Machiko McMasters

Machiko “Mariko” McMasters, 77, passed away at her  home in Columbia Falls on May 8, 2015, with loving family by her side.

 She was born on March 6,1938, the sixth of nine children, to Tatsujiro Otsuka and Chitose Sato, in the small mountain village of Manji, on the northern island of Hokkaido, Japan.

She finished her schooling when her family moved to the coast so her father could open a shop to make watches and jewelry.

Mariko took a housekeeping job for an American couple living on a U.S. air base in Misawa, Japan, where she met an American sergeant named Daniel McMasters.

After a three year courtship spanning three continents, they married on Aug. 3,1960, in Darmstadt, Germany, where Daniel was stationed. They shared a wonderful life together for more than 55 years. Mariko was a loving and caring mother who raised three children with Daniel.

Mariko retired from the food service industry when she and her husband came to Columbia Falls in 1989. She enjoyed square dancing, knitting beautiful sweaters and playing bingo with her many friends from the Loading Dock, Eagles, Moose Lodge and Senior Citizen Center. She also enjoyed participating with many friends from her husband’s membership in the Flathead Valleyaires Barbershop Chorus.

She was preceded in death by her mother and father; sons Samuel McMasters and John McMasters; daughter Rebecca McMasters; brothers Hiroshi and Takumi; and sister Chieko.

Mariko is survived by her husband; daughter Jane McMasters; son James McMasters; grandsons Danny and Justin; sisters Yoko, Eiko, Hisako and Yuko; brother Osamu; and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews back in Japan.

A private graveside ceremony will be held at C.E. Conrad Memorial Cemetery and an open celebration of life will be held at the United Methodist Church in Columbia Falls on Tuesday, May 19, 2015, at 1 p.m.

Attending these ceremonies will be Takeshi and Yumi Honda, the children of Mariko’s closest sister and brother-in-law, Hisako and Teruo Honda.