Kahuna says

When my Gramma was younger she had a skin condition that was horrible. She was basically one big sore all the time. She remembers that in the mornings they would have to peel away her sheets and she would scream and the sheet would take part of her flesh. They had tried numerous solutions but it would not go away. During this time another child was born, they named him Gabriel. He was born with a hair lip or something like that. At wits end from the horrors that plagued their children they went to see a Kahuna. He told them, "One must die so the other may live." Shortly after that Gabriel passed away and Gramma's skin condition cleared up. My Gramma had the softest skin around but when you looked at it you could see what looked like scale marks on her. When you went to touch her you felt nothing but smooth soft skin.

My Gramma was convinced probably till the very end that this incident is what caused her father to hate her. She always believed that he didn't like her. If fact when she told another story that involves her and my grandfather taking him to court. She said that in court he stated that he hated her. "Go look. It is in the court records that he said that to me." She would say all the time.

Selfish as it is to say, I'm glad she lived.

Charlotte's Web

I don't remember how old I was or what grade I was in but I remember the event. In school Charlotte's web was being read to us and this day we got to the end. This book was so sad for me. I couldn't understand why Charlotte died. But I went home and it was business as usual.

When it was time for bed I went in and started preparing my bed. It was set up in one corner and my gramma shared my room, her bed was not far from mine. In the top corner of my bed I saw a spider on the wall and swatted at it and killed it. Then it hit me! I killed Charlotte!! I was devastated and could not be calmed. I killed Charlotte and I was bad for doing it. I felt awful, I kept saying "I'm sorry I killed Charlotte!" My mom thought I was absolutely nuts and was getting a little peeved that I wasn't settling down.

Finally my Gramma grabbed me and she got me to calm down finally and put me in her bed and I fell asleep there to her soothing singing. Even though my Gramma called me silly  at first she still came to my aid with love and understanding and I was always comforted by that.

Coming to the rescue

My Gramma lived with us in the Halawa house and I guess before then. I don't really know that. But I remember her at that house. In fact that's where my memories start. So we will begin there.

My mother I think suffered from baby blues and was very unstable. Others may not have seen it but she suffered greatly and unfortunately we suffered with her. My Gramma was our hero on many occasions. This story I don't remember but Gramma told it to me a few times.

I was 3 or 4 and what I did Gramma couldn't remember but what she did remember was she heard my crying then stop. She came to see what was going on and when she walked into the room my mom was choking me and I had passed out and was purple. My Gramma grabbed my Mom and took me away from her. Thankfully I don't remember but that story haunts me still.

My Gramma was our hero. When my Mom started ranting we all ran to Gramma. I remember Gregg was getting lickins from my Mom and he ran to Gramma who was trying her best to keep out of it. My mom flew into a rage and grabbed him and yelled, "Don't you run to her." and started spanking him more. My Gramma went flying towards my mom and grabbed her by the throat and backed her into a wall telling my mom, "Don't you dare hit these kids because of me." My mom got free and ran into her room crying. I wasn't mad at my Gramma but I did feel sorry for my mom. I followed her into her room and she laid on the bed crying. I went to her and she told me to go away, but I stayed. She cried and told me that nobody loved her. I cried and told her I did.

Even though it was always a battle I never saw my Gramma as anything but a Saviour and our Hero. She stood up for us always no matter what the cost. She lived with us so my parents didn't have to worry about a babysitter. She gave up her life to stay and protect ours. Different times back then, usually no one interferes with the raising of children. My Gramma tried to do that but found herself at odds with my parents all the time. It got so bad at one time that she finally had to leave. I believe that was my dads doing. We were losing our champion and it was the worst time in our lives.

Happy Birthday Gramma!

Today would've been 105. You've been gone 10 years and each day that goes by there is something that always reminds me of you. For most of my life you've been my rock, my hero, my inspiration. I miss you so very much. I hope in writing your stories I help to keep you alive in the hearts and memories of family and friends. Some may not want to hear your stories but if they will only listen then they can come to terms with who you were and the strength that kept you going. 


I miss you Gramma and love you always. This day and every day I honor and remember you.

Matron duties-elevator ride

At the station and my gramma is dealing with a problem prostitute who is getting physical and dangerous. She caught my gramma a couple of times and holding back her anger my gramma remained somewhat calm. When it was time to take this woman to her cell they had to escort her by way of elevator. My gramma along with a male officer enter the elevator with their prisoner. When the gates close the male officer looks straight at the door while my gramma commences in kicking some ass. When the doors are getting ready to open the officer stops my gramma and they proceed as usual.

I'm not saying I'm proud of my gramma for what she did. I can try and candy coat by saying those were different times but I'm not. It happened and that's just the way it is. I will say this though. Don't mess with my gramma cause she will kick your ass!

Matron duties-toilet paper

I remember a stories my gramma would tell about being a matron. She told them many times and it was funny every time. She really enjoyed telling them and would recount to anyone who would listen.

Back in the forties police officers were not allowed to handle females so they would call in the matrons. They weren't considered police they were just called when a female officer was needed. Well needless to say my gramma worked with a lot of prostitutes and her stories are mostly about them.

One day the police was having a time with a prostitute and they called my gramma for help. This prostitute was on a bed and would not get up for the officers. She laid there kicking and screaming calling them all kinds of names. My gramma shows up and tries to get this woman off the bed. All the while this woman is screaming racial slurs at her, telling her not to put her nasty black hands on her etc.. My gramma, after awhile of listening to all this talk gets tired of this woman's tantrum. She looks at the woman in the eyes and says, "My skin may be brown but I still wipe my ass with white toilet paper." This stuns the woman and my gramma is able to get her off the bed and on to jail.

Slapped

Victoria and Sylvester Apiki lived very close to his mother at one point in their marriage. One day they were having an argument as usual about his mother. She got so mad at him that she finally said, "Talk to my a** my face is busy.".                This was about 1930's and that was the first and last time she was ever struck by either of her husbands.

What's for dinner? and Why do you say that?

When my gramma (Victoria Voyles), and her first husband (Sylvester Apiki) would go riding it would amaze her sometimes when for no reason she could see, Sylvester would stop the car suddenly and jump out to grab his fishing net. She's looking at the ocean and can't see anything. Where are you going? He'd reply, "There's a huge school of (name of fish)" She would look but still not see anything. He would try to point it out but she very rarely say them. But she had learned to sit and wait till his return. She always knew that whatever he came up with was what they were having for supper that night and for her that was okay. She never knew how he did it but she was always grateful for it.

Sylvester loved his fishing and would go out all the time. But as a fisherman he was very superstitious as well. If he was heading out the door and my gramma would yell good luck he would start cussing and turn around. He would not go out anymore that day. I wonder if my gramma said good luck sometimes just to piss him off? That wouldn't surprise me seeing the glimmer in her eyes when she told that story sometimes.

Victoria Kane Apiki Voyles

-Victoria Voyles-
1905 - 2000
Victoria Kalunaino Kane Apiki Voyles
Born September 30, 19O5 to Miriam Cecelia Kelekoma of Honolulu and Michael Apau Kane of Lahaina. As a baby, Victoria was hanaied to friends, and then returned to her birth parents a short time later. The hanai parents had previously lost a child and were afraid they would bring her bad luck. She was then raised in the Kane family with 5 brothers and 5 sisters, although 2 siblings died in infancy. Victoria's mother, Miriam, died when Vickie was 13 years old. Her father, Michael then married Dorothy Kanana Coelho. When he again was widowed, he married Emma Yim. Victoria was fond of both of her Step-mothers.

Victoria attended Kamehameha Schools as did many of her brothers and sisters. She was one of the 18 girls in the first graduating class of the Kamehameha Girls School in 1925. In the yearbook, she was described as an active member of the Glee Club and the Christian Endeavor Society, as well as Treasurer and Sunday School Teacher. An article in Ka Moi explored several "crystal ball" predictions for members of the graduating class:

"I see a concert singer who is touring the United States with her selected orchestra. Miss Victoria Kane is the talented prima donna, I see. She is planning to return to the Islands next month, as she plans to make herself a permanent home on the Island of Lanal"

It was while attending Kamehameha Schools that Victoria met her future husband, Sylvester Kawelo Apiki of Lanai. He was the great great grandson of Walter Murray Gibson. (via Henry Gibson and Elina Kauiwahine and their issue, Mariah who married Jacob Kauhane Apiki.)

In chats with Vickie, she mentioned that she and husband, Sylvester discovered that they were distantly related, though she was unsure of the exact genealogy. Apparently, the Kanes — through mother, Miriam — were also related to the Gibsons via their mother Miriam's Auntie Rose Gibson. Like Sylvester's grandmother, Mariah—Rose was one of "The Gibson Girls of Lanai", as Henry Gibson's 5 hapa-haole daughters were known. Vickie remembered going with her mother to visit "Auntie Rose" and while there, meeting other Gibson cousins.

Victoria and Sylvester Kawelo Apiki were married on July 10th 1926. Together they raised 4 children, Sylvester Jr., Donald, Walter and Sylvia. Sylvester worked for the Gas Company and they lived in the GasCo housing at Iwilei. In 1941, Vickie was suddenly widowed, when her husband, Sylvester suffered a fatal heart attack at age 35. It was then that Vickie became a police matron to support her 4 children.

Years later, during the War, Vickie met Clarence Orlando Voyles.
They married in Nov of '43. Clarence became a father to her children and also brought his son, Robert, to be part of the family. A daughter, Beverly Puaena, was born several years later. Clarence in his effort to be supportive — struggled to learn mah-jong and joined Vickie and her friends in their weekly sessions. She traveled with him to his home in Kansas. And they had a good and compatible marriage. Yet again, tragedy struck. Beverly was barely 10 years old when her father. Clarence died.

Despite the many difficulties and losses, Victoria had a great exuberance for life. She loved being with friends at a Hawaiian party. And would gravitate to the music where her voice rang out as she strummed her ukulele "the old way." Then performed her naughty hula to the delight of everyone.

We also loved watching her eat fish and sip Primo or Miller's. She appeared so proper and elegant picking at the fish with her long manicured nails, her bracelets dancing as she deftly cleaned every delicious morsel from the bones.
Vickie's other joys were early morning coffee with fish and cracker (or leftovers) — enjoyed along and the morning newspaper. One of the few complaints she made through the years had to do with her newspaper "arriving too late." She wanted it by 5:30 am.

After breakfast and before heading for Chinatown each morning, she would clean her little apartment — she liked things neat and in order when she returned later that day. Then it was the short walk to Beretania and the bus to Kekaulike Street or Maunakea and up those steep steps to her Ma-jong game. It was there to her Chinese friends that she was known as "Kanapo" -- which means "Hawaiian." As Vickie was about the only non-Chinese in her mah-jong group.

She also loved Vegas and we relished hearing the stories she would tell upon her return. Mama was able to find humor in everyday life and kept us laughing with her light hearted observations. (Her stories about hunting for toilet paper during a shipping strike had us all rolling) When she got a laugh out of us — she would immediately tell the same identical story a second or third time. And we would laugh just as hard after the replay.

There was much to admire about this bright Hawaiian-Chinese lady. She liked her independence and took good care of herself. Managed her own finances and asked for little. Never complained. She also had an amazing mind and memory and kept abreast of the news. And kept alert by working the daily crossword puzzle.

Ma, Mama, Grandma. Victoria, Vickie, Kanapo.
She was Loved by her family andjriends
and has been greatly missed since her stroke 6 years ago.

Victoria crossed over January 27, 2000


This was from the program from her funeral.

A bit of info regarding stories

I just wanted to give you a heads up on the stories that will appear here. They won't be in order of the lifespan. I will tell each story as I finish remembering them. So you will have to figure out the timeline. Mostly because the stories told to me I don't have the exact time for when the event occurred. And some stories are bugging me to be told and I will do those first. Maybe later I will find someway to order them but for now I just need to get them out. Thanks for the understanding.

Who am I?

My name is Gerri and I will be the story teller. All stories that are not mine will be told as I heard them and my stories from my perspective. If you have anything to add please feel free to do so. I have been holding off telling my stories because I know that some people will be offended and I really didn't want that. However, these stories tell about lives that have been lived and how they were lived. So if it offends I am sorry but that's how it was. It would be a crime for me to make nice and not tell these stories. So as I unfold the life stories as they were told to me or what I have experienced and I offend stop reading and move on. This is how life happened according to these lives.

As the days and weeks pass I will try to write the stories of family members and their lives as it was told to me or from what I have witnessed. I hope you enjoy these stories and if you are a family member and can add to these stories please feel free to contact me.

My stories may upset a few people but to that I say, “This is the story and it happened and that’s all I have to say.” Most of my stories will come from only 1 perspective. Sorry about that but that would be the only perspective I have. If you want to add anything to my stories feel free. 

After my mom died I realized that there may have been events in the past that I am unaware of that caused life to happen as it did. Skeletons in closets I have never been in. I get that. I can only tell you the stories of who those skeletons affected and how. I lived with a lot of anger towards my family’s family and as I got older I saw how much of the picture I may have not gotten. For that I will always regret. 

But that’s how life rolls and we have to push on with the information we have and doing the best we can. So for the ancestors of yesterday I honor you, love you, and remember you. For the living family members, I honor you, love you, and wish you all well. For the generations that follow, I honor you, love you, ask that you remember and honor those that have gone before you. Oh maybe a little forgiveness too.

So until next time, peace to all my relations past, present and future.