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Waialeale 'Ohana
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2011: Really?

Oh my. Has it really been over two years since I've updated here? My sincerest apologies! Let's get right to it:

PA FAMILY: I've discovered yet another completely unrelated line of Pa-s on Kaua'i. This 'ohana can trace their ku'auhau to the Big Island.

TANIGAWA FAMILY: Y. Charles Tanigawa recently celebrated his 96th birthday!

UYEHARA FAMILY: I've posted some very old pictures online in a secure area. If you have not yet received an invitation to view it, please email me. And if any of you are going to the taikai in Okinawa this year, don't forget to take a lot of pictures!

Mukashi, Mukashi

Mukashi, mukashi ~ a long, long time ago...

Christmas 2008 has now passed, and even though I don't make promises I know I won't be able to keep, I find myself loathing the inevitable New Years resolution time nevertheless. I feel that I should commit myself especially to getting more work done on our genealogy website, but on most days, there just isn't enough energy in reserve. So let's just say that I'll try my best to add more to the site in 2009.

Inspite of my dormancy, the website yielded contact by a number of distant relatives who, I'm very excited to report, are the most interesting, enthusiastic, and genial people! Tony Archuleta, Alton Auvil, Jon Auvil, Kenneth Auvil, Michael Auvil, Tracey Auville-Park, The Cafferty and Hurley families, Larry Franquez, Kelly LaPierre, Alan Porter, Stevanna Pratt, Steve Riggan, Kula Schumacher, Frances Seltz, Shirley Suchdolski, Elaine Weger, and anyone else I may have forgotten, to each of you, thank you so much for sharing with us!

While short on promises, I am nevertheless very hopeful for the new year even though there are so many who are having such a difficult time right now. So here's hoping that we continue to prosper and thrive in the knowing that there is comfort in finding family.

Hau'oli Makahiki e Ku'u Ohana,
Jolene

Official Word: No Domain Names

Sorry Gang, I just checked through the Rootsweb help pages and discovered that the use of domain names is not allowed. Because Rootsweb is a very generous FREE host, especially in terms of unlimited space, I'm not going to get bent out of shape about it. We'll just have to put up with the extremely long and cumbersome URLs.

Family Branches Section Taking Shape

Each family now has its own section on the Forest For The Trees website! Finally, there's a sense of organization as each family has its own unique gateway. Enter through the Front Gate, or go directly to a family's opening page:

The Auvil Family

The Chong - Ahnee Family

The Davis - Harter Family

The Pa - Ilalaole Family

The Skonieczny Family

The Tanigawa Family

The Uyehara Family

While these sections are not yet completed, you can keep checking back at a specific page containing the stuff that captures your interest.

And yes, I am contemplating a domain name. These long URLs are getting to me too...

Mahalo nui and thanks for your continued patience!

Chong - Ahnee Family Pages Available

I am very happy to let you know that the Chong - Ahnee section of the website is ready for viewing! It's not quite done, but I have a feeling that all of these Branch sections won't be fully complete for a very long time... In the meantime, take a look at The Chong - Ahnee Family branch here.

Included are documents sent to me by the very nice people at the National Archives in San Bruno, CA back in 2004. Among many things, this precious packet contained passport pictures of my grandmother, Gladys (Chong) Tanigawa, at age 3, and a picture of her younger brother who died soon after the photo was taken. It also revealed the birth of another brother while the family was in China. The child, Soon Yen Chong, was left in China in the care of the mother of my great-grandfather, Fook Yee Chong.

Hurley Family Reunion

Aloha, Pa family 'Ohana! You are all invited to attend the Hurley Family Reunion on March 15, 2008! Please email me at dearpat@hawaii.rr.com for details. Our grandfather, Pitt Hurley Sr., was married to Pa decendent Miriam Keaupuni of Kaua'i. We would love to meet you, so please come!

Pat Kamalani Hurley

Auvil Website Revived!

Hello Family,

My name is Jolene Auvil, and I am the wife of Todd Auvil, a descendant of Johannes Abel as are all of you. When we first began our genealogical search, we were ecstatic to have found Catherine Auvil's website at Auvil.com. As a lot of you might remember, her site was a treasure trove of the research of many, many Auvil genealogists, compiled and posted by a tireless and dedicated Catherine. Around 2004 however, the site disappeared from the Internet.

For years now, I've been working on a website to house the information we've gathered on both of our families, and I began to realize that so much of our research was based on that of others who contributed to Catherine's website. In October of last year, I contacted Catherine and asked her permission to re-publish the information on her former website, incorporating it into mine. She very graciously allowed me to do this, and finally, that task has been completed.

Please come by and wander through the site:

FOREST FOR THE TREES
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~forestforthetrees/branch/auvil/auvilindex.htm

We apologize for the length of the web address.

Whether you have comments, suggestion, corrections, etc., we'd love to hear from you. You may write to us directly, but we encourage you to use the blog:

http://forestforthetreesblog.blogspot.com/

We feel that this might be yet another place for Auvils everywhere to connect directly, eliminating the middleman.

Our special thanks to all the Auvil genealogists who generously submitted tomes to the original Auvil website. And our deepest gratitude to Catherine who, for many years, was the glue that held the Auvil generations together.

Mahalo Nui & In Thanks,
Todd and Jolene Auvil
Honolulu, HI

Happy Chinese New Year!

It's the 2008 Year of the Rat! I'm hoping that things will improve for those who had a difficult time in last year's Year of the Boar. So many people I know struggled through challenges, monumental tasks, and horrendous events. This, from a year in which we were supposed to be careful not to become too lazy...

And for all my Catholic friends and family, I hope you gave up something you LIKE for Lent. It's not really a sacrifice if you give up your homework or cleaning the house until Easter. Not being Catholic but having gone to Catholic school, FYI: I gave up my dark chocolate. I could swear I'm dying. In being vigilant enough to remember the reason I gave up my favorite treat in the first place, I'm finding that I forgot to also give up whining about it.

In any case, we are coming up on a time of renewal in many traditions, and there is always great hope in new beginnings. For today though, Kung Hee Fat Choy to everyone!

Auvil.com Documents Section Completed

The Documents and History section from the old Auvil.com website is now complete. To view all of these wonderful pages and pages of information, start here.

Happy New Year 2008!

Hello Family and Friends,

Happy New Year to you all!

I stopped making new years' resolutions many years ago because I got tired of disappointing myself. So while I'd LOVE to tell you that this is the year I'm going to finish the website, well, we'll see...

The Family Website section of the old Auvil.com site is now ready for viewing. The greatest challenge of getting these pages up is the sheer number of links contained within them, many of which don't work anymore. I've been trying to do some research on where these websites went, and it's been a little frustrating to tell you the truth. But hey, what genealogist doesn't like to play the sleuth?

With each little step, we get closer to the finish line. There should be a Year of the Turtle seeing as being born in the Year of the Rabbit isn't translating into speed...

Hope you all had a wonderful time during your holiday celebrations! Here's to a productive 2008.

Former Auvil.com Site Additions

We're making some progress! With her permission, I've finally begun to integrate the information that was packed into Catherine Auvil's former Auvil Family website into ours. What a daunting task. I hope we're doing it justice.

The Obituary & Tribute section of the old site is now up as are the Auvils In The News and Family Mysteries sections. View what we have so far at The Auvil Family Branch of our site.

I'm not certain how much more I can do before Christmas and the New Year. But in case I don't have time to get back here, let me wish you all a very fulfilling Christmas and a happily hopeful New Year 2008!

~Jolene

Documents Section & Book Searches

Added to the website: A Documents section that can be accessed through the main menu. This new area contains image files of some of our ancestors' vital records, legal records, histories, notes, etc.

Also, on the homepage, you might notice a posterized picture of Todd and me that might require some explanation. The photo is graphically manipulated for several reasons, the least of which is because we're shy. Suffice to say that we take pictures once in a blue moon. There very simply is rarely a reason to, so this photo is one of our more recent. Unfortunately, the lighting was poor and the picture quality, pretty gnarly. This is our attempt at some honesty though, seeing as the set of pictures taken before that had us gasping in awe of how young we looked.

Finally, I wanted to make mention of a very enjoyable conversation I had this afternoon with Bill of Mountain Heritage Books in St. Marys, West Virginia. Turns out we are great admirers of each others states, especially if we're talkin' college football. Our guys did really well this season (Go Mountaineers! Go Warriors!).

I called Bill after receiving a very speedy reply email to my book inquiry. I then decided to purchase a tome from his literal treasure trove of hard-to-find, rare, and out-of-print books most of which are very pertinent to genealogists researching West Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic states. If you have not done so already, I highly recommend that you click on the link above and look through his inventory of general subject, county and family histories, and Civil War books.

Website Update

Now on the website are updated LEAVES pages for:
Johannes Abel
John Peter Auvil
Lewis Kline Auville
John Friel Armstrong
John Nestor

Documents added from the old Auvil.com website and old links updates as well:
Notes on Heinrich Croneis
Revolutionary Service of Johann Abel
Last Will and Testament of Daniel Auvel
Daniel Oval, Bill of Sale

No new pictures have been added to the Gallery yet, but its index is now more comprehensive and easier to navigate.

On The Auvil Front

Once again, I ask for your patience. There are several new and developing situations that require me to rethink the flow of our family website, one of which is my recent acquiring of Catherine dee Auvil's former Auvil website. Catherine and other Auvil genealogists poured their hearts into that project and shared so freely the fruits of their extensive research with people who were just beginning their searches ~ people like me. Not only would it be a shame to let this stuff just sit on my desk, but it feels like it would be a travesty if I didn't share it in the same spirit in which it was created.

Meanwhile, I've been in contact with family members of Auvil branches from which we have never heard before. These genealogists have also done an amazing amount of work. The Auvils are truly a tireless bunch!

Still Standing Still

From time to time, the guilt of not having accomplished much or anything on the genealogy front really gets to me. This is one of those times, and with so many other long-term projects in the works, I know there will be more. I used to think it was just me experiencing an extremely frenzied pace, but after talking to many people, I found that I am not alone. Not even close.

So continue to count your blessings however small, and hang in there, everyone!

Surname Index Completed

Well, whaddya know... I finally finished the surname index. You can now browse for names of individuals indexed by surname. However, it's going to be a long haul in getting up all of these individuals' details. So by all means, should you see someone in the index that you think might be a match in your genealogy for whom we haven't yet detailed, please email us.

To date, these are the individuals who do have detailed pages:

ABBOTT, Basil E. ABEL, Daniel ABEL, Elizabeth ABEL, Johannes ABEL, Johannes AH-NEE, Eddie AH-NEE, Fun-Kum-Liu AH-NEE, Lillian AH-NEE, Lily AH-NEE, Mary AH-NEE, Rose AH-NEE, William AKAU, Charles A. AUVIL, Della AUVIL, Donald Roy AUVIL, Ida M. AUVIL, John Peter AUVIL, John W. AUVIL, Llewellyn AUVIL, Myrtle AUVILLE, Mary Polly AUVILLE, Sarah Catherine CHONG, Edward Yau-Kwong CHONG, Fook-Yee CHONG, Gladys Yuk-Ung CHONG, Soon-Yen COX, Alice COX, Clarice COX, Elizabeth [Betsy] COX, Georg COX, Heinrich COX, William Henry EMO-PUU, Mary Nanamalia Leikukui HARSH, Amelia HARSH, Samuel F. HARSH, Sarah A. HARSH, Stingley B. HARSH, Waitman T. HARSH, William H. HOCHWAERTER, Anna HOCHWAERTER, Anna Catherina HOCHWAERTER, Anna Margareth HOCHWAERTER, Anna Maria HOCHWAERTER, Christopher HOCHWAERTER, Jacob HOCHWAERTER, Johann Michael HOCHWAERTER, Maria Magdalena HOCHWAERTER, Michael HOHWERDER, Valentin HUTTENMEYER, Anna Christina ILALAOLE, Joseph Kamehameha ILALAOLE, Mele Liilii KAIU, Isaac Simeon KAIU, Jennie K. KAIU, Simeon KAPULE, H.M. Queen Kekaihaakulou Deborah LIU, George or Charles LIU, Alexander LIU, Edward LIU, Jarrett LIU, Kemalu LIU, Pearl LIU, Raymond Sr. LIU, [Unknown] LIU, Victoria LIU, Violet LIU, William NESTOR, Arminda NESTOR, Catherine NESTOR, George Washington NESTOR, Jonas NESTOR, Lettice Ann NESTOR, Louisa NESTOR, Margaret NESTOR, Mary NESTOR, Mary NESTOR, Mary Elizabeth NESTOR, Nancy NESTOR, Poling B. NESTOR, Sarah Ann NESTOR, Sarah E. NESTOR, Tobitha PA PA, Kahalewai PA, Kaleo PA, Kalikokepalaihapai PA, Kamikana PA, Kekuawaiolohia PA, Koa PA, Mele Malamalama PIDGEON, Maria Catherine POLING, Amelia POLING, Lettice Ann POLING, Martin C. REED, Debora E. SOARES, Antone SOARES, John Jr. SOARES, John Sr. SOARES, Lillian SOARES, Mary TANIGAWA, Yoshiharu Charles WAHINEKOOLAU WAIALEALE, George Jr. WAIALEALE, George Makaikaipo WAIALEALE, Kealoha WAIALEALE, Mary Kapahu

I'll be giving you updates here as more of these individual pages and pictures in the Gallery become available for viewing.

Calling All Uyehara Families From Yonabaru Chu

Haisai!

I recently received an email from someone researching the Uyehara family of Yonabaru, Okinawa. Looking over my records, I was reminded of why this task is very daunting. My family tree is filled with unrelated Uyeharas and Ueharas. Family members tend to be healthy and very long-lived, which makes a great case for their separate lineages.

Apparently, Uyeharas (or Uehara) in Okinawa are more common than are Smiths in the U.S. If there are any Uyehara families out there, from Yonabaru-chu, we'd be so grateful if you'd chime in here and give us a synopsis of your family history and lineage.

In the meantime, nissei+ Uchinanchu might be interested in rediscovering their rich culture through various avenues. Visit the website of the Hawaii United Okinawa Association, or if you live outside of Hawaii, browse through the Overseas Network of Okinawan associations ~ join one if it's near enough. Listen to the sweet voice and sanshin of Rimi Natsukawa in beautiful songs like Nada Sousou (which inspired Hawaiian artist, Keali'i Reichel, to compose Ka Nohona Pili Kai). Okinawan pop or O-pop incorporates traditional instruments of the culture, which makes for a very unique sound.

And perhaps plan to visit Okinawa in 2011 to participate in the next Uchinanchu Taikai. Every five years, Okinawans from all over the world travel to Mashiki, Ginowan City and are welcomed so warmly, they feel as though they have come home. Lately, their official website did away with the English translations of the 2006 Taikai experience, but you can find reports of this 4-day event all over the internet ~ like here.

It's so interesting to learn about the world's ethnic customs, lifestyles, and languages! If nothing else, genealogy gives us an opportunity to appreciate multiculturalism ~ a policy of respect for other cultures. I've learned quite a bit of geography too in the process. So maybe every once in a while (as opportunities arise), I'll share what I've learned right here.

Stay tuned ~ Mataa Mensore!

Forest For The Trees New Genealogy Blog

Hi Everyone,

I've decided to try out an off-site source for the Forest For The Trees news, announcements, and updates to the site. This way, you can add your comments here as well. I'm not certain how much easier this will be for me or for you, but I guess we're going to find out together. Contact me with your insights and suggestions.

View previous posts and archives at FFTT's on-site blog.

Besides setting up this blog, I intend to finish the surname index soon. After that, I'll try to add more pictures to the gallery (Todd's request). We have more pictures than we thought and more on the way, so this too should be a doozie of a project.

Hang in there with me, gang...

~Jolene