Recently I have been fascinated to see members of our larger ‘ohana begin to plan a visit to Kalaupapa on Moloka‘i, the leper colony established in the middle of the 19^th century to which some 8,000 people were sent. The purpose of the trip would be to visit the grave of Tung Shu “Tommy” Fung, the husband of a lady who cared for me and lived with our family. Tommy Fung was sent to Kalaupapa in the 1920’s and died there in 1945. His wife, Amoy Chock Fung, raised five children on one acre of land in Kohala. “Chinese Aunty,” as we called her, had come on the same ship from Canton as my grandfather Ah Fung Chock, when she was a very young girl and he was in his twenties. Our families were very intertwined and she and her children lived with us much of the time. Some of my earliest memories are of her caring for me and watching her as she scrubbed our clothes on the washing board on the sink outside, ironed our clothes, or prepared her special Chinese dishes for the family. Grandfather had given strict orders for his children to care for “Aunty” and her children and we would celebrate important occasions as a large extended family. We think there is blood relationship because of Grandfather’s connection, but so far we haven’t documented it. In any case, Hawaiian culture honors and encourages the power of the extended family. All of us loved “Aunty” dearly and she was my de facto “Popo” (grandmother).

Many memories of Chinese Aunty populate my vision of growing up. As I shared in a previous post, one of the most dramatic was my going into the bathroom at three or four years old and seeing her dentures in a glass on the sink! It was very hard for my little mind to get around the scene and perhaps some of my present day behavior is tied to that moment! Her quiet and kind demeanor and her basic pidgin English were positive elements of my growing up. So were her trips to the market and the stained paper packages containing Chinese cracked seed she would pull from her bag as treats for the children.

Chinese Aunty was a strong and determined woman. When she was left with five children and an acre of land in Kohala she did all she could do to make sure her children had educational opportunities and were prepared to succeed in a tough world. I don’t know if she ever was in touch with her husband at Kalaupapa, but she was very present and hardworking in supporting her children and extended family. She remains for me a wonderful example of perseverance in the midst of seeming disaster.

Back to the Kalaupapa expedition. Her grandchildren will be revisiting the grave of her husband Tommy Fung at Kalaupapa. They had located it some ten or twelve years ago. Our family is probably blood related, so we will join them in that visit. What we have found out, however, is that our Hawaiian ‘ohana also has a relative resting at Kalaupapa, Hannah Pelio Kapakahi, my maternal grandmother’s great aunt. She was sent to Kalaupapa in 1888 under questionable circumstances and died there in 1904. We have never visited or identified her grave and so that is our family challenge for this year! Mystery has surrounded her being sent to Kalaupapa as a leper because she and her husband, Joseph Likona Kapakahi, held the royal patent of land in Kaua‘ula in Lāhainā that contained important water resources. After her death, Pioneer Mill acquired the estate and the water resources. Throughout the years, several members of the family have investigated the acquisition, but significant questions remain unanswered. Life is always interesting.

I am hoping that my son, one of my daughters, and our oldest mo‘opuna (grandchild) will join the Kalaupapa adventure. Why? Because it will help a couple of generations to understand their roots and the human soil they spring from. They will be able to see the scene of their ancestors’ struggle and appreciate that their family toiled in the same human garden that Father Damien and Sister Marianne Cope loved and gave their lives for. The thought takes my breath away and I trust that if the visit takes place, it will be a family treasure passed down from generation to generation.

Take a moment and explore your family treasures with your ‘ohana. Get intentional about embedding them in the hearts of those you love. Make sure the memories and their lessons touch and bless those that are to come. Me ke aloha piha.