Fuji Yeakey

Fuji Yeakey was born February 10, 1921, in Tokyo, Japan, to Yomokichi and Iso Jitsukawa. Growing up in Japan, Fuji was very close to her grandfather who helped raise her. After completing her public education and Solovan school, she worked as a waitress for a time and then attended typing school. Fuji worked as a typist in China and Manchuria until the end of WWII when she returned to Japan and bought a restaurant, where she would meet her future husband, Lyle Yeakey. After a few years she sold the business to a friend and purchased a different restaurant in the same city. In 1960, they sold that restaurant and relocated to the United States. Fuji and Lyle settled in Huntington Park, California, and raised three daughters. Fuji became a homemaker so she could spend most of her time with the girls. The family relocated to Sheridan, Oregon in 1972, and later that year Lyle passed-away.  In 1978, Fuji made her final move to Salem, Oregon, where she would spend the rest of her life. Fuji loved gardening and growing beautiful flowers. She was also creative and artistic and enjoyed many hobbies including embroidery, paper crafting, cake decorating, origami, and sewing. Fuji belonged to gardening clubs, cultural clubs, Matskai, and 4H. Fuji survived much hardship in her life, including some unpleasant experiences during the war, but those trials are what made her such a strong and stoic woman who could accomplish whatever she set out to. After losing Lyle, Fuji never remarried. She chose instead to surround herself with wonderful friends and companions, and this is where the typically reserved and quiet Fuji would come out of her shell. With her friends she enjoyed many activities and adventures, like trips to Reno where she played blackjack and penny slots. On September 17, 2020, at the age of 99, Fuji passed-away peacefully at her home in Salem surrounded by her family. She was preceded in death by her husband Lyle, her parents, and one sibling. Fuji is survived by her three loving daughters and their families including eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. The family will honor Fuji’s life with a private time of remembrance.