Miwa Takayama, of Selma, passed away on January 16, 2021, at the age of 99. She was born in Kingsburg in June 1921, where she grew up and attended elementary and high schools. She was the third eldest of eight children and was responsible for helping her mother care for the younger children and for helping on the farm.
When WWII started, the family was sent to the Jerome, Arkansas Internment Center. For a short time, she relocated to St. Louis, MO, to care for a young child of a prominent shoe company owner. In 1945, she and her family returned to their Kingsburg farm.
She was married to Yoshio for 71 years and they started their life together in Del Rey, working side-by-side growing grapes and making raisins. They later bought a ranch in Selma and, once retired, moved to the City of Selma. She was an extremely hard worker – working at home, on the farm, picking strawberries, working seasonally at Libby, McNeill and Libby Cannery, United and Sorensen Packing Companies, Garry Dried Fruit Company, as a USDA raisin inspector at the SunMaid plant, and retired from the Kingsburg Del Monte Cannery.
She was a member of the Del Rey and Selma Buddhist Communities, and Fresno Buddhist Church. She enjoyed bowling, going to the gym, traveling, growing and giving away her home-grown vegetables, playing Shanghai Rummy and Rummikub with her friends, watching Dancing with the Stars, tennis, ice skating and basketball games. She was known for her delicious homemade apple pie, Chinese almond cookies, pistachio cakes and Japanese rice dishes and tsukemono.
She was a devoted wife, wonderful mother and a friend to everyone she met. She had a playful smile, a friendly, positive outlook on life and a generous spirit. She loved, is loved and will be deeply missed and remembered by all she befriended.
Miwa is preceded by her husband Yoshio, parents Zenjiro and Toku Inouye, brothers Takashi, Kazuo and Harry Inouye, and sister Hide Kawasaki.
Miwa is survived by her daughter Gail and her husband Bill Misaki, sisters Sumi Ota, Lily K. Araki, brother Richard Inouye, and many nieces and nephews.
A special thank you to the staff at Vintage Gardens/Central CA Nikkei Foundation, and Dr. Dennis Nakata, all who cared for her in her golden years and made her life happy and comfortable.
A private graveside service will be held at Floral Memorial Cemetery in Selma, under the direction of Lisle Funeral Home.
