Preserve Manoa Cemetery

"PRESERVE & PROTECT MANOA CEMETERY"

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MISSION OF THE LIN YEE CHUNG ASSOCIATION

To facilitate the honoring of ancestors by providing traditional Chinese burial and memorial services and to promote time-tested mortuary culture among descendant generations.

HISTORY

The Manoa Chinese Cemetery was established in 1851 and is the largest and oldest Chinese cemetery in Hawaii. The original Lin Yee Chung Association consisted of 31 founding members who donated six months or more of their earnings and solicited additional funding from others to purchase burial land. These founders also coordinated traditional Chinese funeral rites and, upon request, arranged for the return of remains to China for permanent burial.

Membership in the Association was limited to the 31 original trustees, each a direct male lineal descendant of one of the original 31 founders. Many years later, the association accepted female descendants as trustees. Then later, non-descendants were allowed to become trustees.

CURRENT PROBLEMS

For many years, the cemetery showed lack of repair and maintenance. I remember going to “bai san” in the 1960’s to the 1980’s and having to walk through high weeds to find the family gravestones. New knew when it was Ching Ming time, we had to pack our weeders, picks, shovels, and clippers to do our yearly gravesite cleaning. I appreciate that LYC has maintained the grounds from then until now.

Although the grounds have been maintained, the buildings have not. Various structures are in a state of neglect and disrepair. There are three main buildings and two need major improvements.

Memorial Hall- This building was built in the 1940’s, and today is closed to the public due to the various repairs needed.

Pavillion- This building was built in the 1970’s, and today is tenant-occupied but needs major repairs.

Bone House- This building houses bones of ancestors and is the only better-maintained building on the property.

MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS

In my opinion, the Association has not been properly managed at least from the 1980’s until today. I have first-hand knowledge of this as my grandfather Samuel SS Luke and my father Samuel C. Luke were Presidents during various years.

Before they were Presidents, the Presidents before them and after them failed to maintain and repair the property. Failure to properly maintain the property has caused serious degradation of the asphalt roads, and the two main structures. For years rental houses sat on the property abandoned and in stages of collapse. There were also abandoned vehicles and car parts buried in the ground and covered by weeds and vines. There was also a car engine in the stream.

As you know, the cost of repairs to the roads and buildings were a lot less expensive back then. LYC had the funds back them but failed to take any action to repair. Now, today there is not enough money because they waited too long.