Welcome to 4070 Corolyn Drive in sunny La Mesa, California! La Mesa is located just east of San Diego. This modern ranch home was built in 1964, which is newer than most houses I research. I was commissioned to create a coffee table book about this home's history for a Christmas present. With each commissioned book I create, a blog post is included.
To find out more information about having the commission services that I offer, email me at brickandkinco@gmail.com.
Year Built: 1964
Sq. Feet: 2,200
Bed/Baths: 4/2
Acres: 0.19
Family #1
James E. & Alvina R. Moranville
Exact Years @ 4070 Corolyn Dr is unknown, but approx. from 1966-1968
Family #2
The Uda Family
Years @ 4070 Corolyn Dr: 51
1969-2020
Teruaki "Tom" Uda
Born: July 11, 1925; Inglewood, California
Died: March 29, 1983; La Mesa, California
Father: Hatsutaro (d. 1888; Japan - d. 1947; California)
Mother: Haru Izaki (b.1895; Japan - d. 1963; California)
Siblings: Mary (1915-2008), Frank (1918-2001), George (1919-2011), Shizue (1922-unknown), Roy (1928 - unknown), and Rose (1930-unknown)
Tom Uda was born in 1925 in Inglewood, CA. His father and mother both immigrated from Japan in 1906 and 1914, respectively. Both of Tom's parents were farm laborers - which was a common occupation in Inglewood for Japanese immigrants in the 1920's and '30's.
Tom graduated from Inglewood High School in 1942.
Just a couple months after his high school graduation, in July 1942, Tom and his parents and siblings were taken away by the US Government to Gila River Center, AZ - a Japanese Internment Camp.
Tom also served in the Army for WWII from January 1945- October 1946.
In 1950, Tom married Kiyo Tsuida in San Diego.
Kiyo Tsuida
Born: May 13, 1925; San Diego, California
Died: November 14, 2020; La Mesa, California
Father: Motosuke (d. 1896; Japan - d. 1983; California)
Mother: Namie (b.1898; Japan - d. 1982; California)
Siblings: Masayoski, Marcks, and Hideko
Kiyo Tsuida was born in 1925 in San Diego. Her father and mother both immigrated from Japan in 1910 and 1917, respectively. Her father worked as a Captain of his own tuna fishing boat. Tuna fishing/canning was one of the top industries in San Diego in the 1920's and '30's. Japanese immigrants owned more than 50 tuna fishing vessels - docking at what is now Seaport Village.
Kiyo attended two years at San Diego High School.
In August of 1942, Kiyo and her parents and siblings were taken away by the US Government to the Colorado River, AZ - a Japanese Internment Camp.
Tom and Kiyo had four children. Since all four are still living as of 2021, due to Genealogy Standards, they won't be a focus of this story.
Kiyo's father was a prominent tuna boat captain and was featured in many newspaper articles in the 1930's.
In mid-1942 - entering into WWII, Executive Order #9066 was issued and more than 117,000 people of Japanese ancestry were required to live in internment camps. It wouldn't matter if a person was born in the US, all people of Japanese descent were considered a threat to the US.
Families lost everything - their home, career, and children were had to drop out of school. There were 10 different internment camps and were located in California, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Wyoming, and Arkansas.
In San Diego County, there were more than 2000 Japanese Americans that were required to register at the Sante Fe Railroad Depot on April 8, 1942. At first, they were placed at the Santa Anita Race Track for several months but were later moved to different camps in Arizona.
Both Tom and Kiyo and their families spent more than a year at those internment camps.
Tom Uda
Gila River Camp
Arrival: July 29, 1942
Departure: September 21, 1943
Kiyo Tsuida
Colorado River Camp
Arrival: August 28, 1942
Departure: May 3, 1944
After Kiyo was released from the internment camp, she moved to Minneapolis and Chicago before she moved back home to San Diego. After she moved home, she met Tom Uda and they were married in 1950.
Tom Uda owned his own landscaping business for 35 years - Tom Uda Landscaping and Gardening Services based out of 4070 Corolyn Dr.
Tom and Kiyo Uda lived at 4070 Corolyn Drive from 1969 until 2020 - an amazing 51 years in one home.
Tom passed away in 1983 and Kiyo passed away in November 2020.
Thank you for visiting 4070 Corolyn Dr! If only these walls could talk...the happy and sad stories and memories that each family had within these four walls will last forever.
If you're interested in a coffee table book or a blog post about a home, business, school, church, etc...email me at brickandkinco@gmail.com for more details.