The Matsudaira Family

-- Who started it all: Matriarch Theresa M. Matsudaira, 90, was born in Japan. She sailed here in 1921 with her new husband, Thomas, aboard the Yokohama-Alabama-Maru. She was 19. They had her first child, John, a year later. They converted to Roman Catholicism when their first two youngsters were in grade school. They reared 14 children (11 now alive), putting them all through parochial school. She became a U.S. citizen in the 1948 despite speaking no English (she had an interpreter). She was among the first Issei to become a U.S. citizen after immigration restrictions were lifted. Husband Thomas became a citizen a few years later. He died in 1967.

-- And is still going: Mrs. Matsudaira still lives in her own home, attends family get-togethers and tends a vegetable-and-flower garden that is her pride and joy. "It's what keeps her going," said daughter Theresa Kokame. "Mom always was a nature lover. She raises corn, garlic and peas. And you should see her flowers!" Mrs. Matsudaira has 38 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren, with four more "greats" on the way.

-- What she taught: "Mother always taught us three things," said daughter Ida Alkire. "To work hard, to retain your integrity and to be kind and to help others. Every one of us is successful, most of us graduated from college, and most help in the community with volunteer work, as Mother always did. She would visit old folks' homes or hospitals even if she didn't know the people. And mother walks to communion and Mass every single day. The church is one mile away, so she has to start pretty early."

-- How they relate: "Although Dad died in 1967," said Alkire, "he is still a presence in the family. He insisted everyone get an education; that was very important to him. Our door always was open to anyone, rich or poor, but you were not welcome, as a kid, unless you were in school. All of us are close. People can't quite believe it, but we never fight. We do get together on all the major holidays, and have a Memorial Day baseball game every year. It's a lot of fun. We just like being together."

-- Impressions: "Mom's really strong, and her religious belief (Roman Catholicism) made a big impression on us," said another daughter, Pauline Yaguchi, who has three adult children. "We're all different and have our own families. We fought as kids. But we're also Catholics. There's just no reason to fight."

-- Memories: "How Mom managed to raise such a large family," said Kokame, "was that she did it all on prayer and hard work. It was a big responsibility that she had to handle. And we had no money, yet we managed. Mom made very little stretch a long way. She put us all through parochial school, and we never sensed or felt that we were poor."