Centenarian historic home honored with a grand gala

By Ben Wood

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Aug 31, 2012

~~SAM and MARY Cooke had quite a celebration to mark the 101st anniversary of their historic home, Kuali‘i, on Aug. 7. Sam's cousin Lynne Johnson had another cousin, Sasha Cooke, and Sasha's husband, Kelly Markgraf, from Chicago to sing opera arias and songs from Broadway musicals. Beebe Freitas was on the grand piano. In the living room audience were Gov. Neil Abercrombie, Puakea Nogelmeier, Marchesa Kapiolani Kawananakoa Marignoli, Hawaii Opera Theatre leader Henry Akina, Watters Martin, mayoral candidate Kirk Caldwell and other supporters and docents of Manoa Heritage Center.
Kuali‘i will one day be a historic home museum. The garden, with a restored heiau, is open for tours.
~~

SAM and MARY Cooke had quite a celebration to mark the 101st anniversary of their historic home, Kuali‘i, on Aug. 7. Sam's cousin Lynne Johnson had another cousin, Sasha Cooke, and Sasha's husband, Kelly Markgraf, from Chicago to sing opera arias and songs from Broadway musicals. Beebe Freitas was on the grand piano. In the living room audience were Gov. Neil Abercrombie, Puakea Nogelmeier, Marchesa Kapiolani Kawananakoa Marignoli, Hawaii Opera Theatre leader Henry Akina, Watters Martin, mayoral candidate Kirk Caldwell and other supporters and docents of Manoa Heritage Center.