We heard from Rev. S. C. Damon, the Pastor at the Bethel Church [ka Halepule Betela] at Polelewa, Honolulu, that he received a letter from San Francisco, pertaining to the old Hawaiian that is living in that city, that being the one named above, and he is living there in severe poverty and in difficulty. Kanui has been living in foreign lands since a long time ago, perhaps more than fifty years. Continue reading
A Letter
FROM OUR REPRESENTATIVE WHO RECENTLY WENT TO CALIFORNIA.
O Editor: From when I arrived here in California, I met with a few Hawaiians who I thought were here in California. And perhaps their friends will not fail to be happy to hear about them.
The first is William Kanui [Wiliama Kanui]. I wrote about him in the Hoku Loa some weeks ago. He is one who came back from Boston with Bingham folks in the year 1820. He arrived in California in the year 1849. He sought after money and he found it, and it disappeared once more. He lives as a Christian in California. In the past rainy season, he was very ill, and is a little better now; however, he is weakly because of his age. His hair is very gray, and his skin is fair from just living like a haole. He very much cannot fend for himself, and he is cared for by the Christian friends of the Bethel of Sacramento in San Francisco, in all his needs. Continue reading
On Monday, this town received the sad news about the death of Diamond Kekona, the son of D. K. Kekona of this town, in Berlin, Germany, on the 13th of last month, February.
It was Mrs. Diamond Kekona, the wife of Kekona, who sent the sad news of the death of her husband to Mekia Kealakai, the leader of the Royal Hawaiian Band [Bana Hawaii], because he was a friend of the young Kekona and his wife when they were all living in London.
A letter was also received by Mr. D. K. Kekona, the father of the young man, confirming the news about the passing of his son.
Diamond Kekona was born on the 6th of October, 1890, so at his death, he was thirty-three years old and some.
Diamond left Honolulu in 1905 for New York, with a group of singers and musicians. He spent many years in America in this occupation.
During the great war of the world, Diamond Kekona was in England, and he enlisted in the service under Britain, going off to war in France and Belgium. He married a British woman and had two children, however the two of them died.
At the end of the war, Mr. and Mrs. Kekona lived in Belgium, and just last year they went to Berlin, Germany, where they met up with Joe Puni, William Kanui, and Joseph Nihali [?]; but according to the letter of Mrs. Kekona, he did not get along with Joe Puni, and they did not talk.
Mr. Kekona was not sick for long before he died, it was just a week; and in the letter his wife wrote to Mr. D. K. Kekona, she told him of her intent to return the body of her husband to London to bury, in her homeland, close to her home.
With the passing of this Hawaiian youth in foreign lands, he left behind, grieving for him: his young British wife; his grandmother, Mrs. Makalohi, who is 91; his father, Mr. D. K. Kekona, working in the sheriff department and a pastor of the Christian Science Church [Hoomana Naauao]; two younger brothers named Hugo and August Kekona; and their sister, Mrs. Lonohira [Mrs. George Lonohiwa]; and a big family.
(Kuokoa, 3/22/1922, p. 1)
Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, Buke LXI, Helu 12, Aoao 1. Maraki 22, 1922.
[The issue of this Aloha Aina is misprinted as 1/11/1912, but it should be 1/11/1913! This sort of thing happens once in a while, and if you are not careful, it can lead to wild goose chases. Case in point: i don’t know how long i spent looking for the English article that this was taken from because i was looking in 1912… This article originates from the Honolulu Star-Bulletin (1/4/1913).
See the Star-Bulletin article here.]
(Aloha Aina, 1/11/1912 [1913], p. 1)
Ke Aloha Aina, Buke XVII, Helu 2, Aoao 1. Ianuari 11, 1912* (1913).
nupepa 