Oral History Finding Aid: Lehua Weatherwax

Abstract

Auntie Lehua was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaiʻi, but we met her in Kailua, Oʻahu, where she lived with her husband, Herbert Weatherwax, a revered Pearl Harbor survivor. Being from Hilo, she was fortunate to be a student of the renowned composer and kumu hula, Helen Desha Beamer. In the 1940s, she was part of a small group of girls who would study hula after school at Auntie Helen's beautiful home situated on the banks of the Wailuku River. In our talk-story sessions in Kailua, Auntie Lehua shared her memories of that beautiful time in her life. Even though it was many years ago, her gratitude for being with an elegant, enriching, and talented woman as “Auntie Helen” shone through.