Sai Kosuge Ushio, 93, passed away peacefully on July 12, 2017, at Highland Park Care Center.
Sai was born on March 10, 1924 on a farm near Merino, Colorado, to Shichirobei and Some Kosuge. She was the eighth of ten children. Her dad raised sugar beets and even though the family squeezed into a small two bedroom house, Sai always had happy memories of life on the farm. In 1938, the family moved to a farm near Iliff where Sai graduated from high school in 1942. After working for a year as a maid in Greeley, Sai attended the University of Colorado at Boulder where she met her future husband, Sam Ushio. After Sai graduated from college, the couple married in Denver, Colorado, on June 17, 1949. They settled in Alliance, where they raised their four children, Ken, Julie, Chuck, and Tom.
Sai worked as a typist at St Joseph’s Hospital until their first child Ken was born. Later, she helped out Sam when he managed the Drake Hotel Coffee Shop and then Sam’s Café. She worked as a cashier at Safeway for several years and went back to get her teaching credential at Chadron State College. She taught for over twenty years in the Alliance rural schools at Districts 1, 2, 9, 40, and 44. After retiring from teaching in the rural schools, Sai opened up Small World Preschool and ran that for several years.
She was a member of the United Methodist Church, the Eastern Star where she served as Worthy Matron in 1984, and the International Friends Club. Her smiling face and gentle nature were constant over her life as a wife, mother, grandmother, friend and teacher. Sai enjoyed travelling with Sam to visit their grandchildren in Colorado, Wyoming, Minnesota and Hawaii. She also remained close to her seven sisters, visiting with them often.
Sai was preceded in death by her parents, husband Sam, seven sisters and five of their spouses, two brothers, Sam’s brother Joy Ushio and his wife Betty, Sam’s sister Irene Koseki, brother-in-law Nobo Ikuta, and grandchild Kenji Ushio Clark.
Sai is survived by her four children, Ken (Eva) Ushio of Minneapolis, Julie Ushio (John Clark) of Honolulu, Chuck (Teresa) Ushio of Alliance, Tom (Lori) Ushio of Sarasota Florida, 13 grandchildren, 9 great grandchildren, and one great great grandchild. Survivors also include sisters-in-law Rose Ikuta, June Kosuge, brothers-in-law John Masunaga, Dennis Kida, Bill Koseki, and numerous nieces and nephews.
A celebration of life will be held 3 p.m., Tuesday, August 22, 2017, at the United Methodist Church.
Memorials may be given to the United Methodist Church in Alliance; Veterans State Cemetery at Alliance Foundation, P.O. Box 902, Alliance; or a charity of the donor’s choice.
Online condolences may be left at www.batesgould.com.
