Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 30, Number 4, 1 April 2013 — Memories of Pauline Leinaʻala Pezel [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Memories of Pauline Leinaʻala Pezel

Trustee 's note: This month 's eolumn is eontributed by Donna Willard, who shares memori.es ofhermom, Pauline. Our mom loved her family more than anything in the world. Her family eonsisted of her husband, her ehildren, her grandparents, her parents, her brothers and sisters and her grandchildren.

Pauline had a genuine smile; even in her most painful moments she would smile because she knew you needed that. She gave willingly and freely anything to everyone. She always saw the good in people, even in those who didn't see it in themselves. She was always willing and wanting to learn new things and experiences. Pauline Leina'ala Bush was born in Hoolehua, the first child to Samuel Keliinohopono Bush and Eugenia Kahooilina Dudoit. Her parents moved to O'ahu very early in her life. But she stayed on Moloka'i with her grandparents until she was 8 then she joined her parents and siblings on O'ahu. She graduated from Saint Andrew's Priory, where she was on the swim and tennis teams. Mom being the eldest helped out with the younger children, whieh she didn't mind. My aunts and uncles eommented how mom was always there for them and made everything alright. When Mom married my dad, they moved to North Carolina. Though she was far from Hawai'i and it was different from home, she never complained. She chopped wood, grew tobacco and potato, learned to talk with a drawl and endured the prejudices. When Mom was hāpai with David, she decided she had had enough of that life. With her mind made up, she got on a plane with four babies and eame home. We lived in Kailua with Grandpa

Peter and Grandma Lily, and Mom worked in the family business, Oneawa Taxi. It wasn't an easy job but she did it with a smile. The taxi stand was located next door to Steffy's garage. There she met the true love of her life, my dad Niek. It was like they were waiting for eaeh other, and Mom eame to life. Our families blended and they decided to have two more babies. Growing up, we went to the racetrack to cheer Dad

on and then the motocross tracks when race-car season ended. Mom was never afraid to try what Dad was doing; she had her own dirt bike and went anywhere he went. From Kailua we moved to Ka'a'awa, then Punalu'u and then we finally eame home to Moloka'i. Our parents opened up their own business and Mom worked right by Dad's side never complaining about the grease on herhands or anything else. Mom worked for Pauline and Skip Casternera at the Wavecrest Store; she loved them for being good to her and her family. After that she helped Colette at the Neighborhood store, where she loved working. It made her happy because she was making all these foods and feeding people. Through our rough times it was Mom who never gave up and kept us going. It's what families do. When the going gets rough, you all get tough and carry eaeh other through. There might be some screaming and yelling along the way, but you get through. She had a fierce love of God and right up to her last moment her faith never faltered. Mom knew she was just passing through this earthly life and she tried to make the best of it by being her. She and Dad had a saying, it's from a Neil Diamond song, "You gonna make it through, Gitchy Goomy." We don't know who Gitchy Goomy is, but we will get through because we are hers. ■

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