Death announcements are not only death announcements, they are often histories and genealogical records and more!
From the last post for instance, we discover G. W. Kahiolo, the mysterious writer who is known as the writer of a few newspaper articles and most widely known for the story of Kamapuaa, is G. W. Poepoe, and therefore the father of not only Ben Poepoe, but also the father of Joseph Mokuohai Poepoe, the great historian, translator, newspaper editor, lawyer, politician, &c., &c…
Helu.—1.
Ma ka mookuauhau no Kamapuaa a loaa mai oia; oia keia e hoikeia aku nei, i mea e ikeia ai kona ano kupanaha, a me kona ikaika ma ke kaua ana, a me ke ano e o kona kino, a me kana mau hana. O keia kanaka, ua hoomana ia no i akua e ko Hawaii nei poe; aka, aole o’u manao lana, ua ku like loa ka poe kuauhau a pau e noho mai nei, aole no hoi akaka ka mea pololei loa; no ka mea, aole hookahi o lakou mea e ola ana, i ike i na mea i hanaia ia wa, aole no hoi o lakou mea i kakau buke mookuauhau nana, a waiho mai na kana mau pua; no ka mea, he pono paanaau wale no, a nalowale iho.
….
[This is the opening of the Kamapuaa story by G. W. Kahiolo [aka G. W. Poepoe]. It ran as a serial in the newspaper Hae Hawaii from 6/26 to 9/25/1861. This story was translated by Esther T. Mookini and Erin C. Neizmen with the assistance of David Tom, and put out by the University of Hawaii at Manoa Hawaiian Studies Program in 1978. In it, they say of Kahiolo:
The author G. W. Kahiolo, is not known otherwise to us. For other materials written by him, see Kukini ‘Aha’ilono, edited by Rubellite K. Johnson, Topgallant Publishing Col., Ltd., Honolulu, 1976: page 150, “Inoa o na Laau,” a list of names of plants, and pages 187–188, “He Mele no ka Nupepa Kuokoa,” a song in celebration of the start of the Hawaiian language newspaper, Ka Nupepa Kuokoa. We were unable to find any biographical material on him. However, because Ka Hae Hawaii was the official organ of the Department of Instruction (Mookini 9), Kahiolo may have been a Protestant educator as his tale is given a prominent place in the layout of the paper.]
(Hae Hawaii, 6/26/1861, p. 52)
Ka Hae Hawaii, Buke 6, Ano Hou—Helu 13, Aoao 52. Iune 26, 1861.
In the afternoon of this Monday, July 11, the life of Beniamina Kaiminaauao Poepoe returned once more to He who first gave him to us in the year 1898. He was forty-one years old when he passed. He was born in Waipio, Hamakua, Hawaii, and that is his Aina where he was raised until he was older. He was fetched by their older brother [Joseph Mokuohai Poepoe], that being the current editor of this newspaper, to go live with him in North Kohala, Hawaii; and Beniamina lived with him while being instructed in the English Language. Later he came to Oahu nei. He lived in Laie and married a woman there. They had children, but only two of their daughters are still living. His wife passed to the other side first, and he was left with their daughters, and his older sibling, and his younger brother, Gulstan Kiliona Poepoe, one of the Owners of the News magazine, “Ka Lanakila,” which is now in publication. He was an Elder [Lunakahiko] of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints [ka Ekalesia o Iesu Karisto o na Poe Hoano o na La Hope nei]. He was a candidate in the Labor Party [Aoao Limahana] for representative of the Fifth District, in the past year. His field of expertise is engineering.
And while he was working in that position on one of the water pumps of the Kahuku plantation, an accident befell him when he fell off from the pump house which he climbed on, and he broke the bones of his left leg. Continue reading
Circuit:—On Wednesday of the week last, that being the 22nd, some of the royal descendants made a circuit of Oahu nei, that being Mrs. Pauahi Bishop, Mrs. Kamakeha Dominis [Kamakaeha Dominis] and her husband, the Honorable D. Kalakaua, and Captain Hanham, the captain of a single-masted warship, along with their travelling companions. Splendid was their view of Kaliuwaa, where the youth Kamapuaa revealed himself and his strength; along with the other famous sites. Long live the young Alii in God!
(Kuokoa, 3/30/1865, p. 2)
Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, Buke IV, Helu 13, Aoao 2. Maraki 30, 1865.
nupepa 