Kikuye Ikeda

Kikuye (Kay) Ikeda, 94, passed away peacefully on February 18, 2016, in Fresno, California. Born February 4, 1922, in Fresno, she was one of six children of Shinzo and Ura Arase. Kay lost her mother at the age of 4 due to complications after giving birth to twin daughters. Her father, unable to care for newborn babies, placed the twins in foster care and later at a Salvation Army home in San Francisco. Kay was sent to live with relatives in Sacramento for one year. At the age of 9, Kay asked her father to have her sisters reunited with the family. She quickly took over the role of mother to the twins, as well as the rest of her family.

She married Hifumi (Hy) Ikeda in 1942 during World War II. Executive Order 9066 required the Arase family to report to the Fresno Assembly Center. The Ikedas reported voluntarily to keep the families together. They were later sent to concentration camps in Jerome and Rohwer, Arkansas. Kay spent 3 ½ years in the camps while Hy was in the U.S. Army. They returned to Clovis and raised six children on the family farm in Clovis. A kind, unselfish and strong woman, Kay enjoyed gardening, singing karaoke at Furusato Restaurant and dancing at Riverland in Kingsburg with her many friends and family.

Kay is preceded in death by her brothers, Tom, George and Harold Arase; sister, Patsy Okita; husband, Hy; and sons, George and Bill.

She is survived by her sister, Peggy Katahira of Chicago, Illinois; children Gerald and wife, Eileen, of Sacramento, Dale and wife, Deborah, of Fresno, Irene Takahashi of Clovis and Sheryl Ikeda and partner, John, of Santa Fe, New Mexico; seven grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

The family would like to express their thanks to Kay’s loving caregivers Imelda and Lea and to Dr. Ahi Ketabjian and nurse Marlene.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 9, 2016, 11:00 a.m., at the United Japanese Christian Church, 136 N. Villa Avenue, Clovis, CA.