Martha Yoneko Taniguchi

Martha Yoneko Taniguchi died at home in Sebastopol on July 19,
2008. She was 83.
She is survived by her husband Hiroshi Taniguchi and her
children Dennis Taniguchi of San Mateo, Brian Taniguchi of
Sebastopol and Darren (Donna) Taniguchi of Sebastopol.
She is also survived by grandchildren Rene, Morgan and Hailey
Taniguchi, all of Sebastopol. Also surviving are her sisters and
brothers: of Roy Uyeda, Charles Uyeda, Marilyn Ito, Albert Uyeda
all of San Jose and the late Yuriko Furusho and Charlotte
Uyeda.
Taniguchi was a member of Enmanji Buddhist Temple and a native
of Milpitas
 Taniguchi served for 15 years on the Board of Directors of the
Sonoma County Fair. She served on the flower show, budget and
finance, concessions, agriculture and executive committees.
Taniguchi was  a survivor of the U.S. internment camps of World
War II. Just weeks after graduating from high school she and her
family were removed from their home to Heart Mountain, WY.
The family was detained for three years and an apology from the
U.S. government wouldn’t come for another 20 years. When the war
ended and the interned Japanese were allowed to leave the camps,
her family came back to California.
Her older sister, Yuriko Furusho, introduced her to Hiroshi
Taniguchi in 1955  and they were married at the Enmanji Buddhist
Temple.
Former county Supervisor Ernie Carpenter met Taniguchi during a
campaign stop at the Buddhist temple, her son said, and later asked
her to serve on the county fair board.
After that, she was always busy, working as a member of the
flower show, and on budget and finance, concessions, agriculture
and executive committees.
Family and friends are invited to attend the Memorial Service,
at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 23  at the Enmanji Buddhist Temple,
1200 Gravenstein Hwy. So., Sebastopol.
A private burial was held at Santa Rosa Memorial Park.