![[text]](http://ilind.net/oldkine_images/lighthouse/makapuu-lg.jpg)
My mother recently produced an interesting old photograph. It’s a small picture of five children standing along a rocky path leading down to a lighthouse. I was able to scan and enlarge it. Click on the photo to see a larger version.
My mother believes this was taken at the Makapuu Lighthouse sometime around 1929. Her uncle (her mother’s half-brother), Alexander Toomey, had been an assistant lighthouse keeper at Makapuu. He was badly burned in an explosion and fire at the lighthouse on April 9, 1925, and died of his injuries.
Enlarging the photo again, you’re able to see the children a little better. My mother is the girl in the middle. On her right (to the left of the photo) is her older sister, Marguerite, standing behind her younger brother, Jimmy.
If this were taken in 1929, my mother would have been about 15 years old, Marguerite a couple of years older, and Jimmy would have been about 8.
My mother thinks the other two girls may be Alexander’s daughters, Julia and Flora. I don’t’ have the information about their birth dates, etc., to assess that. Alexander had two other daughters, Violet and Minnie, who I believe were younger. But I’ll have to defer to my sister and others who keep track of the genealogical details.
![[text]](http://ilind.net/oldkine_images/lighthouse/makapuu-kids.jpg)
Here’s a description of the accident that took Alexander Toomey’s life from LighthouseFriends.com:
The explosion blew the bottom out of the cylindrical tank. The second assistant keeper, John Kaohimaunu, was near the door and escaped with burns. The clothes of the first assistant, Alexander Toomey, caught fire, and the accident left him “charred black and crinkled.” Toomey was transported to a hospital where he passed away at noon the following day. Before leaving the station, forty-year-old Toomey called his expectant wife and children to him, repeated the Lord’s Prayer, and told his wife, “Stand by the light and keep it burning.” Toomey, who had just been recommended for promotion to principal keeper at Kilauea Point Lighthouse, refused to let his wife accompany him to the hospital, as the station would have been without a keeper while Keeper Akana took his two assistants to the hospital.
Reverend Akana, of Kawaiahao Church, Honolulu used the words “Stand by the light and keep it burning,” as the text for an eloquent sermon delivered at Toomey’s funeral on April 11. It wasn’t long before Toomey’s wife gave birth to a baby daughter, and then, three months after the accident, she died of a broken heart.
Discover more from i L i n d
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
What a story. Very sad.
Oh my gosh. Whenever I find interesting photos your blogsite always pops up Ian!!! By any chance do you have any pictures of the lighthouse keepers’ quarters up on Makapu’u?
Oh, so sad! What became of their children?
Very nice that he remembered the Lord at the end of his life… thanks for the story, even though it had a sad ending.
Aloha,
I’m the grand daughter of the late Minnie Medeiros. She was the baby in the tummy. I got to meet my Aunty Julia and Aunty Marguerite they use to visit my grandma in Waianae since she was the youngest. My grandmas older siblings were raised by an Oahu family member and my grandma was raised in Kona by another family member and then moved back to Oahu. Thank you for sharing the story and posting their pictures.
Aloha..my grandmother was the baby ~ Minnie Toomey Medeiros..I was so happy to see her sisters Aunty Julia & Aunty Elizabeth who use to visit my grandma, I thought it was Aunty Marguerite..I wanted to say thank you for sharing your story and posting the picture.
I am the great granddaughter of Julia Toomey. I was very very fortunate to be raised by her, she showed me how to be strong women, to put a value on life. She told me about tragic day of her father’s death and of mother’s demise, and life at the lighthouse. I know so many stories and memories & thank you for posting this picture. .
P.s.
she lives on at Dimond Head Memorial
I am the great granddaughter of Julia Toomey. I was very very fortunate to be raised by her, she showed me how to be a strong women, to put a value on life. She told me about the tragic day of her father’s death and of her mother’s demise, and life at the lighthouse. I have so many stories and memories & thank you for posting this picture. .
P.s.
she lives on at Dimond Head Memorial
Aloha, my father Charles K.Akana jr was raised by his grandparents Charles K. and Lydia P. (Laau) Akana up at Makapuu Lighthouse somewhere in the 1930’s, 1940’s. My father really missed this place and the great times he had up there. He spoke frequently of this time in his life that he so missed and appreciated and yearned for those precious moments. I am trying to piece together those memories and events of that time and moments in his life that was so precious to him. I would appreciate it if I could get more information and possibly some photos. I thank you for posting these photos and about the sad story and about part of its history. Thats so wonderful, God bless and Aloha.
The oldest daughter took care of her siblings and she was very successful. So were her siblings. She had a daughter and her daughter had children and I am the great grandchild of her.
My great grandma is Julia Toomey
Julia Toomey is my grandmother she has only 1 child my mother Alethea L Kapela. I know this is a old post. But if you ever see this. Mom and I always look forward to meeting our Ohana. Ana above is my no# 2 child. Aloha with love and Blessings Marleina
Iisha Lokeanela Willis is my oldest listed above.