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.
- A common poetic saying for death. See entry No. 420 in the book “ʻŌlelo Noʻeau: 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.