Koji Norikane

Koji Norikane June 1, 1914 ~ September 7, 2009 Born in Thomas, Washington and moved to Algona. His family farmed there until 1942 when the U.S. government evacuated all Japanese from the West Coast and incarcerated them. Koji and Mary were married on April 2, 1942 before being sent to Pinedale, CA, then to Tule Lake, CA, and finally Minidoka, ID. After leaving camp, Koji worked in Payette, Idaho, farmed in Moses Lake, and resettled in West Auburn in 1948. He and Mary farmed until 1971 when they retired. A firm believer in farm cooperatives, Koji served as president of the Puget Sound Vegetable Growers Association and the Washington Rhubarb Growers Association. He served on the Farmers Home Administration, the King County Farmland Preservation Selection Committee, the Auburn Park Board, the Auburn Valley and the Seattle Metropolitan YMCA, the Auburn Rotary, the Japanese American Citizens League. Koji lived his life linked with the land. A member of Evergreen Chrysanthemum Society, he grew show chrysanthemums and volunteered with the City Pea Patch program. Koji planted thousands of flowers at the City Hall Plaza. For decades of volunteer work, he received the Citizen of the Year Award, the Hometown Hero Award, the keys to the city of Auburn, and the King County Earth Hero Award. Koji is survived by Mary, his wife of 67 years; children, Elaine Wetterauer, Bob Norikane, and Patricia Logerwell (Don); grandchildren Aaron and Adam Norikane, Blake and Kimi Wetterauer, Libby (Bill), and Andrew Logerwell; and sisters, Louise Sako and Daisy Kuramoto. Memorial services Saturday 1:00 p.m. at St. Matthew Episcopal Church, 123 L. St. NE, Auburn, WA 98002