Ruth Noda Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

Ruth Chie Kirihara was born January 23, 1921 in Livingston, California to Isaji and Chiyono Amemiya Kirihara. She grew up on the family farm with her two older brothers, David and James. Ruth attended local schools and graduated from Livingston High School in 1938. She attended Modesto Junior College from 1938 to 1940. After the outbreak of World War II, in order to avoid separation, Ruth married Ben Noda on May 12, 1942; the following day they left for the Merced Assembly Center where they were ordered to report under Executive Order No. 9066. In September 1942 they were sent to Amache, Colorado. They arrived in a dust storm to barracks that were barely finished. The accommodations were basic with cots and coal burning stoves. In January 1943 they left for the United States Navy Japanese Language School at the University of Colorado at Boulder, where they worked in the cafeteria along with several other couples who became lifelong friends. On their Sunday afternoons off work they were able to picnic with their friends and enjoy the beauty of the natural surroundings. In the Fall of 1943 they relocated to Denver where Ben worked in a photography studio and Ruth worked as a stock clerk in women’s apparel. From 1944 to 1945 they returned to farming in Keenesburg, Colorado. During that time they were able to visit their parents in Amache. In December 1945 they returned to the Noda farm in Denair, California. In 1946 Rodney was born. With Jack Noda’s return Ben and Ruth moved to Turlock where Ben worked at his brother Bill’s Ranch Market. Michael was born in 1949. The family moved to Stockton where Ben worked in agriculture. Barbara was born in 1951. In 1954 the family moved to Salinas where Ben worked in agriculture, first in the Salinas Valley and then in Santa Maria. While in Salinas Ruth worked as a housekeeper before finding employment as a cafeteria worker for the Salinas School District. Later she worked for the Monterey County Department of Social Services. After she and Ben retired they moved back to Turlock, close to family and friends. Ben passed away in 1994. In 2003 Ruth moved to the Rossmore retirement community in Walnut Creek. There she was close to her daughter Barbara and son Rodney, Michael visited often. Unfortunately Michael passed away in 2021. Ruth had a wide circle of friends in Rossmore; some were old friends from Salinas and Livingston, others were new friends. Andra Lekich was a new friend who assisted her in finding the help she needed to live independently. In her last years Alima Lompo and Monique Van Looy provided attentive and compassionate care. She leaves behind a loving family including a son, a daughter, four grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

Tributes

Ruth Noda

January 23, 1921 - April 18, 2022