Yukiko Ponder

Yukiko Nakano Ponder was born on July 31, 1934 in Kagoshima, Japan to the late Tatsuo and Moto Moriyama, later adopted by Yoichiro and Shizu Nakano. She passed away peacefully on the morning of February 9, 2024 in Lipan, Texas. 

Yukiko met the love of her life, Carl N. Ponder working on base in Japan. They married on June 11, 1957 in Fukuoka, Japan. She worked in the jewelry department at the PX, and Carl worked in administration there as well. They spent their life as a military family until Carl retired in 1976 as a Major in the United States Marine Corps. They moved to East Texas to Carl’s hometown of San Augustine, Texas and later they resided in Nacogdoches, Texas. 

She is preceded in death by her husband, Carl Nathan Ponder; daughter, Kim Ponder Tinkham, and daughter, Andrea Randall. 

She is survived by her daughter, Dana Jo Ponder and husband, Jim Irsik of Lipan, Texas; grandchildren, Kimberly Murphy Cosby of Douglass, Texas, Pamela Murphy of Rockwall, Texas, Taylor Ponder of Aledo, Texas, Garrett Tinkham of Boyd, Texas and Matt Dillon Ponder of Fort Worth, Texas; great grandchildren, Bailey Munson, Preston Munson, Peyton Murphy, Luke Ponder, Lennon Ponder, Jake Ponder, and Teal Tinkham; she is also survived by her siblings, Kakuko Horinouchi and Kumiko Furuya of Japan; and sister-in-laws, Murlene Weaver of Nacogdoches and Frances Ponder of Nacogdoches. 

She will be missed dearly.