In Memory of Fumiko Ikuta

DOB: February 14, 1932
Blessing: January 22, 1999
Spouse: Hikoichi Ikuta
Children: Mayumi, Rumiko and Emiko
Seonghwa: August 7 at 7:00 PM at Bay Area Family Church

Fumiko Ikuta was born on February 14, 1932, in Hekinan City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, to parents Ishimatsu and Chii Sugiura. She was born as the second of six children and the eldest daughter. She was a very bright young girl who was good at sports, especially swimming and running. She married her husband Hikoichi at 20 years of age. 

Fumiko has three daughters: Mayumi, Rumiko and Emiko. Her eldest daughter, Mayumi, joined the Unification Church in 1972 in Japan; later, Mayumi witnessed to her youngest sister Emiko, and she joined the church in 1975 as a high school student. At that time, Fumiko’s husband was against the church, but she supported both of her daughters. 

Fumiko, together with her husband, attended the Tahoto Tour in Korea in 1981 along with her daughter Emiko. After this experience, Fumiko’s husband changed his mind and heart towards the Unification Church and began to support his two daughters and their involvement in the church. Fumiko continually supported her daughters in the church heartistically and even financially, supporting Emiko when she went overseas as a missionary to Scotland as well as attending the Blessing. 

In 1989, Fumiko’s husband passed away. She sold her house in Japan to donate the funds entirely to support the church and moved to Osaka where her daughter Mayumi lived, and she diligently helped raise her grandchildren including when Mayumi went overseas for her missionary work in America for over two years. 

On March 26, 1998, she attended the Three Days Workshop in the CheongPyeong Training Center with her eldest daughter Mayumi’s family. Later in April, she moved to San Francisco to live with her daughter Emiko’s family. 

On January 22, 1999, Fumiko received the Spirit & Physical World Blessing, where she had a church member, Mr. Hayashi, represent her in her place in Korea. Later that year on November 4, Fumiko moved to Boston to live with her daughter Mayumi and her family. 

From this point on, Fumiko’s life mission became solely revolved around taking care of her children and grandchildren. In the year 2000, she came to San Francisco to help take care of Emiko’s children so that Emiko could attend a 21 Day Workshop in Cheongpyeong. On June 21, 2001, she visited San Francisco again to help take care of her grandchildren as Emiko traveled to Korea to participate in her mission for a couple of weeks. From November to December of 2003, Fumiko again traveled to San Francisco from Boston because Emiko attended a 40 Day workshop in Korea. 

Finally, in May of 2004, Fumiko moved from Boston to San Francisco to live with her daughter Emiko’s family and helped in raising her grandchildren. Emiko again went to CheongPyeong to attend a 40 Day Workshop, and Fumiko was able to help take care of her grandchildren during this time.

In 2008, when Fumiko was 76 years old, she would maintain her good health by purchasing a gym membership and would go swimming with other local Japanese members for over three years. In 2009, she bought a treadmill to exercise which she would do for the next decade every day. 

In the final months of her life, Fumiko was visited by her grandchildren and great grandchildren often, being surrounded by those whom she helped raise and give love to. She passed away peacefully in her sleep at 94 years of age.