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 My best friend in life is Emi, pronounced “Amy,” Takeuchi. The following is a Family History Plaque that we manufactured for a preneed memorial for Emi and myself. Hundreds or even thousands of years from now, this porcelain plaque will remain as a testament to Emi’s life and my love for her. We encourage all of our clients to allow us to tell their life story. After all, every memorial should capture the essence of a life.
Emiko (“Emi” pronounced “Amy”) Takeuchi
Emiko Takeuchi was born June 15, 1929 in Los Angeles, California. She was the second child of Mr. Jitsuki Takeuchi and Mrs. Tsuneyo Kohno Takeuchi, both born in Japan. Her father was robbed and killed when Emi was just three or four. Her mother was a nursemaid who took care of pregnant women. Emi had two brothers. Older brother Hedeo Takeuchi was born in 1928. Younger brother Tossiuki Takeuchi was born in 1931. Her mother is buried in Yamaguchi, a town in Japan.
As a widowed mother of limited means, Emi’s mother sent her to Japan at a young age, as she could not care for three children. Emi lived with her mother’s older brother in Japan during World War II. Emi’s uncle was married, and he lived with his wife and eight children, including five boys and three girls, and all were older than Emi.
Emi attended school in Japan throughout elementary school. She stopped her education, during war time, because her uncle could not afford to pay for her schooling. Instead, she worked as a domestic servant in Japan, taking care of a disabled woman. The family loved her and they wanted her to continue to be a caregiver when she resigned. She experienced the fire bombing of Tokyo, and she witnessed the smoke from the atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima.
After the war, Emi returned to California. She worked at the Los Angeles Airport as a salesclerk for several years. Also, she sold cosmetics for Polo, winning numerous awards. She was married and divorced twice. Her second husband was named Matsumoto.
In 1992, I hired Emi to work for me as my personal assistant and housekeeper. At the time, I owned a large home in Torrance, California. Emi was a hard worker, and a very good friend and caregiver, taking care of my various personal and professional needs. As time went on, she became a constant platonic companion to me.
In December 1997, Emi fell in her apartment breaking her arm. In the fall, she hurt her head becoming a permanent brain injury that caused dementia. Seeing Emi injured distressed me, and desiring to be loyal to her, as she had always been to me, I asked my friend to move in with me around February 1998. I told Emi she could live with me until either she died, or I died, whichever occurred first.
Throughout our years together, Emi cared for me and she gave me great happiness. She was my constant companion until the end of her life. We would joke and laugh and the depth of our friendship was considerable. I almost always took her with me wherever I would go. She would sit in a chair in my bedroom, and we would watch television night after night. It was a wonderful relationship for both of us. I am deeply grateful to have shared my life with a wonderful person who blessed me with her friendship, her heart, and her love. I often said to her, “I love you.” She would respond, “I love you twice as much as you do,” and we would both laugh.
Rufus Burton Fletcher. Jr.
October 2005
Click here to view our Memorial Accessories
Foundation Preparation and Plot Design
http://www.valdostamemorials.com/slides/slide_show_2/slideshow.htm
Pictures Of The Installation And Final Memorial
http://www.valdostamemorials.com/articles/FletcherMemorial.asp
More Pictures Of The Installation And Final Memorial
http://www.valdostamemorials.com/articles/MemorialDefined.asp
Fletcher Pet Memorial
http://www.valdostamemorials.com/articles/PetMemorial.asp
Porcelain Photo of Emiko Takeuchi
http://www.valdostamemorials.com/articles/PorcelainPhotographs.asp
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