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.