KOHALA — The Kahua Ranch Ohana Reunion took place last weekend with family gathering from near and far, returning to their roots to celebrate a heritage born from rolling hills and cloud forest. Sitting on “the deck,” a large open lanai and party venue, Maui floated on the horizon, bolstered by tree-topped puu.
The ranch began in 1928 when Atherton Richards and Ronald von Holt purchased 25,000 acres of land stretching from Kohala Mountain to Kawaihae that grew into a small, self-sustaining village, including a church.
“Kawaihae i Uka used to be a settlement. There were about three little houses there and a church. It was part of the Congregational Church system in Hawaii and they would have a service every once in a while. We got permission from them to move the church to the Kahua headquarters. That church was lifted up on stilts and onto our brand new cattle truck. I remember riding with Jim Lincoln coming down the hill above Puuhonu there, looking back at the church. I was christened in that church,” shared Pono von Holt, owner of sister ranch, Ponoholo.
Kahua, which means foundation, has the mana of King Kamehameha I’s warriors, striving to train and do their best for their chief. This is what the many families of Kahua Ranch have done over the years.
“We have an ohana branding two times a year. At one of those ohana brandings I talked to the old-timers that come all the time. We have a lot of ohana that are up there in age, like Uncle Monty and Uncle Kimo, so I thought we need to have something to honor them,” said Amoo Kainoa, the reunion’s organizer.
Starting on Friday evening, the many ranch families gathered on the deck to reconnect and eat dinner prepared by reunion committee members. This was followed by a kanikapila — Hawaiian music in an impromptu jam session — featuring the musical talents of the ranch families.
Saturday afternoon more families arrived and everywhere folks were gathered to talk story, laugh and revisit old connections. There was more down-home food, tram rides and music and hula provided by John Keawe and his family.
John Richards provided a short history of the ranch, and the honorees were graced with gratitude for all their contributions. The weekend was completed Sunday at the Kohala Kamehameha Day Parade, led by a special riding contingent of Kahua Ranch cowboys and ohana.
The honorees ranged from all aspects of ranch operations and each had their own unique connection with Kahua. The thriving ranch would not have been possible without the Richards and von Holt families, but it would also not have been possible without the many families and individuals that gave their labor and skills.
“All these families had 8, 9, 10 kids. When we had brandings and those kinds of things we had a lot of help. Everybody was involved, which was kind of a fun thing. Kids lived with their families until they went out on their own, so they were always helping with the ranch. It was a neat experience for all of us growing up together,” said von Holt.
Monty Richards, the retired manager, was born at Kahua, but grew up on Oahu, returning to work there in 1953. He and his family took their responsibilities to the land and its people seriously.
“Phyllis Richards was the heart of the ranch. She took care of all of us. Every Christmas she had presents for everyone,” said Judy Hancock, who worked for the ranch for 20 years as secretary and bookkeeper, and also designed the Kahua Ranch logo.
Honoree von Holt grew up on the ranch and returned in the 1970s as a cowboy, eventually becoming assistant manager.
“We were raised on the ranch. There were probably nine or 10 families that lived there at that time. I was closest to Jim and Ida Lincoln. Jim was in charge of equipment and the shop. His wife, Ida, was in charge of the kitchen, so she cooked for the family and the cowboys. Her youngest son, Butchie, and I grew up together,” said von Holt.
Honorees Leina and Kimo Hoopai Sr. grew up together on the ranch. After they married on Oahu, they returned to the ranch, where Kimo started on the cowboy gang and Leina eventually worked in the greenhouse growing hydroponic vegetables. Their two sons, Kimo Jr. and Bernardt, were raised on the ranch and work as cowboys, returning to the ranch for brandings.
Other honorees included Allen Wall, who was with the ranch for 20 years, starting out as a bookkeeper and eventually became assistant manager. Bobby Napier grew up riding the rolling hills and gulches of the original Kahua Ranch in Waialua on Oahu. He spent three years at Kahua Ranch in Kohala and eventually became operations manager for Kahua Meat Company.
Four absentee honorees were Louie Tavares, a ranch hand and fencing gang member; Tino Salvador, a grounds man; Silom Yamamoto, a ranch hand and mechanic; and Emma Kaiamakini Faisca, who spent her whole life working at the ranch.
“She started working for my parents just about the time I was born. She’s been with us all of her life and we have a relationship that goes for a long time. She helped raise me and helped my mother raise three kids after my dad died. Her siblings and her father and mother were ranch employees,” said von Holt.
Regardless of how far away ohana traveled, Kahua Ranch lives on in the hearts of the many families who lived there and will continue to return.
“Kahua is just a special, special place and I always want to come back here,” said Delilah Kainoa Keliikuli.