Tag Archives: Emma Aima Nawahi

A Hawaiian dies far away from home, 1917.

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Passed Away.

It was from the steamer Ventura that news was heard of the passing of a Hawaiian mother well known by those of Hilo and Honolulu, that being Mrs. Meleana Keomailani Kenuwe, and her bones will be left in foreign lands where she lived for a long time, for 17 or more years. She left her beloved community of her homeland in 1888 to go live with her daughters, Jessie Kamokukaha Wilson and Mrs. Mary Kinoole Shotlz. Her sons-in-law worked planting fruits in the county of Santa Clara, an area in California that is fifty miles from San Francisco. She was born in Honolulu in 1829, and died at 76 years old. Mrs. Caroline Paakaiulaula Bush of this town is her younger sister, and here also is her son Alfred Kapahukapu Kenway. She has ten surviving grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren. How sad for that beloved mother who has passed; she is a native and well-acquainted with living in the Lanipili rains of Hilo. When her daughters were young, she was a travel companion of the Lady Treasurer of this Aloha Aina newspaper [Emma Nawahi], and she was a favorite in the bosom of that beloved lady who has passed on. Aloha no. That path which she has taken is one we must all take. The Aloha Aina shares in the sorrow of the family of that beloved mother who has gone.

[It is good to note that sometimes there is the same Hawaiianization for different haole names. When one hears Kenuwe, we would usually think Greenwell, but here we see that it is what Hawaiians called Kenway.

It is also good to remember that there are at times more than one Hawaiianization for a single haole name.]

(Aloha Aina, 7/8/1905, p. 5)

O Mrs. Meleana Kenuwe Ua Hala.

Ke Aloha Aina, Buke XI, Helu 27, Aoao 5. Iulai 8, 1905.

The Queen visits Hilo, 1914.

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QUEEN LILIUOKALANI

Queen Liliuokalani arrived here in Hilo in the afternoon of this past Sunday, and she is an honored guest of Mrs. Aima Nawahi these days. The Royal one of Hawaii is in good health. She will return to Honolulu the following Friday.

This Thursday, at 10 a. m. until 12 noon, our Queen graciously has granted loving audience with all those who go to see her at the home of Mrs. Aima Nawahi. The members of all the Hawaiian Associations of Hilo nei also want to see their beloved Queen. This audience is open to all the people here in Hilo. Continue reading →

A mele by Joseph Nawahi for his wife Emma Aima, 1936.

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A HAWAIIAN MELE.

Some day later, we were asked at our Hoku publishing office, of the songs which were sung at the funeral of Mrs. Aima Nawahi on the last Sunday of this past year. The mele sung on that day were famous songs in “Leo Hoonani a me Hoku Ao Nani.”¹ They were not all shown and there were others, like “Mai Kuu Kaumaha Luuluu a Po,” and the young girls of Haili sang those songs with beautiful lyrics.

There were also hymns sung by some girls who were close to Aunty Aima, and they were sung with such sweetness. The mele sung by the Kaahumanu Society was this one. “Ma ko Iesu mau lima,” and some others as well.

The main reason that this question was asked, was because of the great admiration for the hymns composed by the devout in years gone by. There is someone writing down some old mele in a book to be distributed, and these hymns are wanted by this person writing down Hawaiian mele as something new for him. Another admired mele sung at the funeral of Mrs. Nawahi was that mele composed by Mr. Nawahi before their marriage. Here are the lines of that mele that are recalled partially, and recalled at that time.

Nana aku iluna
He star e alohi ana
Ua like me sweet rose
Me Fairy Puakoolau.

Hui
Aheahe mai ke kehau of the twilight
Pa mai ke ala onaona oia of my dear
Please wau e kiss i ke ala oia pua
And not Forgetting the sweet Lei Lehua

Hoi iho au e moe
Hiki ana o sweet rose
E naue ae kaua
I kuu home iuiu.

This is a mele that was sung all the time by the women of those days, and the lyrics are beautiful. There are many other lovely mele by Hawaiians that we remember, but when it is thought to sing it, we totally forget the words.

¹Leo Hoonani a me Hoku Ao Nani. Honolulu: Ka Papa Hawaii, 1902.

[This mele is printed earlier in Hoku o Hawaii on 1/3/1936 and the article itself is a reprint from 1/7/1936.]

(Hoku o Hawaii, 1/15/1936, p. 3)

HE MELE HAWAII

Ka Hoku o Hawaii, Buke XXVII, Helu 29, Aoao 3. Ianuari 15, 1936.

Kaahumanu Society Chapter V of Kona a century old! 1913 / 2013.

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KAAHUMANU SOCIETY ESTABLISHED.

At 3:30 p. m. on Sunday, and through the kindness of Rev. E. S. Timoteo of the Church of Kealakekua, he allowed the coconut frond lanai of his home to hold the meeting to establish the Kaahumanu Society [Ahahui Kaahumanu] of the calm of Kona.

The members of the various branches of Kohala, Waimea, Hamakua, Laupahoehoe and the society of the famous rain of Hilo Hanakahi; they were members who came for duties of the Evangelical Association [Ahahui Euanelio], Sunday School Association [Ahahui Kula Sabati], and Christian Endeavor Association [Ahahui C. E.].

The meeting was presided over by the head president of the Parent Association of Honolulu, Miss Lucy K. Peabody, and the secretary of that parent association, Mrs. Lahilahi Webb took the minutes of the meeting.

The meeting was begun with the singing of the hymn, “Kuu aina hanau e” and a prayer given by S. L. Desha.  The proclamation was read by Mrs. Lahilahi Webb for the establishment of the Kaahumanu Society Chapter Five at Napoopoo, South Kona, Hawaii, and at the completion of the reading of the text of the proclamation from the parent association of Honolulu, the establishing members of the new Association, Chapter Five, was made known.

There were twenty members who signed the membership book, and in that way, the Kaahumanu Society Chapter Five was started; and at that time, an election was held to choose the officers of this association whose names are below:

Mrs. Esther Baker, president; Mrs. Kealoha Kamauoha, vice president; Miss Maggie Hooper, treasurer; Miss Sarah Kamauoha, secretary; Mrs. Lydia Kekuewa, vice secretary; Mrs. Kaai, auditor; and Mrs. Emily Haae,  committee of the whole [? komite nui].

After the election of the officers was over, all the members of the many associations stood along with the new members of the Kaahumanu Society Chapter Five, and the new members were adorned with paper lei, and at that time the members of Chapter Three of Hilo sang the song “Ka Lei o Kaahumanu.”

When that truly lovely song was being sung, the members were filled with awe and tears welled up in some, and the two mothers who established this junior Kaahumanu society felt that this was perhaps one of the most awe-inspiring initiations seen;  and after the song was over, the new association was blessed with a prayer by the brother of the Ahahui Kaahumanu, Rev. S. J. Desha of the Church of Haili, the one who is a great help to the efforts of the mothers of this association.

The money donated for the treasury of this new association was 27.75.

The sisters of the Kaahumanu committees who arrived and participated in the activities were these below:

Mrs. Hattie Hapai, the honorary president of the association of Hilo; Mrs. Alai Akana, president of the Association of Hilo; Mrs. Beke Keliikahi, secretary of Hilo; Mrs. Sarah Kaiwi, Mrs. Mary Kahenui, Mrs. Elena Mahaiula, Mrs. Helela, and Miss Kaimi Mahaiula, member of Hilo; Mrs. Emma Laeha, president of the association of Laupahoehoe, Mrs. Kealalaina Ne, from the association of Kohala, as well as Mr. Annie Hussey. Mrs. Becky Kawai and Mrs. Eliza Maguire from the association of Waimea, Mrs. Esther K. Haina, secretary of the association of Hamakua; Mrs. Kelalaina Robikana, Mrs. Haili Timoteo and Mrs. Bessie Kopa, from the parent association of Honolulu.

There were letters from Mrs. Aima Nawahi and Mrs. J. Saffery, the president of the Kaahumanu Society of Hamakua, expressing to their sisters of their aloha and of their support for this endeavor.

As for the two of us, the mothers who came to endorse this endeavor, we extend our unending thanks to the officers and members of the Evangelical association of the Island of Hawaii for their generosity in allowing us time to carry out our work for which we travelled over the ocean.

We also give our appreciation to the good kamaaina, Mr. and Mrs. G. P. Kamauoha, for their very kind hospitality in their comfortable home; and the head of the Church, Rev. E. S. Timoteo and his amiable wife, and we extend our thanks to the members of all the associations which joined in to help us for the good of the junior association of the calm of Kona. We also thank the brother of the Kaahumanu members, Rev. S. L. Desha, for his great assistance, as well as to our good sister: Mrs. Aima Nawahi for her assistance in planning to move the endeavor forward; and we also extend our thoughts of aloha and unending blessings to our kind kamaaina who lent her car to take us to where our duties took us, that being Mrs. Kelalaina Robikana of Honolulu.

We pray to our Heavenly Father to give great blessings upon us all; and we hope that with the assistance of benevolent God that you younger sisters of Kaahumanu Society Chapter Five  will move forward, and your works will progress, and may the sisterly love amongst us all last forever.

The two of us,

Lucy K. Peabody, president of the Kaahumanu Society Chapter 1.

Lahilahi Webb, Secretary.

March 31, 1913.

(Kuokoa, 4/11/1913, p. 2)

KU KA AHAHUI KAAHUMANU.

Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, Buke LI, Helu 14, Aoao 2. Aperila 11, 1913.

Strangling Hands upon a Nation’s Throat. 1897.

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STRANGLING HANDS UPON A NATION’S THROAT.

[This is the famous article by Miriam Michelson who went to Hilo and wrote of an anti-annexation petition drive held there.]

(San Francisco Call, 9/30/1897, pp. 1–3.)

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85066387/1897-09-30/ed-1/seq-1/

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85066387/1897-09-30/ed-1/seq-2/

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85066387/1897-09-30/ed-1/seq-3/