Mitsuko Kimizuka Tambo Entered the World March 1, 1933 Born into Eternal Life September 12, 2021
MITSUKO KIMIZUKA TAMBO WAS BORN IN TOKYO, JAPAN MARCH 1, 1933 to Isamu and Cho Kimizuka.
whom she continued to do alterations and manicures and visited her frequently until Ms. Dunne’s death in 1990.
Mitsuko left school at age 16 after her father passed away. She helped her mother care for her brothers and sisters in post-war Japan and worked as a steamtress to help make ends meet.
Meeting Hollywood stars was a dream come true. As a teenager in post-war Japan, she would attend movie houses to watch American films. Mitsuko’s passion for cinema led her to name her children after actor and actresses, Robert Taylor, Linda Darnell, Lucille Ball and Zina Bethune from the ‘60s TV show, The Nurses and Dr. Kildare.
Mitsuko met Pedro M. Tambo, a Merchant Seaman in Yokohama, Japan. The couple were married October 9, 1952. They had two daughters, Margaret and Mary both still born. Linda was born in December of 1954 and Robert was born in July 1956. The family moved to the United States in 1959 and lived in Los Angeles, CA. Mitsuko attended night school to learn English and was able to get work as a seamtress for sewing factories in downtown Los Angeles. A Buddhist since birth, Mitsuko converted and was Baptized in the Catholic Church and raised her children in her newly found religion. Mitsuko had a third child, Lucie in April of 1964. Three years later a fourth child, Zina Marie was concieved but was stillborn. Mitsuko was a master seamtress and saved money by sewing her children’s clothes. In 1966 she found employment with Abram Rendel, a sewing contractor and became foreperson of the shop, supervising 10 seamtresses. Rendel’s company did costume work for movie studios and national dress companies whose garments were sold in exclusive department stores and boutiques. In 1979 Rendel closed the business. Mitsuko’s friend Sumiko Suzuki helped her attend cosmetology school to become a manicurist. Sumiko then opened a salon in Beverly Hills and hired Mitsuko as the manager. During her employment as manager of the salon, Mitsuko continued to do seamtress work for her nail clients at the salon. She also met many Hollywood Celebrities including Robert Duval and Kathy Bates. She became friends with 1930-50s actress Irene Dunne,
Mitsuko enjoyed a full life. She loved cooking and feeding family and friends serving authentic Japanese food such as sushi, sashimi, tempura, tonkatsu, noodle dishes, gyoza and sukiyaki. She also mastered Filipino dishes that she prepared with a “Japanese Flavor.” No one left the Tambos hungry. She loved to travel and visited Japan with her daughters in the ‘70’s and ‘80s. In 2006 she traveled to Italy and France with her son, daughter-in-law and grandson. She visited parts of the United States seeing family in Hawaii, Wyoming, Montana, Iowa, Tennesee, Missouri and Illinois. Mitsuko was able to see her grandchildren grow to become teenagers and adults and met her first great-grandchild in October 2016. She is preceded in death by her parents, sister Morieh, brother Tadao, daughter Linda Pinson, husband Pedro, and daughters Margaret, Mary and Zina Marie. She is survived by brother Takashi Kimizuka, sister Masako Nagase and several nieces and nephews. She is also survived by her son, Robert, daughter-in-law Kathryn, grandson Robert James, great-grandsons Zachary, Calvin, daughter Lucie, son-in-law Tom Booth and grandchildren Matthew, Naomi and Owen. Mitsuko entered Eternal Life peacfully on September 12, 2021 in Muscatine, Iowa surrounded by her surviving children, sonin-law and three grandchildren.
Funeral Mass will be held at Saints Mary and Mathias Catholic Church 215 West 8th Street Muscatine, Iowa October 2021
Reception to follow in the Parish Center
Gravesite Service will take place at Yellowstone County National Cemetery
Laurel, Montana
Mitsuko will be interned with PFC Pedro M. Tambo 25th Infantry, United States Army World War II Date TBD
“Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:25–26