Japanese American Descendants Attend Open House

In the Archives Collection of Mark Prairie Historical Society, a notable photograph of the 1926 – 27 class of students at the one-room Schoolhouse catches the eye. Standing amid the historic Aurora Colony and Mark Prairie names Gribble, Krause, and Giesy, were three children from the local Furumasu family. The photo names them as Bill, Toshiko, and Ichiko.

Other surnames in the class were Church, Connett, Fish, Goetz and Peters, along with three “unknowns” including the teacher.

Most initial Japanese immigrants to the United States came around the turn of the century, arriving before the Asian Exclusion Act of 1924. This photo depicted second generation American children of Japanese descent, known as Nisei, born to the Issei, or first-generation immigrants.

After some internet sleuthing, family members were located in the Portland area. Phone calls were made, and a long-ago friendship rekindled between the Furumasu family and a cousin of the Mark Family! Serendipity! All were surprised to discover the new connection through the Schoolhouse, and we were delighted to welcome Brian and Nancy Furumasu and his mother Amy to the Open House on May 14, 2025, revealing a new part of their family history!

Amy married Charles Furumasu, the youngest son of eight children in the family; most were too young to have attended the school in 1926. The children in the photo were Brian’s Great Aunts and Great Uncle.

During WWII, Bill heroically served our country with the highly decorated 442nd
Regimental Combat Team, as part of the 522nd Field Artillery Battalion, Service Battery.
His battalion arrived in Naples, Italy, and on June 6, 1944, were at the Anzio
beachhead. They continued moving north to rejoin the 442 nd infantry battalions near
Civitavecchia. June 26, pushing the Germans in advance of the RCT infantry. In late
September, via Pisa and Naples, the Battalion shipped to Marseilles. Bill Furumasu
participated in all battles of the Rhineland-Vosges and Rhineland-Maritime Alps
Campaigns in France. Charles Furumasu was also part of the gallant 442 nd .
In February 1945, the 522 nd was reassigned to the Seventh Army to join the assault on the Siegfried Line in Germany, often as the lead element from March until war’s end on May 9, 1945. His Battalion was credited with liberating at least one of the subcamps of Dachau Concentration Complex, and rescuing thousands of prisoners from the “Dachau Death March.” They also liberated French Army prisoners from another camp. After the war, the Battalion was assigned security missions around Donauworth, on the
Danube River NE of Munich. Furumasu also fought in this Central Europe Campaign. Bill Furumasu rejoined his family after the war in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho. His awards included the Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-
Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with four bronze stars, WWII Victory Medal, and Army Occupation Medal. In 2010, he was posthumously awarded the Congressional God Medal along with the other members of the 100 th /442 nd Regimental Combat Team; this is the highest Congressional Civilian Medal. Below is a source link to his service history and biography in more detail. On Veteran’s Day 2026 we all can rightfully honor the 100th year of Veteran Bill Furumasu’s connection to the Mark Prairie Schoolhouse and recognize his family’s service to our country.

Sources:

Soldier Story: William Tsutomu Furumasu at 442sd.org

Facing the Mountain, A True Story of Japanese American Heroes in World War II By Daniel James Brown, 2021

Mark Prairie Historical Society Archives, Canby, Oregon