AP: Aging cemetery provides Native Hawaiian genealogical details

[Omaha Steve]

A toppled grave marker for leans against the base it was once mounted on in Pauoa Hawaiian Cemetery in Honolulu, Hawaii on Thursday, June 11, 2015. There’s an effort underway to preserve and repair grave markers at aging cemeteries like this one. (AP Photo/Jennifer Sinco Kelleher)

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/16e15fb034ce4eaaabe0711509bf3332/aging-cemetery-provides-native-hawaiian-genealogical

By JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER
Jun. 11, 2015 8:21 PM EDT

HONOLULU (AP) — Sarah Kailikele was 84 years old when she died on Aug. 14, 1909, according to the inscription on her toppled tombstone, which was leaning on the base it was once mounted on.

University of Hawaii students learning how to preserve cemeteries Wednesday and Thursday were able to glean that she's likely the oldest person buried at Pauoa Hawaiian Cemetery, a small, mostly neglected collection of graves in one of Honolulu's older neighborhoods.

"She lived under seven ruling monarchs," said Nanette Napoleon, a freelance historical researcher whose work focuses on cemeteries. "That's incredible." At the time, a person in Hawaii typically would live to be about 60, she said.

Cemeteries can provide a wealth of information for people tracing their Native Hawaiian genealogy, Napoleon said. But little or no burial records were kept at many of these mid- to late 19th century cemeteries, Napoleon said. The vast majority of Hawaii's 300 cemeteries are like Pauoa's, where a chapel once stood near where a monkeypod tree now looms tall and wide.

FULL story at link.

[enlightenment]

1. Interesting.

I wonder if they have used "findagrave.com" - a volunteer by the name of "Sunny" has recorded and photographed 59 graves in this cemetery - along with many others in the area. The grave markers still need preservation, but a lot of the leg-work has already been done. http://findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gsr&GScid=2486624

On another, completely unrelated note, I have to say that I would pay money for the chance to teach reporters the difference between "little" and "few" . . . that sort of thing drives me right up the wall.