[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 4975-4976]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      IN HONOR OF GEORGE TANIMURA

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. SAM FARR

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 21, 2016

  Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay my respects to a great 
American, George Tanimura, who passed away on April 15, three months 
short of his 101st birthday. I offer my deepest condolences to George's 
wife of 72 years, Masaye, and to George's close-knit family: his son 
Glenn and his daughter Leslie, and their spouses; his grandchildren 
Chris, Erin, Ryan and Kelly and their spouses, and to his great 
grandchildren Makenzie, Jaklyn, and Karter, and to his siblings.
  George lived a remarkable life that spanned the Great Depression, 
WWII, and the rise of the modern information economy. In that time, 
George confronted prejudice, helped to rebuild a dislocated Japanese-
American community in the Salinas Valley, nurtured a large extended 
family, and fostered the development of the modern fresh produce 
industry. George was a farmer's farmer. As one of the founders of the 
Tanimura & Antle, he helped build one of the nation's largest private 
lettuce producers. So while you may have never heard of George

[[Page 4976]]

Tanimura, I can guarantee that every Member of this House has eaten 
something that George and his family have grown. He has planted and 
nurtured a legacy that will produce a crop for generations to come.
  George was born in San Juan Bautista on July 2, 1915. His parents had 
emigrated from Japan to build a better life in the United States. While 
attending grammar school in Castroville, George thinned iceberg lettuce 
on his father's small farm. After his mother died, George, the eldest 
of 12 siblings, had to leave high school to farm with his father. Then 
when George was just 16, his father died leaving George with the 
responsibility for the family and their farm. In the midst of the 
depression, George became the patriarch of his large family. Under his 
leadership, the Tanimura children began their own prosperous farming 
operations.
  However, just as they were recovering, the U.S. entry into WWII 
turned the Tanimuras' lives upside down. In 1942, they found themselves 
imprisoned by our government along with other Americans of Japanese 
descent in remote internment camps across the desert West. And even 
though the Tanimuras lost everything, two of his brothers fought with 
the U.S. Army in Europe. For George, his time in the camp offered him 
another opportunity to find fortune in the midst of adversity. He met 
Masaye Yamauchi and they were married on September 21, 1944.
  When George, Masaye, and their family returned to the Salinas Valley, 
they resumed lettuce farming. In the late 1950s, the Tanimuras began to 
grow exclusively for Bud Antle, another legendary Salinas Valley 
grower. Bud, and his son Bob, had been working closely with the 
Tanimura family for many years. Finally, in 1982, George and Bob 
combined over 30 years of mutual friendship, respect, and experience to 
create Tanimura & Antle. The new company combined the Antle's shipping 
and marketing savvy with the Tanimura's growing expertise. That 
combination has helped T&A grow into one of the world's premier fresh 
produce companies. And it forms the basis of T&A's continued success.
  Throughout his life, George was extremely active in countless 
community efforts, giving his leadership, commitment and wealth to 
making the Salinas Valley a better place for all farm families to live. 
Even though he was a living legend in the farming community and widely 
respected by all who knew him, it was his deep sense of humility that 
kept him from claiming any recognition other than his simple refrain, 
``it doesn't matter, I'm just a farmer.''
  While George Tanimura thought of himself as a humble farmer, his hard 
work and integrity created one of the pillars of the American 
agricultural economy. The Buddha said, ``in the end only three things 
matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gratefully 
you let go of things not meant for you.'' In the end, George Tanimura 
will be remembered for his love for his family, how he lived his life 
and his willingness to encourage and support others in the fresh 
produce industry. It is a legacy for all of us to remember in these 
turbulent times.

                          ____________________