Noboru Taguma

Taguma, Noboru, 87, passed away peacefully at his home in West Sacramento, Calif. on March 11, 2011. A native of Broderick, Calif. who was born on April 3, 1923, he retired in the early 1990s after farming tomatoes for 45 years, mostly for Campbell’s Soup, around Clarksburg, Calif.
During WWII, he and his family were forcibly relocated, first to the Merced Assembly Center and then to the Granada (Amache) concentration camp in Colorado. He was one of only 300 young Nisei to resist a military draft imposed behind barbed wire based upon constitutional principle. Once shunned by so-called “community leaders,” the resisters today are heralded for the civil rights stand they took.
Later, hoping to get him and his family closer to home to the Tule Lake Segregation Center, he renounced his citizenship. He was sent to the Santa Fe internment camp in New Mexico, and then relocated to the Crystal City internment camp in Texas, before being recruited to work in Seabrook, New Jersey. There, he served his one-year probation before finally being released in September of 1947.
He was predeceased by his parents, Iwakichi and Iwa Taguma, who immigrated from Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan, as well as younger sister Shizue Susie (Jack) Furutani of North Hollywood and niece Cynthia Bruers of Gardena, Calif.
He is survived by his beloved wife of nearly 53 years, Sakaye (Yoshizawa) Taguma; daughter Masako Carol Yasue of Nagoya, Japan; son Makoto Mark (Alice) Taguma of Mountain View, Calif.; daughters Mariko Sharon (Benjamin Kam) Taguma of Union City, Calif. and Machiko Gail (Andy) Irie of Torrance, Calif.; and son Kenji Glenn Taguma of San Francisco.
Surviving siblings include older sister Kiyoko Kay (Ben, deceased) Hashimoto, Bunji Bill (Michiyo) Taguma and Goichi Bob Taguma of West Sacramento; Mutsuko Alice (Toru) Honda of Sacramento; and Shingo George (Tokiko) Taguma of Gardena.
He is also survived by his 10 beloved grandchildren, eight nieces and nephews and a number of grandnieces and nephews.
Final Viewing will be held on Thursday, April 7, 6 to 8 p.m., at Sacramento Memorial Lawn, 6100 Stockton Blvd. in Sacramento.
A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, April 9, 1:30 p.m., at Sacramento Memorial Lawn, with burial to immediately follow. Reception afterwards at the Tenrikyo Sacramento Church, 6361 25th Street (at 47th Avenue) in Sacramento.
In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory can be made to the Nichi Bei Foundation, P.O. Box 15693, San Francisco, CA 94115.