Here’s an interesting little mystery that my late sister, Bonnie (Lind) Stevens, was unable to solve: What happened to the custom linens made for Prince David Kawananakoa’s funeral in 1908?

Bonnie set about to answer that question after learning that our grandmother had been one of three young girls chosen to sew the ceremonial items.

Our grandmother was born Heleualani Eva Cathcart on 23 Nov 1888 at Near 1430 Pele Street, Honolulu, Oahu, Kingdom of Hawaii. She was educated at St. Andrew’s Priory beginning as a young child about August 1891, and continued as a teacher after her graduation. At the time of the 1910 census, both Lani (then 21) and her younger sister, Helen, who was 19, were still residents at the Priory.

From Bonnie’s notes:

She was at David Kawananakoa’s funeral in Honolulu on 21 Jun 1908. He died in San Francisco. Lani was one of three Priory girls chosen to create a full set of altar linens for the occasion.

What happened to linens? Not at St. Andrew’s.

Funeral was held at Catholic cathedral. Not there.

Possibly sent to South America?

Not at Bishop Museum.

Mike Alberg suggests that sometimes the linens are given to the family, especially if they are a prominent family. Try Abigail Kawananakoa?

Bonnie made one error. The funeral services were not held in a Catholic church, but rather in the throne room at Iolani Palace, the territorial capitol.

From a Honolulu Advertiser report on the funeral:

The inspiring services of the Catholic church were held over the beautiful koa casket that held the earthly remains of the Prince. Bishop Libert presided, wearing the full vestments for such solemn functions, assisted by numerous priests and sanctuary boys, and the stirring intonations of the words of the ceremony were not far different in effect than were the chantings of the old Hawaiian invocations at other times.

After seeing this, I recalled that Bonnie had talked to me once about her attempts to track down the alter linens, a search that had her tracking records through several churches and church hierarchies, here and elsewhere. Now I wish I had been paying closer attention.

She was quite disappointed when she finally reached a dead end.

Maybe a bit of crowdsourcing will turn up additional clues to their whereabouts.