February 23, 2023

It's been a whole year since we had Gerry's service.  Sometimes its hard to realize that he's gone and that I've been by myself for a whole year.

His service was beautiful.  It was held at the Northern Nevada Veterans Cemetery in Fernley, NV.  The Northern Nevada Veterans Coalition conducted his service with military honors.  They did the firing of rifles, 3 volleys total.  They did the folding of the flag that was draped over Gerry's casket and then presented it to me.  There were 4 men that did the folding and each one then came to me and offered their condolences.  

Three sons and 3 grandsons escorted the casket to where it was displayed.  All 7 of Gerry's children were there along with my daughter and a few other grandchildren.  Numerous friends were in attendance.

I had requested the Northern Nevada Patriot Guard Riders to stand a flag line.  I also requested anyone that could from the Capitol Region (Sacramento) PGR join in.  There were a few that made the ride up along with a couple of guys from VFW.  The NNPGR presented me with a plaque that was inscribed with Gerry's name and a thank you for his military service.  I have it hung on the wall to the side of the bathroom door.  When I walk out of my bedroom I see it and it is comforting.  Gerry served 3 and a half years as an active duty Marine.  He would always remind me "once a Marine, always a Marine".

The day was beautiful, the sun was shining and the temperature was in the 40's with no wind or snow.

Erik had rented an Airbnb in Fernley where the family gathered.  Denise and I went there first and then the family went together to the cemetery.  After the service we went back over for some lunch and took some pictures.  We didn't stay long, it had been a very emotional time and I was exhausted.  Denise and I took our time driving back to Dayton. 

The day I left Nevada to move back to California, Elizabeth drove over to the cemetery so we could visit Gerry's gravesite.  The marker I had ordered had been placed at the site and I wanted to see it before I left Nevada.  I was pleased with what I had chosen to be inscribed on the marker.

A hui ho, Honey!  I love you!  See you later!

Gerald Howard Townsend (Gerry)

 January 29, 2023

It was a usual Sunday morning.  Gerry got up to get ready for church.  I was in my sewing room.  He came in to my sewing room to tell me he was going to church.  It was probably around 9:30 am.  He had not been talking to me, we had had some words a few days before so he had been texting me when he was going to leave the house.  This morning was different.  I turned around from my computer and said ok.  He looked at me for a few minutes then left.  I sat at my computer for a couple of hours and then decided I should probably get my shower because he would be home before too long.  As I got up from the computer, the house phone rang.  When I answered it there was no one there.  Then my cell phone rang and again no one was there when I answered.  This happened a couple of times and I started to get irritated.  I got up to walk back to the bedroom and my cell phone rang again.  I saw that it was a friend from church.  When I answered, she sounded like she was in a panic.  She told me that an ambulance was taking Gerry to the hospital, he had collapsed and the EMT's thought he had either had a stroke or heart attack.  She kept telling me "but he was talking".  I became hysterical.  She told me she would come get me and take me to the hospital.

In total panic mode I called our neighbor, Virgil, and said "please come, Gerry was being taken to the hospital".  He came right over and sobbing I told him what Tracy had told me.  He told me to go get dressed and he would wait for Tracy.  Tracy was there in a few minutes, helped me get dressed and then got me in her car.  We gave Virgil instructions to call Erik (son) and Denise (daughter).  Erik was to call everyone and let them know.

It was snowing and so we couldn't drive very fast.  Gerry had been taken to Carson Tahoe Hospital in Carson City.  We lived in Dayton, about 15 miles or so from the hospital.  I had stopped crying, yet I do believe I was in shock.  Barbie, another friend from church, had been with Gerry.  She called Tracy and said she'd meet us at the hospital.  We went to Emergency when we got to the hospital.  I waited in the car while Tracy went to see what was going on.  She came back to tell me that they wouldn't give her any information.  After talking about what to do, she decided that she was going to take me back home and wait there.  She stopped and got me lunch first.  Leaving the place she had gone, my phone rang.  It was the doctor who was attending to Gerry.  He wanted to know where I was.  When I told him, he said I needed to get back to the hospital right away.  He asked him about life support for Gerry and I said no.  Gerry had a DNR.  I told him I wanted to see my husband so he wanted to know if I wanted them to make him as comfortable as possible.  I said yes.

When Tracy and I got back to the hospital, the doctor had a staff person waiting for me at the front entrance.  She escorted me through security and then to where the doctor would meet me.  He was there within a few minutes and explained to me what was going on.  He told me he would tell me exactly what had happened which I appreciated.  Gerry had had a massive heart attack.  His heart was critically damaged and had been like that for a long time.  Gerry had been combative when he got to the ER so they intubated him in order to work on him.  They had opened him up to try and stimulate the heart, however it was not working.  Massive doses of different medications were given to him, they weren't working.  The doctor told me that there were just a few more minutes left before he was gone.  So I was taken upstairs to see him.  When I got up there, the doctor came out to speak to me again and said we maybe had 20 minutes or so.  He asked again if I wanted to see Gerry.  I, of course, said yes and started sobbing again.  I managed to gather myself together and I was taken in to see Gerry.  My heart broke when I saw him.  It was like all of it was not happening.  He was unconscious and had the ventilator tube in his mouth.  He was also hooked up to a heart monitor so the nurses at the nursing station could watch him.  I started talking to him.  The nurses told me he probably could hear me, however he didn't have his hearing aids in so he couldn't have heard what I was saying to him.  I told him how much I loved him, that I was sorry, not to worry about me, I'd be okay.  I held his hand and kissed him on the forehead.  I think Tracy took a couple of pictures of him with my phone so I would have a last picture.  I haven't shared them, I want them just for me.

A doctor came in to listen to his heart and at 3:07 pm, he was pronounced.  I had asked if he was gone and was told yes.  I had been holding his hand and I felt him "change".  It was a strange feeling.  I kissed him one last time and my kiss left an impression on his forehead.  The nurses came in to remove the tube and the other equipment.  I didn't want to see that so I said "see you soon" and "I love you" one last time and walked out of the room.  I had about 20 minutes with him.

Tracy then brought me home and stayed for a little bit.  Virgil came over to tell me about the phone calls he had made and stayed with me for a while.  Thinking back, I think I was in shock.  It did seem like I was in a fog and was like that for several months.

I regret that we had had a disagreement...that there were no last "I love you's", "no see you later", "I'll be back", "no what do want for lunch" and so much more.  If I've learned anything from all the years we were together, it was that Gerry did things his way.  Considering what the doctor told me about the condition of his heart, I have no doubt he was in a lot of pain.  Maybe he knew that that particular Sunday was when he would lose the battle.  People that were at church that Sunday told me that he went around talking to different ones as if he was saying goodbye.  Several told me he was refusing to go to the hospital because he needed to get home to take care of his wife.  As I've thought about that Sunday morning, I am so relieved he wasn't on his motorcycle somewhere or driving on the highway.  It is 10 miles from our house to the church on Highway 50.

Gerry wasn't perfect, no one is...he was perfect for me.  In the early days I focused so much on all the troublesome things about him, about our relationship, about how often he had broken my heart, about the times I wanted to end our marriage.  The time came when I realized I had also played a big part in the problems we had yet we hung in there.  I have no doubt he had some of the same thoughts.  I never felt like God was telling me it was okay to walk away.  And so even though there was a lot of "ugly" in our marriage, we loved each other unconditionally.  He had so many great qualities...he loved to tease, he had a servant's heart, his laugh could be heard readily in a room full of people, he loved correcting me especially when I posted something on FB that he didn't feel was accurate, he loved his kids/grandkids, great grandkids, his extended family.  The one thing that stood out about him was that he loved the Lord.

And so it is January 29, 2024...a full year that he hasn't been with me.  For the most part, I do okay.  The nights are difficult.  I stay up until I just can't and then I lay in bed wide awake.  By the time I do fall asleep, it is time to get up.  One of my sister-in-laws told me to have a celebration of him by myself...to get a cake for myself and spend some time thinking about our life together.  I may think about doing that.  I think about him every day and think about the things we did together, places we went to and it helps.

All of this has made me draw closer to the Lord.  I am in the Word on a daily basis.  I started listening to the teachings of Gary Hamrick from Cornerstone Chapel in Leesburg, VA.  It is a Calvary Chapel fellowship.  I enjoy listening to him and his teachings have been so helpful.  I finished his teachings on James today.  

I sense God's presence with me.  I know that I couldn't do this on my own strength.

There are so many family members and friends who have walked beside me also, praying for me and encouraging me.  I am so humbled by all the love shown to me.

Mother's Day, 2021 - The Women in My Family

 On Sunday, May 9, 2021, Mother's Day will be celebrated.

I got to thinking about the women in my family, the mothers...and I wanted to acknowledge them this year.

Starting in the Chung-Hoon Family:

Mary Kuamo'o, my great grandmother.  She was born in 1800 and died in 1896.  She married Chung-Hoon, my great grandfather, who arrived in the Hawaiian Islands in 1850 from China. She was the mother of my grandfather, William Chung-Hoon, Sr.

Alo K. Akina, my grandmother.  She was born in 1874 and died in 1935.  She married my grandfather, William Chung-Hoon, Sr.  She was mother to 3 daughters and 2 sons, one of them being my father.

Harriet Maiakaala, my great grandmother and mother of Alo K. Akina, my grandmother.  She was born in 1856 and died in 1893.  She married Goo Tuck Ching Akina who also arrived in the Hawaiian Islands from China.  She was mother to 6 children.

Hulihe'e Family:

Bernice Kealoha Hulihe'e Chung-Hoon, my mother.  She was born in 1914 and died in 2002.  She married my father, Ernest Ha'akua Chung-Hoon.  She was mother to 6 children, I am her 3rd child.

Kaliko Chun Tai Ah Tai, my great grandmother.  She was born in 1866 and died in 1923.  She was married to Poyga Kuapalulu Hulihe'e, my great grandfather.  She was mother to 4 children including my grandfather, David Hinai Hulihe'e.

Kalei Kauho'okahi Lolo, my 2nd great grandmother.  She was born in 1823 and died in 1900.  She was married to Kupapaulu Hulihe'e.  They were the parents of Poyga Kuapalulu Hulihe'e.  She was mother to 8 children.

Napia, my 3rd great grandmother.  She was the mother of Kalei Kauho'okahi Lolo.

Rubina Ake, my 4th great grandmother.  She died in 1899.  She was the mother of Napia.

Camara Family:

Evangeline Camara Hulihe'e aka Angeline Jacinth, my grandmother.  She was born in 1896 and died in 1990.  She was married to David Hinai Hulihe'e, my grandfather.  She was mother to 6 children, my mother being the oldest.

Maria Moniz, my great grandmother.  She was born in Sao Miguel, Azores, Portugal and died in Kealia, Kaua'i, KOH.  She was married to August Jacinth Camara.  She was mother to 8 children.

Gertrude deJesus Sousa, my 2nd great grandmother.  She was born in 1852 and died in 1938.  She was married to Manuel Moniz of Sao Miguel, Azores, Portugal.  They traveled to the Hawaiian Islands in the 1880's with two children.  Ten more children were born on the island of Kaua'i.

To complete the picture, I, Violet-Elizabeth Chung-Hoon Townsend, born 1942, am mother to Denise Noelani Bledsoe Lane, born 1969.  Denise's daughter is Rebekah-Elizabeth Noelani Lane Cross, born 1993.  Rebekah's daughter is Esther Hope Cross, born 2018.

A heartfelt Thank You to those mothers of my family who came before me.  Happy Mother's Day to my daughter and granddaughter...and someday my great granddaughter will follow.

Leaving Home --- The First Year

On January 13, 1962, at 11:55 pm, I boarded a World Airways airplane at Honolulu International Airport.  The flight would take me to Oakland, CA where I would meet my new husband.  It was the beginning of married life for me to a young Marine.

It would be a very long 13 hour flight landing in Oakland at 1:30 pm the afternoon of January 14, 1962.  Because it was January, everything looked so dreary.  I immediately wanted to go back home.  The only good thing was that John was at the bottom of the steps waiting for me.

My mother had made me a new outfit to travel in...a beautiful powder blue wool dress with a powder blue coat made out of velour fabric.  My grandmother had given me money with instructions to go to Liberty House and purchase a pair of black patent leather pumps, a black hat, black purse and gloves.  It was a beautiful outfit, yet I had been so uncomfortable while on the plane and having to sit for hours.  Smoking was allowed on the plane during those days and I was absolutely miserable from the smoke.

Grandma had also sent a bouquet of red anthuriums to deliver to her sister, Ida, that lived in Oakland.  John had a couple of uncles that lived in Castro Valley and he had borrowed the car of the uncle I would be staying with.  So after finding a pay phone to call Aunty Ida and getting directions, we drove over to her house.  Most of her family gathered at her house for Sunday dinner and so I got to meet family members I didn't know.  I had met Aunty Ida once when I was a young girl.  We visited for a little bit then drove over to John's Uncle Charles's place.  Charles and his wife Alice lived in an apartment over a dry cleaners.  It was just a 1 bedroom apartment and not very big.  Charles and Alice were just a little bit older than John and I.  John was 20 and I was 19.

My first dinner in California was tacos.  I had never had them and wasn't too sure what they were.  It took one bite to decide I didn't like them.  Alice had put some hot spice in the meat and I could not eat them.  I had never had ice tea either.  I drank lots of it that night to cover the burning of my mouth.  I decided then I did not like Mexican food and I still don't like it although I probably eat more of it these days.  I even will fix tacos once in awhile.

Mom had lots of relatives in the Bay Area.  There was one cousin who lived in Hayward, Julius and Mary Alfaro.  Julius's mother was my grandmother's younger sister.  I had met them when they traveled to the islands on a vacation.  Mom wanted me to visit them, which we did do the 2nd Sunday I was in California.  We had a lovely visit.  Mary  asked me what I would be doing with myself while John had to be in Oakland.  I told her I didn't know.  So she told me she would come over and pick me after she dropped her children off at school and I could spend the day with her.  I was so relieved when she told me that.  The first week I had been at John's uncles was absolutely miserable.  He was laid off from his job so he was home during the day.  They lived on the main street through Castro Valley where a lot of businesses were located.  I went for a lot of walks that first week so I wouldn't be in the apartment all day.  Alice was going to beauty school so she was gone all day.  She would be so irritated when she came in at night and I was very uncomfortable being there.  

It was great being with Mary during the day.  She taught me how to cook a few dishes and taught me things like how to set a table, table manners and lots of other fun things.  Her Italian neighbor Anna would come over sometimes and loved visiting with her.  One morning when Mary came to get me she walked up to the apartment and knocked on the door.  Usually she would pull into the back parking lot and honk and I would walk down to her car.  When I answered the door, she told me "get your things, you are going home with me".  She told me that she was not happy with me being there with Charles alone, so she was taking me home.  John found out where I was when he got his weekend leave and hitch hiked to Castro Valley.  Charles told him where I was.  He actually was relieved Mary had come for me.

I was so homesick.  I missed my Dad most of all.  And I missed the type of food we ate at home.  I was not too much into "haole" food. 😀  It was such a huge adjustment, being so young and immature did not help much.  But it was my new life, I agreed to marry someone who would take me away from all that was familiar to me and I had to learn to adjust to my new life with all the unknowns.

I would be at Mary's until John was released from the Naval hospital.  He had a medical condition while he was stationed in Hawai'i and was sent to the Naval Hospital in Oakland for treatment.  He reported in to Treasure Island for a few days while he awaited his orders to his new duty station.  His orders were to Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, CA (north San Diego County).  He had to report in at 1600 (4:00 pm) on a Wednesday (don't remember the date, it was early March) and so we packed up our few belongings, loaded them into a Chrysler car that we bought for $150 and left about 8:00 pm on a Tuesday night to drive to Oceanside.  We drove down Highway 101, through San Francisco and down the coast.  Soon after leaving the Bay Area we hit very thick fog and just had to creep along not really being able to see the roadway very well.  By the time we got close to Los Angeles it was early morning so the driving became easier.  

We arrived in Oceanside about noon on the Wednesday and immediately bought a newspaper so we could find an apartment.  The first apartment we looked at was across from the beach and the Pacific Ocean.  It was a studio apartment for $50/month, with a deposit of $50.  We had about $100 and so we were able to convince the land lady to waive the deposit.  The apartment was upstairs in the main building.  This property had been a motel that was turned into apartments.  It was a large complex and most of the tenants were military.  We were able to move right in.  We had two rooms, one being the living room/bedroom...it had a sofa bed...and the other room was the kitchen.  There was a bathroom between our studio and the one next door and we had to share the bathroom.  I wasn't sure I was going to like that, however it turned out to work rather well.  Our neighbors were a great couple.

There was a window in the kitchen that looked out to the street and the ocean.  One day I was standing there looking out and asked John if I looked hard enough, did he think I could see Hawai'i.  He laughed and said to look all I wanted.

Our neighbor on the other side of us had a lot of people coming and going.  We would discover that she was a "lady of the night" and it was young Marines coming to visit.  

John had 13 months to do until he was discharged from active duty.  That year we spent in Oceanside was fantastic.  We lived in the studio for a few months then moved into a 1 bedroom across the hall.  John's buddy from Hawai'i had been transferred to Camp Pendleton and he spent a lot of time with us.  He wanted to get out of the barracks so we rented the bigger apartment so he could share it with us.  John had put in for housing on base so we were in the 1 bedroom just for a couple of months.  We were able to get a trailer on base for $42 a month.  It was the size of a small travel trailer but it worked for us.  Brent would sleep over once in a while, sleeping on the couch in the living room.

After we had been there for a few months, John got orders to go to Mau'i TDY with another guy.  We packed me up and I went to stay with one of my sisters in Simi Valley, north of Los Angeles.  I was going to be there for a month, had to sell our car and then go home while John was on Maui.  I was able to go home, however soon as I got there, he told me he had orders to return to Camp Pendleton.  I had to stay at home for a month before I could return to California.  I spent Thanksgiving with my family that year and our 1st anniversary apart.

Unfortunately that marriage would end in October 1971.  There were too many strikes against us to make it work.  Our only child was born in November 1969.  He left when she was 10 months old and it took a year for the divorce to be final because we got back together for a few months.

In our Bible Study at church we are studying 12 women of the Bible.  Yesterday we talked about Mary, the mother of Jesus.  The theme of her story was her courage.  She was a young girl, a virgin, when she was visited by the angel Gabriel, with the message that she would bear a child.  She showed such courage...being willing to accept what the message meant for her.  Since yesterday was the anniversary of my coming to a new place, I thought of the courage it took for me to walk onto that airplane and go to a new place, begin a new life that I was so unprepared for.  I've also thought of the courage it took to live out the days of being alone with a very young child to raise.  It was a huge struggle and there were times when I thought I couldn't do it, yet I kept on going.  That took courage.

A constant in my entire life has been that I know I have someone who has always been with me, guiding me a long the way, holding my hand, surrounding me with gentle arms and huge amounts of love...that someone being my Lord and Savior, Jesus.

What is Lymphedema?

According to the Mayo Clinic Lymphedema is blockage in the Lymphatic system, which is part of the immune system.  Lymph fluid is prevented from draining causing a buildup which then leads to swelling in extremities.  Arms and or legs are affected, it can be one arm, one leg or both.

So why am I mentioning this???  Well, here's what is going on with me...

Last July 2019 I noticed my left leg, foot and ankle was swollen.  Usually during the summer I will experience swelling and it will go away as the weather cools.  That was not the case last summer.  I mentioned it to the doctor I had at the time.  He did not seem too concerned about it.  A couple of months later that doctor left Renown and I had to find another primary care provider.  I was referred to a nurse practitioner who referred me to have an ultrasound done on the left leg and to an orthopedic surgeon.  The ultrasound showed that I had a benign cyst back of my left leg, nothing to be concerned about.  The orthopedic surgeon had no clue as to what was wrong.  He wanted to get approval for an expensive cortisone shot to alleviate the swelling.  He also suggested compression socks.  I declined the cortisone shot, however did purchase compression socks.

Then for Thanksgiving we traveled to Colorado to join son Erik and his family.  I wore a compression sock on my left leg and it seemed to help.  A few weeks after getting back from our Colorado trip, I noticed swelling in my right foot, ankle and leg, and with it intense pain.  There was a tightness in my left pain, however not much pain.  The pain in my right leg was unbearable the majority of the time.  The only time there wasn't pain was while I was sleeping and elevating my legs.  I didn't contact my PC provider and should have.

At the end of 2019, my health insurance provider terminated all clients who lived in rural counties.  We live in Lyon County which is a rural county so I lost my coverage.  That meant I had to find other insurance coverage.  I could have used just Medicare but I didn't really want to do that.  In February 2020 I enrolled with Prominence Health System which is a Medicare Advantage Plan.  Senior Care Plus that I had was also a Medicare Advantage Plan as was the Kaiser Plan I had when we lived in Sacramento.  Enrolling with Prominence meant that I had to start from my beginning with my health care.  The PC provider I was referred to then referred me to a Cardiologist and a Nephrology (Kidney) Specialist.  These doctors addressed the issue of the leg edema.  After another Ultrasound prescribed by the Cardiologist, it was determined that the edema was not heart related, there were no blood clots.   He referred me to a Vascular Surgeon who also ordered an Ultrasound.  He determined that it was not vascular, no problems with my veins and circulation.  The Kidney doctor also determined that the edema was not kidney related although I do have kidney damage, due in part to having diabetes.  That's a whole different story.

One of the things that the Vascular Surgeon mentioned was unclassified Lymphedema.  The PC doctor and Kidney doctor agreed with that determination.  It is a relief to know that was is going on has a name and it is a health concern.

Unfortunately there is no cure for Lymphedema.  There are, however, exercises, massages, treatments that can be done to alleviate some of the pain and encourage the draining of the built up fluid.  I saw my PC doctor on Thursday...she contacted Home Health through Prominence, they are to contact me this next week and provide me with compression wraps to use on my legs.  Also she will research a place that will perform massages especially related to lymphedema.  I found a therapist on You Tube that had suggestions for exercises to do, they are very simple and I think I can do them.  Actually I've found all kinds of information on You Tube which has been helpful.

My pain level can be really intense and it can be to where I hardly feel it.  My emotional levels are all over the place also.  Sometimes I have a hard time taking care of my basic needs.  I will go back to bed to rest sometimes after I've had my breakfast.  My energy level can be very low.  If I have an appointment or need to go somewhere, it has to be in the morning hours.  If I wait until the afternoon to do anything, I might as well forget it.  The swelling gets worse as the day progresses.  Driving into Carson City and then back home wears me out.  I am completely exhausted by the time I get home.  Elevating my legs helps somewhat.  No road trips for me.  I've been wanting to go to Sacramento, that's not going to happen.  I have driven to Reno although not since the lockdown.  I was able to do it although was wiped out when I got back to Dayton.

I've read some about essential oils, in particular Ginger Oil is suppose to help with swelling.  I did get some from Amazon, I'm not sure it helps much.  Denise gave me the link for the company she uses, I haven't looked at their website very extensively yet.

I try to put on a "happy" face when I'm away from home, although I don't always feel happy.  Sometimes it is hard to be upbeat when you are hurting so bad.  I'm asked "how are you doing" and my answer lately is "I'm hanging in there".  I'm glad that we can now go to church, it is something to look forward to each week.

Family History

I've been working on my Family History for the last couple of weeks and have made some interesting discoveries.  Actually I've done some research off and on over the years.  Just decided to get serious and see how far I can go.

There are 4 family names in my family and have some research on all of them.  Chung-Hoon is, of course, my father's father.  Akina is his mother.  Hulihe'e is my mother's father and Camara is my mother's mother.

I have done research on all of these families and have a bit of information on all of them.  Special finds have been information on my great grandfather Chung-Hoon and the name of the Hawaiian woman he married, my great grandmother.  Finding the names of my Chung-Hoon grandmother's parents and her siblings.  Also the names of my Portuguese great, great grandparents, Manuel Moniz and Gertrude de Jesus Sousa, whose daughter Maria married August Jacinth Camara, Grandma Hulihe'e's parents.

I've written about Gordon Chung-Hoon on my Facebook page.  He was quite the football star when he was at the Naval Academy.  His brother, Edwin, was a medical doctor who did some extensive research finding a cure for Hansen's disease.  William Chung-Hoon, Jr (Dad's brother) was the City and County Treasurer of Honolulu.  He held that position until his death.  Cousin Gordon also ran for public office.  Grandma Chung-Hoon had two brothers that held public office, one of them was a senator.

I've been using several different web sites to look for information...Family Search which is the Mormon Church's site; My Heritage that I used to do my DNA for my 75th birthday; Archives, Find a Grave and Ancestry.  I did a free trial subscription with Newspapers.com which I cancelled.  I will continue to use Family Search and Ancestry; I've found the most information on those sites.

I love searching, digging, seeing what I can find on different family members.  I'm hoping to put together a record for Denise.

My Mother's Story

Mother's Day 2020

I've been thinking about my Mom a lot the last few days.  So I thought I would share her story, as much as I know.

Bernice Kealoha Hulihe'e Chung-Hoon was born on August 8, 1914 and died on April 20, 2002.  She was the first born of David Hinae Hulihe'e and Evangeline Camara Hulihe'e.  Her siblings: Edwin Hulihe'e, Elizabeth Mokihana Hulihe'e Buinac, Agnes Hulihe'e Wilson, Bernard Hulihe'e and Ralph Hulihe'e, all of whom are deceased.

She was born in Eleele, Kaua'i and raised in Hanapepe, Kaua'i.  Her father worked for one of the sugar mill plantations and her mother was a domestic and seamstress.  She moved to Oahu to finish her high school education and graduated from either McKinley High School or Farrington High School in Honolulu.  She was an accomplished seamstress.  She would tell stories of being 10 years old, taking a part the clothing of her siblings and then putting them back together, teaching herself to sew.

She met Ernest Chung-Hoon sometime in the late 30's.  She was mother to 6 children, Edwin Ernest (1938), Puanani Rowena (1939), Violet-Elizabeth (1942), Ernestine Kealoha (1943), Agnes Naomi Piilani (1948) and Samuel (1950).  There are grandchildren and great grandchildren.

In January 1949 she started attending the Kaimuki Church of the Nazarene in Honolulu, HI along with her husband and children.  Pastor Reuben Welch led her to the Lord soon after.  She loved the Lord and it was evident in her life.  She became very involved in the ministries of the local church and served as Missionary President and Sunday School teacher of the Adult Sunday School class for many years.  She was very well known and loved on the Hawai'i Nazarene District.

When I think about my Mom and the legacy she left, it is about the beautiful creations she made using her faithful Viking sewing machine and her love for the Lord.  She read her Bible faithfully and could readily quote scripture.  She loved her family unconditionally and spent much time in prayer for all of them.  Her heart ached for some and for the lifestyles they chose, yet she continued to love them.

We spoke often on the phone and had some wonderful conversations.  I still especially miss the birthday phone calls.  She always called me on the day before my birthday.  I would say "Mom, my birthday isn't until tomorrow".  She would say "oh, what do I know...it was too dark".  I was born 7 months after Pearl Harbor and it was black out time.  I was born at a midwife's home in Kalihi and she would tell me that there was a single light bulb hanging from the ceiling with a black cover around it and the windows were covered in black.  I was born right after midnight.

When I called our first pastor, Reuben Welch, to tell him Mom had passed away, he told me she was like a sponge soaking everything in about the Lord and he was certain she was sitting at the feet of Jesus getting answers to all her many questions.  I'd like to think that is true.

Mother's Day is difficult for me yet I am so thankful for the Mother I had.  Life was not easy for her yet she did the best she could to make sure her children were fed and their basic needs were taken care of.  At times, our relationship was difficult and we actually went for several years of not speaking.  Yet in her last years, I knew for certain that she loved me, prayed for me and wanted me to be happy...most of all she wanted me to continue to serve the Lord, which I do.

And so tomorrow, Mother's Day 2020, I will once honor the woman who gave me life and in my heart thank her for everything she gave me, taught me and most of all, loved me.  Happy Mother's Day, Mom...I love you so very much and looking forward to seeing you again.