodist Church in Ontario, Or.
Private family inurnment will be at a later time at Evergreen Cemetery. Services are under the direction of Lienkaemper Chapel, Ontario. On September 29, 1919, Isamu "Sam" Uchida was born to Iwaye and Sahei Uchida. His parents were from Okayama-Ken, Japan. He was the first born son of six children--Three sisters, Kazue, Kiyoko, and Chiyoko, and two brothers, Minoru and Sho. Like many of the nisei children, Sam and his siblings attended English grammar schools during the day, followed by Japanese classes after school.
He graduated from Fife High School. While attending Fife High School, Sam lettered in basketball and baseball.
He later participated in the Courier League for basketball and baseball which allowed him to discover the West Coast by traveling from Vancouver, British Columbia to San Jose, California. In May of 1942, the entire family was evacuated to the Puyallup Fairgrounds for three months. Sam and his younger brother Sho were given the choice of moving with the family to Minidoka, Idaho or traveling to Chinook, Montana to work on a "row crop" farm, They chose Chinook, Montana . Last week, 57 years later, Sam was able to travel to Chinook, see the town, and visit Mr. Ron Findley, the man who employed him during the war years.
In 1944, Sam moved from Chinook, Montana to Vale, Oregon. He married Toshiko Fujita on December 22, 1945 in Payette, Idaho.
In 1950, Sam and Tosh moved to Ontario, Oregon and purchased the property in which they presently reside. Sam served as a trustee and member for the United Community Methodist Church, Vice President and lifelong member for the Snake River Japanese American Citizen League, director and member of the Malheur Potato Industry, Sugar Beet Grower Association and the Malheur County Onion Association. Sam is survived by his wife, Toshiko; daughter and son- in-law Christine and Jerry Matsui (Eugene, OR); son and daughter-in-law David and Suzie Uchida (Ontario, OR); three grandsons, Jonathan Matsui (Claremont, CA), Tom and Shannon Uchida (Beaverton, OR), and Marcus Uchida (Beaverton, OR).
Condolences can be made to the family at www.lienkaemper-thomason.com
