Sue Johnson
Sue Johnson is family to Keawalaʻi Congregational Church through the Cockett ʻohana. Her father Christopher Cockett was born on July 29, 1895. He died on July 21, 1987. Her mother, Mary Cockett, was born on January 21, 1908 and died on November 17, 1988. What follows is her memory of the story of one of two brass whale oil lamps that remain from several lamps that once hung from the church ceiling.
The following story is what I remember about the history of the brass whale oil lamps which King George gave to King Kalākaua and that King Kālakaua gave to the church.
Sometime about what I think was 1975, my folks were at the church cleaning it up, and they found some remnants of old brass lamps “under the church,” according to my mom. They apparently found several lamp bases, in varying degrees of disrepair, and several shattered glass shades, along with two unbroken shades. They brought them home.
As there was only one bright pink glass shade and one aqua blue glass shade, they decided to restore only two lamps. I remember my dad enjoying working on them, kind of reshaping then putting them together, polishing them.
When the lamps were restored, my folks did not know what to do with them. At that time Keawalaʻi had no regular minister, only short-term ministers who were often semi-retired and who would come for 90 days and then leave. My folks were aware that the lamps were valuable and they didn’t just want to leave them at the church. I can remember her walking up the road every Sunday, carrying them to church, and placing them on either side of the altar.
My dad died in 1987 and when my mom died in 1988, I did not know what to do with the lamps as I was living on the “mainland” full-time and I wanted them to remain in Mākena. As the church still had no regular minister, I decided to give them to Auntie Caroline DeLima since she lived close to Keawalaʻi and since I knew that she, too, would take good care of them.
That’s my story. I know my mom is happy knowing that at least one of the lamps has been returned to the church.