Manaleo Lottie Anehe Bodnar, 85, and Caroline 'Aunty Carrie' Ha'o, 86
By Vicki Viotti
Advertiser Staff Writer
The tiny community of those who have spoken Hawaiian from birth is mourning the loss of two more members in the past week.
Lottie Anehe Bodnar died at her Wai'anae home Nov. 13. She was 85.
Caroline "Aunty Carrie" Ha'o, 86, of Hilo died Sunday at Hilo Medical Center.
Both women were manaleo (native speakers) and belonged to the manaleo group of the 'Ahahui 'Olelo Hawai'i, a Hawaiian language professional organization that hosts an annual conference for native speakers. Hailama Farden, vice president of the 'Ahahui, said his organization knows of only 120 manaleo still living.
Ha'o, who was born in Honolulu, was a retired food and beverage worker. She was active in her congregation, the Kuhio Chapel of Haili Church, as well as several Hawaiian civic and benevolent societies. One was Hale O Na Ali'i O Hawai'i, the group of which Farden is state president.
Farden remembers how Ha'o, who entertained locally and on the Mainland, played the "Ukulele Lady" in the society's rendering of that song at one of its conventions.
And Bodnar was Farden's Sunday school teacher at Wai'anae Protestant Church, where she eventually earned the title of deaconess emeritus.
It was Farden's childhood memories of Bodnar that impressed on him the cultural treasure that native speakers represent. He said she used to tell the kids to "kiloi" (throw out) the garbage, but the word sounded like "chiloi" when she spoke it. That's the dialect she learned in her birthplace of Ke'anae, Maui.
Daughter Marilyn Liftee said her mother was born in a difficult era for Hawaiian speakers, when the native language was banned in schools, but added that the grandfather who helped raise her insisted that she speak Hawaiian at home.
Farden, an assistant deacon at the church, said he was thrilled to give Bodnar communion one last time last summer.
The passing of manaleo, he said, is to be marked with sadness.
"There are so few left," he said. "They are leaving this earth so rapidly, and soon we won't have any more."
Ha'o is survived by sons, Frank, Kaipo and Lono Kaaa, Joseph Ha'o Jr. and Jack and Bryan Ha'o; daughters, Hinano Lee, Leinaala Penovich, Mary Leaser, Ululani Sherlock, Nanialoha Langridge, Dorothy Alexander, Brenda, Rose and Joanne Ha'o, Poni Morgan Daines, Bambi Hifo and Ashley Lopes.
She also is survived by brothers, Gene and James Namahoe; sisters Lottie Kahauolapua, Frances Keanu and Adeline Lee; 17 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren.
Visitation is 6 to 9 p.m. today and 9 to 11 a.m. tomorrow at Dodo Mortuary Chapel, Hilo; service at 11 a.m.; burial to follow at Homelani Memorial Park. Casual attire.
Bodnar is also survived by husband Roy Sr.; sons Roy Jr. and Paul; brother James Akiu; nine grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
Visitation will begin at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at Mililani Mortuary Makai Chapel; service at 11:15 a.m.; burial at 12:30 p.m. at Mililani Memorial Park. Casual attire. No flowers.
