A Beloved Has Died!
("Make i Aloha ia!", Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, March 21, 1868)
DEAR NUPEPA KUOKOA E; Greetings:
A. A. Coe, Esq., a beloved member of our church, passed away at 8 p.m. on March 7. He was one of the “good fruits” of Christ’s Kingdom in this garden that is the Hawaiian Islands.
Coe, from New York in the United States, left his homeland and set up residence in 1847 at Kaupo, East Maui, where he stayed and worked as a shopkeeper. His first wife was Maliikapu. When she died, he married Honolulu, his wife when he passed away. He entered the church of Christ at Kaupo on May 12, 1867, and spent 9 months and 27 days within the Church before returning to the "promised land". He spent just a few days seeking out righteousness, but his actions, bearing and way of life reflected those of a true Christian. The One who has made him has taken him away. “God’s will be done.”
Grief has fallen on his wife and his children, as well as his family in New York, United States.
By P. W. KAAWA.
Kaupo, East Maui, March 10, 1868.
Note: The age at death is an estimate based on the birth year of 1823 from Coe's death record.
Below is the obituary in the original Hawaiian:
Make i Aloha ia!
E KA NUPEPA KUOKOA E; Aloha oe:
Ua make kekahi hoahanau aloha o kakou o A. A. Coe Esq., i ka la 7 o Maraki, hora 8 P. M. Oia kekahi o na hua maikai iloko o ko Kristo Aupuni me ka mahinaai o ka Pae Aina Hawaii.
Ma Nu Ioka, (New York) Amerika Huipuia, a ua haalee i kona onehanau a noho i Hawaii nei i ka M. H. 1847, ma Kaupo, Maui Hikina kona wahi i noho mau ai ma ka oihana kalepa. (Halekuai) Ua mareia oia me Maliikapu, oia kana wahine mua, a make ia, mare hou ia Honolulu, oia kana wahine i noho iho nei a make aku la. Ua komo oia i ka ekalesia o Kristo ma Kaupo i ka la 12 o Mei, M. H. 1867, a he 9 malama, 27 la iloko o keia Ekalesia a hoi aku la i ka “Aina pomaikai.” He opiopio no kona mau la i huli ai i ka pono, aka, o kana mau hana, kona ano a me kona noho ana, me he mea la he Kristiano oiaio no ia. A kii mai la no ka mea nana i hana a lawe aku la, “O ko ke Akua makemake ke hana ia.”
Maluna o kana wahine a me kana mau keiki ke aloha paumako, a me kona ohana e noho la i New York, Amerika Huipuia.
Owau no o P. W. KAAWA.
Kaupo, Maui Hikina, March 10, 1868.