Shigenobu Ozima Papers

Shigenobu Ozima was born on January 20, 1919 in Seattle, Washington. Ozima was the third of seven children (Masa, Take, Yukio, Takao, Kazuko, and Nobuko) of Reigo and Masue Ozima. Ozima. He also had two step-siblings, Sakae Ojima of Seattle, Washington, and Toshiju Yokogawa of Japan. Ozima attended Broadway High School (Seattle) and worked at times in the salmon fisheries in Alaska and as a waiter in Seattle, Washington.

Ozima’s parents died prior to the evacuation of Japanese Americans from the West coast in 1942. Following the evacuation, the remaining Ozima family members were separated. Sakae Ojima and his family were relocated to Minidoka, Idaho. Masa Ozima moved to Idaho, but it is unclear if Masa was transferred to the camps. Take Ozima moved to Omaha, Nebraska to open a restaurant with other relatives; while Yukio, Takao, Kazuko, and Nobuko moved to Idaho to work on a family farm. Ozima volunteered for the military and was inducted into the army on February 25, 1942.

During World War II, Ozima was stationed at Camp Robinson in North Little Rock, Arkansas and Camp Shelby in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Having attended Japanese Language School as a child, Ozima was selected for the Military Intelligence Service and specialized language training at Camp Savage, Minnesota. Following training, Ozima was assigned to Vint Hill Farms Station in Fauquier, Virginia; and after the war, he was stationed in Japan. In Japan, Ozima met Kazue Ikeda, a waitress in the military camp. The two married on August 13, 1947. That same year, Ozima completed his military service, and the couple moved to Chicago, Illinois.

In Chicago, Ozima worked at W. W. Grainger while taking college courses in accounting. After completing his studies, Ozima became a payroll manager and remained with the company for 36 years. He and Kazue had four daughters, Carolyn, Janice, Phyllis, and Susan, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.

Ozima passed away on April 7, 2006.

Source: Ozima, Shigenobu