Perseverance pays off in Hawaii for Spanish Descendants

Over the past fifteen years, family folklore has told me repeatedly about one of my great, great grandfather's sisters who immigrated from Spain to Hawaii.  During my quest to find our ancestors during their flight from Spain, I learned this great, great aunt's name was Dolores "Glory" RUIZ Garcia.  She and her husband, Antone RUIS Martos, were on the FIRST ship which left Malaga in 1907, the SS Heliopolis along with five of their children. (Francisco, Juan, Maira, Delores, and Carmen).  Once in Hawaii, they eventually began a dairy business and had five more children. (Emily, Adelina, Antone, Manuel and Alfred.)

Folklore in the Ruiz family said "Uncle Tony" married Sarah, who was full Hawaiian and played a ukulele and sang like a bird.  "Aunt Lily (Carmen)" married Joe Saucedo and had two children.  They lived on different parts of Oahu and both had dairy farms.  The family stories became convoluted over time and I did not know where to begin.

One day, I learned "Freddy Ruis" was a friend of my dad's cousin, who had a dairy years ago on Oahu and maybe some of his descendants still lived?  I tracked Freddy's (Alfred Ruis) descendants to the big island, but hit a brick wall.  By then, the Ruis name (I thought) had disappeared due to marriages and later descendants.

A man named Miguel Alba is writing a book about the Heliopolis descendants in California and Hawaii and he asked me about the Ruiz/Ruis link in Hawaii.  So, I got on the internet once again and hammered it like a freight train.  And it paid off!

I found an obituary for Sarah Ruis, the Hawaiian cousin --- and nearly cried when I saw she died only seven months ago.  She was alive when I was on the big island in February, 2014.  I browsed the RUIS name and found Kaimi Kaupiko, sent him an email and PAYDIRT~  His Aunt Sarah did, indeed, marry Antone Ruis, Jr.  He is asking his uncle Wilbert Kaupiko to contact me.

Honolulu Star*Advertiser Newspaper OBIT

Feb. 5, 2015
SARAH KA‘AWA LAU O PUNA KAUPIKO “UKULII” RUIS, 85, of Waimea, Hawaii, a fisherwoman, owner of Sarah’s Ranch, dairy farmer and co-owner of Ruis Enterprises, died in Kohala Hospital. She was born in Milolii, Hawaii. She is survived by sons Wayne and Wilbert Kaupiko, five stepchildren, brother Wilfred Kaupiko, sisters Winona Tahara and Naomi Naipo, five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Visitation: 9 a.m. March 28 at Hauoli Kamanao Church, Milolii. Services: 10:30 a.m. Aloha or casual attire. Lei and loose flowers welcome. Condolences may be sent to P.O. Box 959 Kamuela, HI 96743.

Sarah Ruis

Sarah Kaawa Lau O Puna “Ukulii” Kaupiko Ruis of Waimea died Feb. 5, 2015, at Kohala Hospital. Born Sept. 22, 1929, in Milolii, she was a fisherwoman, owner of Sarah’s Ranch, a dairy farmer, co-owner of Ruis Enterprises Inc., member of Waimea Hawaiian Civic Club, Waimea Hawaiian Homesteaders Association, Kaahumanu Society, Kawaihae Canoe Club, Imiola Congregational Church, Hauoli Kamanao Church, Hale O Na Alii O Hawaii and Halau O Kelii Ahonui.

Friends may call at 9 a.m. March 28 at Hauoli Kamanao Church in Milolii for a 10:30 a.m. service. Family requests aloha or casual attire be worn. Lei and loose flowers are welcome. Condolences may be sent to the family at P.O. Box 959, Kamuela, HI, 96743.

She is survived by sons, Wayne (Jackie) Kaupiko of Kailua-Kona, Wilbert (Marie) Kaupiko of Waimea; five stepchildren; brother, Wilfred (Anita) Kaupiko of Milolii; sisters, Winona Tahara, Naomi (Anli) Naipo, both of Hilo; five grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, numerous cousins, nieces, nephews.

Arrangements by Cremation Services of West Hawaii.

The late Sarah Ka‘awa Lau O Puna “Ukulii” Kaupiko Ruis was a member of Hale O Na Ali‘i O Hawaii and Halau O Keli‘i Ahonui. That information was not submitted for an obituary published Sunday