[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 13356-13357]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING THE LIFE AND CAREER OF GEORGE KUBOTA, SR., AND HIS SONS HERB 
                            AND GEORGE, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. CATHY McMORRIS RODGERS

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 29, 2015

  Mrs. McMORRIS RODGERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
exemplary life and career of George Kubota, Sr., as well as the lives 
and careers of his sons Herb Kubota and George Kubota, Jr. After 
decades of service as both small business owners and public servants, 
we celebrate and reflect upon their positive impact in Pend Oreille 
County, Washington.
  George Kubota, Sr. was born in Japan in 1886. As a young man, he 
immigrated to the United States and settled in the small northeast 
Washington community of Newport, Washington, where he opened the first 
laundry in the area. His business, Kubota Steam Laundry, primarily 
served the mining, logging, milling, and railroad industries. As these 
industries grew to the north, he and his family moved to Metaline 
Falls, Washington, where they expanded and diversified their business. 
In 1929, he founded the Metaline Falls Trading Company, a hardware 
store that still operates today and is an integral part of both the 
community in Metaline Falls and the county.
  In 1942, he was detained by the FBI and was due, along with his 
family, to be sent to an internment camp. However, due to his positive 
impact on the community, many residents throughout the northern part of 
the county made special efforts to prevent their internment. He became 
a citizen after the war. George was a true patriot, pioneer, and 
fixture of his community, serving the citizens of Pend Oreille County 
for decades. George died in 1988 at the age of 102.
  George Kubota, Sr. also had two sons, George and Herb, who 
additionally deserve recognition for their service to the communities 
in northeast Washington. After receiving college degrees and serving 
their country in the Armed Forces, Herb and George joined their dad 
running the Metaline Falls Trading Company in the 1950s, and, like 
their father, became important fixtures of their community. Herb served 
for years as an EMT and devoted large portions of his life to help the 
elderly of the community. Both Herb and George served as volunteer 
firefighters until the mandatory retirement age. George Kubota, Jr. has 
also devoted significant time to public service, serving several terms 
on the town council and as mayor of Metaline Falls. He has served on 
the boards of numerous community organizations and was instrumental in 
the construction and expansion of a medical clinic in lone, Washington. 
Herb sadly passed away in 2005.

[[Page 13357]]

George, now 84, continues to run the store their father founded. The 
massive contributions of these three men cannot be overstated--the 
scale and duration of their positive influence on the communities of 
Pend Oreille County goes beyond that of ordinary citizens.
  So today, I rise to recognize George Kubota and his sons Herb and 
George for their dedication to family, community, and country. They 
have continuously gone above and beyond as citizens and public 
servants, and for all their accomplishments and service, we are 
grateful for their positive impact on Eastern Washington.

                          ____________________