Michie Murakami

Father (Rinzo Kikkawa) and Mother (Yuwano) were born in Japan and came to Lomita, California to start their new life. Rinzo and Yuwano had four children, Tomiye, Etsuo, Michie and Eiko. Michie grew up on a farm in the Lomita area. She and the Family were relocated to the Tule Lake Camp during the Second World War. While at Tule Lake she met Yoshio Murakami. After the war, she married Yoshio and spent some time in Japan before returning to live in Los Angeles for the reminder of their lives.

Michie and Yoshio were married for seventy one (71) years before his death on April 25, 2017. Michie died on March 26, 2018, in her home after a brief illness. Michie was employed as a secretary for a local insurance company for several years before retiring to take care of her mother (Yuwano) and her father (Rinzo) who returned to the United States to live with her and Yoshio. Yoshio started his own gardening business which he developed over several years before he retired.

Michie's older brother, Etsuo died in Japan as a result of a coronary disease and was not able to return to the United States with their mother (Yuwano ) and father (Rinzo). Michie's sister, Tomiye, married and remained in Japan for the remainder of her life. Michie's sister, Eiko, and her husband, George, lived in Lawndale, California, and had three children, Kazuo, Jerry and Julie. Kazuo married Patricia Quinn, Jerry remains an Academic, Julie married Gary Shiozaki and had three children, Kristine, Kenny and Karen. Kristine married, Joseph Hughes, Kenny married Melissa, and Karen married Nestor Alvarez.

Although Yoshio and Michie never had children of their own, they were loved as second parents by the children of her sister, Eiko and her husband, George. Michie loved her animals and was loved by them in return. Michie's five kitties will retire to a no kill sanctuary to live out their lives. A graveside service will be held 12:00PM, Wednesday, April 25, 2018 at Green Hills Memorial Park.