Description
Eto Mamoru was born in 1883, and was a native of Taketa City, Ōita prefecture in Japan. He graduated from Kōbe First Middle
School and Nihon Taiiku Daigaku. He fought in the Russo-Japanese War from 1904-05. He was an instructor at Kwansei Gakuin
Daigaku from 1914-17 then came to the United States in 1917 to study physical education. He was employed as an agricultural
laborer, farmer, and gardener before becoming a Christian lay minister of the First Japanese Nazarene Church in Pasadena,
California. He was interned at Gila River, Arizona during World War II. Afterwards he was officially ordained as a Nazarene
Church minister in 1946, and lived in Seabrook and Bridgeton, New Jersey from 1944-80 and finally settled in California from
1980-92. In 1990 he was one of the first Issei recipients of wartime reparation. The collection consists of diaries (1918-20,1976-89),
incoming correspondence files, religious records and notes, and personal memorabilia, including tapes of Sunday sermons by
the Reverend Eto Mamoru. Portions of the collection are in Japanese.
Background
Eto Mamoru was born in 1883, and was a native of Taketa City, Ōita prefecture in Japan; graduated from Kōbe First Middle School
and Nihon Taiiku Daigaku; fought in Russo-Japanese War, 1904-05; was baptized as a Christian in Japan; instructor, Kwansei
Gakuin Daigaku, 1914-17; came to the United States in 1917 to study physical education; was employed as an agricultural laborer,
farmer, and gardener before becoming a Christian lay minister of the First Japanese Nazarene Church in Pasadena, California;
was interned at Gila River, Arizona during World War II; officially ordained as a Nazarene Church minister in 1946, and lived
in Seabrook and Bridgeton, New Jersey from 1944-80; was naturalized in 1955; lived in California, 1980-92; became one of the
first Issei recipients of wartime reparation, in 1990; he died in 1992.[characters] indicates Japanese characters included in the print version of this online finding aid, available for consultation at the
UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections.Eto Mamoru [characters], 1883-1992. Issei Christian minister and longtime resident of California. Native, Taketa City, Ōita
Prefecture [characters]. Graduate, Kōbe First Middle School [characters], and Nihon Taiiku Daigaku [characters]. Veteran,
Russo-Japanese War, 1904-1905. Baptized as Christian in Japan. Instructor, Kwansei Gakuin Daigaku [characters], 1914-1917.
Married, 1914. Wife, Tada Kura [characters], 1894-1942. Ten children: Hitoko, 1915-1994; Ken, 1919; Daniel, 1920; Joseph,
1921; Mitsuko, 1923; Mary, 1926; Esther, 1928-1988; Moses, 1929; David, 1931; and Ruth, 1931. Arrived in United States, 1917,
to pursue studies in physical education. Sent for wife and eldest daughter, 1918. Variously employed as itinerant agriculture
laborer, farmer, and gardener before becoming a Christian lay minister of the First Japanese Nazarene Church, Pasadena, California.
Wife returned to Japan, 1933, and died there, 1942. Interned, Gila River, Arizona, during World War II. Official ordination
as Nazarene Church minister, 1946, and resident of Seabrook and Bridgeton, New Jersey, 1944-1980. Naturalized, 1955. California
resident, 1980-1992. One of the first Issei recipients of wartime reparation, 1990, Washington, D.C. at age of 107.