Takemura, Thomas Shoji.

Thomas Shoji Takemura (1920-1997) was born January 8, 1920 in Fife, Washington. He attended Firwood Grade School (1926-1934) and Fife High School (1934-1938). Following the issue of Executive Order 9066 in 1942, Takemura was incarcerated with his family at the Puyallup Assembly Center (Camp Harmony). He obtained a release to work in Oregon and Montana and later to attend Evanston Junior College. After establishing residence with two of his sisters in Chicago, Illinois, Takemura was able to obtain the release of his mother. Takemura's family members were not able to return to their property on the West Coast until 1944. Takemura worked with the New York Life Insurance Company from 1951 until his retirement in 1985. He was very active with the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), serving as the Puyallup Valley JACL President. In later years, Takemura was a frequent guest lecturer at public schools on the Japanese American internment experience. He died July 26, 1997 in Tacoma, Washington.