Archives West Finding Aid

George Y. Yasuda was born April 26, 1883 in Otani Itogun, Wakayama Ken, Japan. His father was a pharmacist and his only brotgher was a dentist.

[George] graduated from High School and then attended a private school, Kozan Jiku for a year. He came from Japan to America in 1902 at the age of 19. He arrived in San Francisco in the spring to study science in [the United States]. [George] went to Sugar City, Idaho for a few years to farm so he could accumulate enough funds to go to school.

In 1907, [George] came to Salt Lake City, Utah and attended Salt Lake High School, which is now West High School, for three years. He could read and write English well, but wanted to improve his speaking abilities. While attending school, [George] was a member of the ROTC and joined the baseball team as a catcher. [The family] still have the catcher's mitt. [George] served as a cadet honor guard when President William Howard Taft, 27th President fo the United States, visited Salt Lake City. The cadets escorted President Taft from the Rio Grand Railroad Station to Temple Square Hotel; and again the next day when President Taft rode in a horse drawn buggy.

In 1910, [George] attend Rick's academy which is now [BYU/Idaho]. After a year of college, ill health and mental stress compelled him to discontinue his education. He took his doctor's advice and rested. Later [George] went to Burley, Idaho to farm for a few years on a 650 acre section. He had hoped to prosper so he could continue his education, but year after year, crops failed and he became more in debt and was never able to fulfill his dream to pursue his career in Chemical Engineering.

On December 13, 1915, [George] returned to Japan, and on February 11, 1916, he married Yasuko Miki. She was born on November 3, 1894. Her father was the City Treasurer. They sailed soon after for America to make their home in [the United States]. On their way [to the United States] they stopped in Hawaii. While waiting for the ship to sail they saw a banana vendor from whom they asked for 50 cents worth and he gave them the whole stalk.

[George and Yasuko] settled in Kimberly, Idaho and leased a 220 acre farm. They bought one of the first Ford model cars that was built in 1917, at the cost of $410, ith the highest speed going at 15 miles an hour. Of course, at the time the roads were not paved so the cars could not travel fast. Everyone came to see the car from miles around. In 1918 they bought a 120 acre arm in Kimberly and farmed there until 1922. [George and Yasuko's] first son, George, was born [in Kimberly].

[George] served as President and Secretary of the Southern Idaho Japanese Association for several years. Unexpectedly, an anti-alien land law was introduced in the legislature. Four of the Idaho Japanese Association's cooperative efforts prevented its' enactment, but at the next session it became law. During World War I farmers prospered, but as soon as the war ended came the depression and unemployment. As the government shut down the military installations, some banks foreclosed and the farmers lost their lands which they were buying on installment. [George and Yasuko] could not keep up on the installment contract payments as the farm crop price slumped heavily, so they lost their farm.

Considering there was not much prospect in the future as a farmer in Idaho, without the right to own the land, [George and Yasuko] moved in 1923 to Eureka, Utah. Lily and Priscilla, who are twins, were born there and Mariya was also born in Eureka. When the Eureka Silver mine, that controlled the flow of water, closed, there was no water for irrigating the farmlands, so [the Yasuda family] moved to Genola, Utah. In 1928 Tomy, the youngest of the family, was born [in Genola]. During a very hot, dry summer the barn burned down and killed all the horses and destroyed the bales of hay.

In 1929, the family moved to Provo and then the following year they moved to Orem and farmed on a fruit farm near the mouth of Provo Canyon. Often times coyotes could be heard howling and Diamond Head rattle snakes rattling. Near the house was a large crab apple tree with branches hanging to the ground. Several hours were spent by the girls, playing with their dolls and pretending to keep house in their make believe tree house.

In 1937 [George and Yasuko] bought a fruit farm west of Orem's center street in the son, George's, name. The children attended Sharon Elementary (except George) and all graduated from Lincoln High School. Both of these schools have been torn down.

On December 7, 1941, Mariya was walking home from Sunday School and when she was three houses from her home a neighbor woman and her two children came out of their house screaming and waving their fists, and the mother saying her son was in the Navy at Pearl Harbor, as if she was blaming Mariya for the attack. Mariya ran home and told her father what had happened. The next day Mariya and Tomy stayed home from school. Their father wrote a letter to the principal explaining why he was keeping them out of school. This letter was saved by a school teacher, Mr. Erval Christensen, a business instructor at Lincoln High School. [Mr. Christensen's daughter, Shirlee, was a classmate of Mariya's and later gave her the original which is included in the following inventory.]

On July 29, 1955 both George and Yasuko Yasuda obtained their American citizenship. They were very proud to be citizens of [the United States] and cherished the privilege.

The Yasudas sold their fruit and chinchilla farm in Orem and moved to Salt Lake City in 1965. All the children had married and were living in different parts of the United States; Salt Lake City, South Dakota, Hawaii, and Washington. [George and Yasuko] were getting on in age and farm work was becoming too much for them. They were both converts to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Their five children and spouses are: George and Henrietta Yasuda, Lily and Ralph Shino, Priscilla and Wallace Nagao, Mariya "Mardi" and Shig Motoki, and Tomy and Norma Yasuda. George and Yasuko are survived by 11 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.

George Y. Yasuda passed away on August 7, 1979 at the age of 96. He was an avid reader. He enjoyed and looked forward to the Issei center, Shigin and Jordan Doshi Kai functions. He was a member of the Mount Olympus J.A.C.L.

Yasuko Yasuda passed away on April 5, 1990 at the age of 95. She also enjoyed the Issei Center and the Jordan Doshi Kai functions. [Yasuko] enjoyed cooking and learned very early in married life how to make bread, bottled fruits, vegetables, james and meat. Cake or pies were baked almost daily and George seldom missed a day without his dessert. As [the children] walked home from the school bus stop, [they] could smell bread baking. Yasuko crocheted many doilies and when she was 88 years old she painted watercolor and oil paintings.

(Biographies written by family member)