Nami Sasaki

Facts and Stats

Nami Matsushita (Nami means waves) was born the second child of Shozo and Suzuko Matsushita in Wapato, WA.  Her sibling included Hama Katagiri, Shima Matsushita, Sumi Murakami, Kaye Sakai and Ray Matsushita. Following the death of Shozo, the remaining family moved to Portland, OR where Nami was graduated from Washington High School in 1937.

Nami married Ojiro Art Sasaki in 1939 and moved to Tualatin, OR and was wife, homemaker, farmer, and caregiver until Art’s death in 2004. Children include Sue Myers, Joyce Olsen, and Art Sasaki.  Grandchildren include Becky Kinkead and Scott Myers; Tracy Olsen and Emily Olsen; Daniel Sasaki and Janet Sasaki.  There are six great grandchildren.

The Story

Together

Nami and Art Sasaki were together 65 years.  Literally together: 3 meals/day, seven days/week, 365 days/year, every year for 65 years.  They slept together, got up and worked side-by-side or within sight of each other every day in the fields or in the yard. WWII did not separate them.

Relocation

Nami was 22, the mother of 7-month old Sue when Pearl Harbor was bombed.  She was pregnant with Joyce when forced to move to the Pacific International Livestock Expo, then to Minidoka Internment Center where Joyce and Art were born and the family lived for three years.
Gambaru

Nami was resiliently tough.  She was of warrior heritage as the eighth-generation granddaughter of Kaichimon Terasaka, one of the 47 Samurai of Chushingura; her mother had his katana.  Nami toughed it out and worked with perseverance and slogged tenaciously through tough times to the end.  She finished.  Anyone who picked strawberries to the seasons-end through rain, cold, and heat to earn the $.10/flat cumulative bonus learned some of this.

Healthy

Nami was extraordinarily healthy.  Until she was in assisted living at age 84 she was never “sick in bed.”  She was an advocate of fresh fruit and vegetables, vitamins and supplements, working outside and taking naps.  She was incredibly limber.  At anytime, even in her 80’s, she could place both palms flat on the floor with straight legs.  She could kick the chin-up bar about a foot and a half above her head.

Mystical Powers

Nami was clairvoyant and knew when soldiers in the 442 had died before the telegrams arrived.

She could find water using a forked branch or even a piece of wire.  The end of a Y-shaped branch would go from level, to pointing straight down while the bark peeled from the forked branches Nami was gripping as tightly as she could.

Oregon State and Beta Theta Pi fraternity

Nami enjoyed activities at OSU during the period 1958-1966 that Sue and Art were in college. She went to many Moms’ Weekends and particularly liked ROTC drill teams and the Interfraternity Song Competition.  She was an actively involved Beta Mom, serving as President and Fund Raising Chairman. She hosted meals and stay-over holidays for fraternity brothers, during college years and later as they traveled to Portland on business.  She wrote letters and sent care packages to soldiers serving in Vietnam as she had done during WWII with soldiers in the 442.

Caregiver

Nami was caregiver to Art’s parents, Tsunetaro and Mine Sasaki during their last years, to her mother, and to Art.  She cared for and outlived many pets: cats Abdo, BooBoo, Madam Amires and Ace; cockatiel McCoy; dogs Dobie and Otto.

Buddhist

Nami exemplified and personified the 8-fold path of right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.  She got it right.

In lieu of flowers, the Sasaki family would like donations sent to The Oregon Buddist Temple and the Tualatin Historical Society. Thank you.