Riding bicycles around the neighborhood into the evening was fairly safe. When in high school, sometimes the kids rode their bikes to Amos Alonzo Stagg High School, about five miles away. The traffic got so busy that it was difficult to make a left turn out of the driveway. Caroline took the surface streets to the church on Sundays and avoided taking Interstate 5, and yes, it was mostly right turns.

In the 1960s, the Fujimori and Yamaoka families gathered together regularly for birthdays and holidays. Christina and Julia were like big sisters to Cathy and Steve. In the late 1960s and into the 1970s, the Takeda cousins and relatives met on the weekends to go swimming or to stay overnight in Sacramento. Caroline and her sisters Mitsuye and Lily practiced dance often and choreographed many dances.

Caroline went to Japan to study dance and to take her students there for lessons. Cathy received her Natori degree/title at age 18 after studying with instructors from the Hanayagi School that summer. The teachers were very strict. In January 1996, Caroline received a special recognition award from the Hanayagi headmaster for teaching in northern California for over 48 years. Her sister Alice Kataoka and Cathy were there to witness this special event.

Cathy attended San Joaquin Delta College and transferred to UC Davis. Steve started as a freshman at UC Berkeley and graduated from San Jose State College. Cathy spent 10 months near Tokyo to study the Japanese language and dance.

John and Caroline often traveled to Japan in the 1970s and 1980s. Sometimes John went there on his own to visit with his old medical school classmates. He stayed in contact with several of them for over 40 years.

Caroline taught the nursery/kindergarten students at the Buddhist Church of Stockton for over 43 years. Many students recall how kind and patient she was. The same was said by her former dance students. She was an excellent and compassionate teacher. 

Dr. John Fujimori delivered many Japanese-American babies in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. The families were appreciative of his services. Reverend LaVerne Sasaki told stories about his five children being delivered and the late-night phone calls to go to the hospital. House calls were common back then. Patients also appreciated that he was fluent in Japanese and English. Many of his patients were farmworkers and often brought him crates of asparagus, cherries, grapes, and other local produce. 

Both experienced amazing life stories that made them who they were. Their memories will live on forever with our families who are truly grateful for their lives.