Passed on to the Road of No Return1
("Ua Hala I Ke Ala Hoi Ole Mai", Nupepa Kuokoa, December 24, 1909)
Mr. Editor of the Nupepa Kuokoa, greetings: Honorable one, please grant me space in your newspaper, the Kuokoa, treasure of the nation,2 since I am laying a sorrowful message before you to report to the public to inform the family, friends and acquaintances of my dear mother.
Whereas, on December 3, 1909, at 12:30 p.m., at the loving home of my sister Mele at Pahala, Kau, Hawaii, our beloved mother, Mailolo Akeneki Wills,3 wearied of this life. She left behind three children—two daughters and one son—as well as 19 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
In 1890, our parents left Kaupo, Maui and joined their first-born, Mele, at Pahala, Kau, Hawaii. She lived there until she departed from this life.
She was born in 1831. She lived for 78 years. She died peacefully.4
She was a devout Christian of the Catholic faith and an open-hearted mother of our beloved land of Kaupo, Maui.
Her mortal remains were conveyed to the Catholic cemetary in Pahala, Kau, Hawaii. Blessed be Jesus; He gave, and He hath taken away.5 Amen.
I offer a fond farewell to the editor and my boundless gratitude to the typesetting youths of your printing press.
Fondly,
KALEIPAIHALA.
Below is the obituary in the original Hawaiian:
UA HALA I KE ALA HOI OLE MAI
E Mr. Lunahooponopono o ka Nupepa Kuokoa, Aloha oe: E oluolu mai kou hanohano no’u kau wahi kaawale o kau nupepa ke Kuokoa, ka hiwahiwa hoi a ka Lahui, oiai he puolo kaumaha ka u e pahola aku nei imua ou a nau hoi ia e hoike ae i ke akea, i ike mai ai hoi na ohana, na makamaka ame na hoaloha apau o kuu mama aloha.
Oiai ma ka la ekolu o Dekemaba, 1909, hora 12:30 p. m. ma ka home aloha o kuu kaikuahine Mele ma Pahala, Kau, Hawaii i pauaho mai ai i keia ola ana ko makou makuahine i aloha nui ia, Mailolo Akeneki Willis. Ua haalele iho oia he 3 ana mau keiki mahope nei, 2 kaikamahine, 1 keikikane, he 19 moopuna, 5 kuakahi.
Iloko o ka makahiki 1890 i haalele aku ai ko makou mau makua ia Kaupo, Maui a hoi aku la me ka laua hiapo oia o Mele ma Pahala, Kau, Hawaii. Malaila oia kahi i noho wale aku la no i kona wa i haalele mai la i keia ola ana.
Ua hanau ia oia i ka makahiki 1831. Ua piha iaia he 78 makahiki o kona ola ana. Ua make palupalu oia.
He Kristiano oiaio oia no ka hoomana Kakolika, he makuahine puuwai hamama oia no ko makou aina aloha oia o Kaupo, Maui.
Ua lawe ia kona kino lepo iloko o ia pa ilina Kakolika ma Pahala, Kau, Hawaii. E hoomaikaiia o Iesu nana i haawi mai a Nana i lawe aku, Amene.
Me ka Lunahooponopono ko’u aloha nui ame na keiki hoonoho hua kepau o kou papa pa’i ko’u hoomaikai palena ole
Owau no me ke aloha,
KALEIPAIHALA.
Footnotes
- A common poetic saying for death. See entry No. 420 in the book “ʻŌlelo NoÊ»eau: Hawaiian Proverbs & Poetical Sayings“.
- “Ka hiwahiwa hoi a ka Lahui”, a common nickname for Nupepa Kuokoa.
- “Akeneki” is the Hawaiian form of Agnes. Wills is corrected from Willis in the original article.
- The cause of death was identified as chronic bronchitis.
- Job 1:21.