Miriam Fumiko (Nishitomi) Watanabe

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Miriam Fumiko (Nishitomi) Watanabe

October 22, 1924 ~ February 17, 2021

Miriam Fumiko Watanabe passed away peacefully on February 17, on the day the Commemoration of the Order of Servites is observed in the Catholic Church. Like the Order of Servites, also known as “The Servants of Mary,” Mom had a special devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, which helped her patiently endure her sufferings, especially during the last five years, throughout which she was bed-bound.

After graduating from high school, Mom worked to put herself through nursing school. She was an LPN at St. Frances Hospital on Oahu. She worked as a nurse until she met Jacob Watanabe. They were married in 1960.

Mom lost her husband in 1965 and worked with her brother at “N and W Market,” a family-owned grocery store. As a young widow, she relied greatly on help from Our Lord and Our Lady to raise her two daughters, Paula Kashiwaeda (Kenneth) and Gerianne Forbes (John). In 1992, mom moved from Honolulu, Hawaii to Ogden, Utah to dedicate her life to care for her grandchildren Vinson, Bryson, Kaili and Jacob. Mom also helped grandchildren Christina Doman (Brad) and Grace by praying many rosaries and offering many sacrifices for them.

Mom’s Catholic faith was of utmost importance to her, and she did her best to live it, even in difficult times. Mom united her sufferings with the sufferings of Our Lord and His Blessed Mother for the glory of God and the salvation of her soul and the souls of family and friends. Mom would want us to remind her beloved friends and family to pray for her soul. She’d always say, “Nobody is perfect but Jesus and Mary.”

A funeral Mass was celebrated on February 25, at St. James Catholic Church. In lieu of flowers, please consider offering a Mass for the repose of Mom’s soul.