Oahu League of Republican Women
Can you think of anyone other than Rose Lum Tam-Hoy for our spring issue? Her colorful outfits brighten our luncheons like blossoms in a garden.
“Is this Auntie Rose? “ I asked the surprisingly young voice at the other end of the phone. “Yes” She answers cheerfully. After I identified myself I asked if she would mind sitting for an interview. “Me!” she exclaims. “Why? I’m not a dancer or a teacher – I’m a nobody.”
“It’s the hats.” I reply.
“Oh, I do love hats; I have them all over – in boxes, hanging on hooks, up on shelves... I must have at least fifty…”
“So when can I interview you?”
“Well, I just got home from a luncheon date with a man I just met yesterday at Ward warehouse. His name is Ken Murray. He’s a musician from the mainland. He was so nice that I invited him to have lunch with me at the Halekulani. I was late getting started, so I called the front desk and asked them to please tell Ken Murray to wait for me. I couldn’t stop at the bank so when I got there I just had to ask him if he had $50 cash.” “Yes.” He said.” So I said "Please do me a big favor – don’t ask any questions – give me $50.00 cash and take a $50.00 check from me." We had such a nice lunch with his $50” she says, laughing. I never met him before in my life… I just love people. (Apparently Auntie Rose doesn’t wait around for Sadie Hawkins Day to make her move…)
When she caught her breath after the above stream of information I seized the opportunity to ask again about when we could meet. Finding a time between meetings and luncheons was tricky, but we managed to find a free morning. “Usually I’m at home at night” she says.
When I got to her home she was out watering her son’s garden. She directed me to her Mama’s House at the end of the driveway. Apologizing for the topsy-turvy living room, Rose explains that she and her housekeeper have not been able to gather up everything after her big birthday party. There are still some unopened presents and one, in particular caught my eye. A flashy black high heel shoe pin studded with rhinestones was taped to the bow. Where is your tape recorder?” she asks. “Don’t have one – I’ll just take some notes. “Then let’s have some family music” she says, as she turns on her boom box. “My cousin sings falsetto. Isn’t he good?”
Agreeing, I settle on the sofa amongst the photo albums, gifts and framed pictures. “Ask me questions” she says as she scurries around the room gathering more pictures and a framed article about her mama when she was honored for her 71 years of service in Hale O’na Ali’I (House of Chiefs)
Rose instructs her housekeeper to bring Hawaiian quilts and cushions made by Mama. “Mama was one of the best quilters of her time. When I started my Hawaiian quilting business I went to see master quilter Deborah Kokalia to get certified. She told me that I didn’t need lessons from her because my mother taught me. But I felt I needed a certificate, so after two days of quilting lessons from her, she gave me my certificate. For thirty years I taught quilting.”
“Okay, ask me another question.“ says Rose excitedly.
When & where were you born?
In Honolulu on February 18th in the year of the Boar.(I certainly knoew it was not the year of the “Bore”) My Chinese papa gave me his youth and brains. My Hawaiian mama gave me her beauty and aloha. We were blessed in having such a loving family.
What high school you went?
I graduated from St Andrews Priory School for Girls (She hands me a blue St Andrews Priory alumnae ribbon with her high school photo and the word “Golden Girl” in big gold letters!)
What did you do after high school?
I joined the Earn to Learn program at the Mutual Telephone Company, starting at 37 ½ cents per hour and soon getting 75 cents an hour. I was so fast on that switchboard! At that time a call from Honolulu to pearl Harbor was a long distance call. Two years later I met and married Harold Linhau Tam-Hoy. He worked in civil service for 38 years. He was so good to me. Got me a car so I could go to meetings and take our children to all their activities. We had four children, eleven grandchildren and nine great grand children. I’ve been a widow for 16 years.
Since I’m known throughout Barbers Point Elementary as the “Imelda Marcos of Barber’s Point,” I suggested that it might be a good time to break so she could open the fancy birthday gift with the rhinestone shoe pin on the ribbon.
“Oh, this is from my friend, the owner of C.June Shoes. I love shoes.” As she hurries into the bedroom. She returns with a pair of beautiful black cowboy boots studded with rhinestones. (They would have been perfect for the outfit I wore to last month’s luncheon.) Her housekeeper follows with a rack full of shoes in varied styles & colors. Had my feet been just a tad smaller I might have spent the rest of the time trying shoes and matching them with hats.
She steers me back to questions.
So, how many organizations do you belong to ? “Twelve” she says, naming and spelling each one. “I love parties, meetings and funerals...” she adds
What is your greatest achievement? I asked without being prompted. My greatest honor was being my mama’s caregiver. My sister helped me. Mama lived for 102 years and 10 months. She taught me everything. It’s because of her that I was abke to survive breast cancer. I am who I am because of my mama.
Are you working on any special projects right now? Yes. My friend Iwalani Tseu is making a calendar of breast cancer survivors. I want to be the February Girl. I’ll only wear three hats. A big one on my head, a medium one here and a little one there (she points…).
That’s our “shy little violet” (her words) masquerading as Rose.
Aloha Auntie Rose
Rose and Her Mom
Rose at St Andrews Priory
Rose's Wedding Day
This is an article written by Nancy Gallagher and published in the OLRW newsletter in May of 2007
February 18, Year of the Boar -October 13, 2011
Click on pictures to enlarge
