My Grandfather passed away April 26 1997 during his afternoon nap. He will be buried at Mililani in the cemetery reserved for Firemen on the island of Oahu. My Grandfather was an unusual man, who had an unusual life, from beginning to the end. He was born on the old train that used to take people from Honolulu to Waianae. Since his mother was Hawaiian, and consider to be an indigent, there is no record of his birth, so the circumstances surrounding his birth and his future life exist in the oral history of my family. I will attempt to relate with written word a history that cannot be truly understood unless it is heard from the voices of my relatives and elders.

I guess you would have to start with my Grandfathers birth mother a Hawaiian girl named Luka Norton. Luka was married to a sailor who worked the merchant vessels between China and San Francisco. Being at sea so long meant that Lukas fidelity was put to the test more than is humanly possible for a young woman of her beauty to endure. As fate would have it, her desires were quenched by a local Haole whose last name I am told was Wagner. Now, I guess you might say my Grandfather was an unwanted child for more than one reason. Luka, who regretted her transgression and subsequent pregnancy, regretted it even more as each month past, and the arrival of her husband drew near. I am told that the seaman Norton was not an easy person when crossed.

At the time of her pregnancy, Luka was residing on Sand Island,,, a small inland island at the mouth of the Aluai River which over looks Honolulu harbor. Had there been more to the River Sand Island may have been considered a delta. The whole area supported a total of about 12 families under the auspice of the once Moi Emily Rose Mahelona

For those of you unfamiliar with the term Moi it is Hawaiian for leader,,, the English equivalent would be chief,,, I guess. At any rate Sand Island belong to her, and all the residence there were allowed to reside there by her permission. Small communities like Sand Island are breeding grounds for rumors and legends. When Emily Rose discovered the conditions surrounding Lukas situation she became more interested in the young woman.

Emily Rose was already a grandmother, having several female children of her own, but they were all grown, and had children of their own meaning that Emily Rose was all alone, her daughters being absorbed by the families of their husbands. Emily Rose saw Lukas situation as an opportunity to build a new family of her own,,, and she was specifically interested in a male child. She approached Luka, and offered to adopt the child once it was born, but Luka refused, fearing that her husband would learn about the origins of Emily Roses new hanai grandchild. Emily Rose was insistent upon keeping the child and this worried Luka. There were no child adoption agencies at this time in the Territory of Hawaii. Since most Hawaiians were considered to be on the fringe of society, they were not well regulated unless they were seen in public.  Luka knew that Emily Rose could force her will and invoke her rights as the Moi to adopt through hanai ritual the child so she made plans to visit her sister in Waianae and leave the child on that side of the island, far from Sand Island. However, her sister did not want Luka near her own husband for too long and told Luka she should come to Waianae just before she was ready to deliver.

When Emily Rose heard about this, she offered to pay Lukas passage on the train, to Waianae with one condition, if the child were born on the Honolulu side of the island it would be hers, but if it was born on the Waianae side of the island, it would belong to Lukas sister. Luka,,, being poor and unable to afford the ticket to Waianae on her own, agreed. The day Luka felt the birth approaching she and Emily Rose boarded the train to Waianae. I was told that Luka tried desperately to stop the birth from happening, till she arrived at Waianae, but was unsuccessful. Per her agreement, she turn the child over to Emily Rose. Emily Rose received my Grandfather per hanai ritual and gave him the christian name Ernest, and his last name was her middle name Kapua'ala ka piko la mauna lei.

Luka, who was a sort of free spirited individual, was relieved at not having to raise the boy, but still a little concerned that his illegitimacy would be discovered by her husband. Her husband did not return that year, nor the next, and her concerns for the boy, and his status disappeared with the season. Emily Rose raised my Grandfather as a young Moi, giving him as much a privileged life as was possible for a deposed Chiefess to give. Luka went on her free spirited way, never bothering my Grandfather. My Grandfather grew to be a man and Married my Grandmother Victoria Leslie of Mau'i. He became a fireman for the city of Honolulu, and was there putting out the fires during the invasion on Pearl Harbor. His four sons, Ernest (son), Fred (brah) , Allen (my father), and Elmer, watched the flames engulf the harbor with their sister Dorothy from their home on Sand Island.

I lived on the mainland most of my live. I do not remember my grandfather when I was a baby, but I do remember meeting him when I was 11 and my family moved to California. He was very fond of cards, and had more stories than the local library.  One summer he taught me how to make a fish trap, the next how to weave a net, and one night he showed me how to draw a royal flush, but I can't remember how, and haven't been able to do it since. He led a full, and long life and died without suffering.  Ha ina ia mai kapuana.

Note: It has been a long time since I heard that story, an even longer time since I have been back to Hawaii,,, If I have made any omissions or mistakes on geographical elements ,or the actual series of events, no harm no blame.

After visiting my relatives on Oahu and Maui I have a few corrections to make to the above story regarding the circumstances of my Grandfather's birth. The gist of the story is correct, although I can not verify the alleged infidelity of my Grandfathers real mother. New facts revealed to our family by my distant cousin Lokelani Lindsey, who is the Bishop Estates trustee , clarify certain points that have gotten a little muddled by me over the years.

Originally I thought my Grandfathers full last name was "Ka pua 'ala ka piko na mauna lei". Excerpts of court documents state that the full last name given to my Grandfather by Emily Rose Mahelona is "Ka pua 'ala hoonioni i ke alahao". According to the person giving the testimony, my Great Aunt Abigail K. Pililaau, this translates to railroad in Hawaiian. I have literally translated it to "The fragrant blossom shaking the train." That is a good description of a train given by a person unfamiliar with these machines. The fragrant blossom could referr to the smoke that is emmitted from the stack. This smoke does have an odor, depending on the type of fuel being used, which might be considered fragrant to the old Hawaiians. To the first time viewer the rythmic erruptions of this smoke would appear to shake the train.

I also learned that Luka Norton was not married at the time she had an affair with my grandfather's father. In fact she was widowed and living with Emily Rose Mahelona who was herself unmarried, and childless living in Emilies father's home on Sand Island in the district of Puuhale. There were many stories told to me about both these amazing women by my Auntie and Oldest Uncle, one day I will share them with you.