Yoshie (Tachibana) Mah, 89, died Thursday August 1, 2019 at St. Catherine's Hospital in Garden City, KS after a brief illness. She was born in Tokyo, Japan March 31, 1930 to Tokujiro and Naka Tachibana.

Yoshie attended Tosen Primary School and Fujikage Girls High School in Tokyo, completing her formal schooling in 1943. Following the Korean War, Yoshie immigrated to the United States on the 2 ^nd "bride ship" from Japan. She settled in Junction City, KS and began working in a Chinese restaurant as a cook. While working, she met a handsome Chinese immigrant, Wah Ha "Bill" Mah who was also in the restaurant business. They married in 1959 and moved to Great Bend, KS to work with family at a Chinese restaurant there.

Yoshie and Bill moved to Dodge City in 1962, initially working at the Shangri-La Restaurant. In 1963, Yoshie and Bill opened the Silver Spur Restaurant, specializing in Cantonese and American food. Yoshie had both a passion for cooking and a gift for seasoning, bringing out the flavor of her foods. As nephew Willie Chow often remarked, "Grandma Yoshie 'ran the wok'," at the Silver Spur. Yoshie's signature Cantonese and American dishes took Southwest Kansas by storm and customers flocked to the Silver Spur, making it a "must eat" location for anyone in the area.

During the 1970s, the success of the restaurant gave Yoshie and Bill the means to pursue their main passion – bringing their family to the United States, including Bill's three sons and their families and nephew Willie Chow (who immigrated as a young child). Yoshie and Bill worked hard to help their family adjust to the new language and culture, integrating them into American life.

As Bill and Yoshie retired from running their own business, they helped their sons and nephews branch out and open their own Cantonese/American cuisine restaurants in Kansas and Oklahoma."Grandma Yoshie", Bill, and their beloved friend Nobuko Nicholson continued to help with the new restaurants, ensuring they had the knowledge and skills to flourish and embrace the American dream for their own families.

Yoshie loved to spend time with friends. She was a regular at the Senior Center for daily lunch and was a beloved fixture at her favorite Bingo venues – the VFW, American Legion, and Knights of Columbus, where she wielded her Bingo dauber with the same energy and gusto she used with her Japanese knife in preparing her favorite dishes. Yoshie was also an avid Sumo wrestling fan. Whenever a Sumo wrestling tournament was in session, she could be found up watching it live on TV Japan from 2-4 in the morning. And she didn't just watch, she was on the edge of her chair, rooting for her favorite wrestlers as the bouts ensued.

Born and raised in Tokyo, Japan, Yoshie lived through Japan's war with China, WWII, and the Korean War. As a young teen, she miraculously survived the US fire-bombing of Tokyo on March 10, 1945 and carried memories of the horrors of that day. Although Yoshie had many reasons to feel anger and animosity, she chose forgiveness and love and embraced life. Yoshie truly embraced her American citizenship and the ideal of America as the land of opportunity. Grateful for the benefits and achievements she experienced, she worked hard to share her vision and success with her family.

Yoshie's life is a testimony to love, acceptance, family, friends, laughter, and good food—especially a mouth-watering steak. Her love was fierce, her laughter infectious, and her life a precious gift to all who knew and loved her.

Yoshie is survived her by son Har Wei (Kit Bing) Mah of Gardner, KS, daughters-in-law Siu Ping Mah (widow of Lem Mah) of Woodward, OK and Yuk Mui Mah (widow of Ten Lee Mah) of Winfield, KS; grandsons: Tom (Toki) Mah of Overland Park, KS, Dick (Shan) Mah of Burnsville, MN, Jimmy (Andi) Mah of Edmond, OK, Mark Mah of Minneapolis, MN, Siu Lee Mah of Overland Park, KS, Siu Hung "Homer"  (Amanda) Mah of Winfield, KS, Paul Mah of Georgia; granddaughters Judy Mah and Louise Mah both of Woodward, OK; nine great-grandchildren; nephew Willie (Joni) Chow of Dodge City, a cousin John Choi of Apple Valley, MN. Also surviving are Yoshie's "adopted" family, the children of her close friends Nobuko and Myron Nicholson, DeKeta and Mark Schuckman and Charles and Shawn Nicholson, all of Dodge City. Last, but not least, are Yoshie's "babies" – her beloved cats, Hanako and Giro. Yoshie is preceded in death by her parents, her husband Bill Mah of Dodge City (October 1984) and sons Lem Mah of Woodward, OK (August 2016) and Ten Lee Mah of Dodge City (November 2015)

Funeral service will be held at Swaim Funeral Chapel on Friday August  9, 2019 at 2:00 PM with Mr. Ryan Ausmus presiding. Inurnment will follow at a later date in Maple Grove Cemetery in Dodge City.  Visitation will be at Swaim Funeral Home on Thursday, August 8, 2019 from 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM.  Memorials are suggested to Dodge City Senior Center in care of the funeral home. Thoughts and memories may be shared in the online guest book at www.swaimfuneralhome.com.