Katherine Kimie (Yamashita) Hoshaw

Katherine Kimie Hoshaw, 96, Hartford, Michigan, formerly of Kokomo, passed on Wednesday, January 13, 2021, at her home.  She was born April 10, 1924, in Lahina, Hawaii, to Sadaju and Kameyo (Koshi) Yamashita.  On February 4, 1954, she married George Lowell “Bud” Hoshaw, at the Submariner’s Chapel, in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and he preceded her in death on May 20, 2012.

Katherine’s parents moved from Japan to Hawaii to work on the Dole pineapple plantation.  She started working at age ten in the pineapple fields picking weeds and later worked on the conveyer belt sorting pineapples.  She would often say that she, like Lucy, couldn't keep up so she started stashing pineapples. They eventually stopped the conveyer belt.

Katherine graduated from Lahinaluna High School in 1942 and moved to Honolulu to go to college.  She met George while working as a stenographer for the Navy at Pearl Harbor.  After they were married, she and George moved to West Lafayette where George finished his degree at Purdue University.  In 1969, they moved to Kokomo where George took a job with Delco Radio.

Katherine was a member of Grace United Methodist Church in Kokomo from 1969 to 2012, where she was active in several different bible studies.  She enjoyed gardening, sewing and embroidery.  Her garden was full of flowers that the whole neighborhood enjoyed.  Katherine was everyone’s favorite aunty; she never forgot a birthday.  She was a loving and caring person who was loved by those that were lucky enough to know her.

Survivors include her children, David (Jan) Hoshaw, Ray (Angie) Hoshaw and Lani Hoshaw (Carlos Bermudez); grandchildren, TJ Hoshaw and Hunter Hoshaw; brother, Shiego (Yoko) Yamashita; and numerous nieces and nephews.

In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents; a grandson, Justin; a sister, Momoyo Tanaka; and brothers, Mitsuo Yamashita, Fred Suichi Yamashita and Jerry Kiyoshi Yamashita.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, January 23, 2021, at Shirley & Stout Funeral Home, 1315 W. Lincoln Rd., Kokomo, with Pastor Brian Cook officiating.  Burial will follow in Kokomo Memorial Park Cemetery.  Friends are invited to visit with the family from 12 to 2 p.m. on Saturday at the funeral home.  Contributions may be made in Katherine’s memory to Caring Circle Hospice, 4025 Health Park Lane, St. Joseph, MI 49085, www.spectrumhealthlakeland.org/caring-circle.  Messages of condolence may be left online at www.shirleyandstout.com.

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