Miyo Skidmore

Rock Rapids, IA

     Miyo Skidmore, age 91 of Rock Rapids, IA died Wednesday, December 16, 2020 at the Avera Merrill Pioneer Hospital in Rock Rapids, IA.

     A private family funeral service will take place at 2:00 PM, Saturday, December 19, 2020 at Jurrens Funeral Home in Rock Rapids with Pastor Corilee Boer officiating. Burial will follow at Riverview Cemetery in Rock Rapids.

     Saturday’s funeral service will be livestreamed and recorded. Please follow link which will be available here on this website by Friday afternoon.  Miyo Skidmore Service

     A time of public visitation will be Friday, December 18^th from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Jurrens Funeral Home in Rock Rapids. Due to Covid 19 mandate, family will not be present and social distancing and masking will be followed.

     Miyo Skidmore was born on February 10, 1929 in Osaka, Japan the daughter of Yugitzu and Zugi Toyozato.  At the age of 3, her family moved to the island of Okinawa where she was raised and received her education there.  Miyo used to tell stories of when she was a girl, she enjoyed helping her parents in the sugar cane fields, rice fields and fishing with her father.  She also talked about World War II and the way they had to live during the battle on Okinawa. When she got older, she cleaned houses on the Kadena Air Force base.  It is there Miyo met and fell in love with a handsome young American soldier.  They were married on June 9, 1961 in Okinawa.  The couple made their home in Okinawa for a time, Fayetteville, NC, Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, VA, Offut Air Force Base, NE and Tachikawa Air Force Base in Japan.   After Tom was discharged the couple moved to Rock Rapids to raise their family.  Two boys were born, Mike and Pat. 

     Miyo worked as a house cleaning person and custodian at Central Lyon for many years. She enjoyed gardening and flowers. She also enjoyed her extended family in the United States; sister and brothers in law, nieces, nephews, and grandchildren. They were good to her and would help her with anything she needed when her husband was away on military assignments. She also had many friends in Rock Rapids that were good to our family and helped. She was a member of the Christian Church Disciples in Rock Rapids for many years. 

     She is survived by her sons Mike Skidmore of Rock Rapids and Pat (Melissa) Skidmore also of Rock Rapids; grandchildren, Dalton (Kenzie) Skidmore, Jacob Skidmore and Thomas Skidmore; and brother, Tomonori of Okinawa Japan.

     Miyo was preceded in death by her parents; and her husband, Tom.