BYUH students share their grandparents’ love, challenges, cherished personalities and timeless advice
In the Pacific, where traditions are deeply rooted and stories are passed down through generations, Lowell Laulu, an alumna from American Samoa, said the love stories of elders hold significant value. “For many, these stories are more than memories. They form the foundations of family, culture and faith,” she said.
James Laga’aia, Lowell Laulu and Lenora Tautiaga said they have heard loves stories directly from their grandparents that reflected their love, resilience and faith. As their grandparents shared these narratives, the grandchildren said they gave them insights into a time when their love was sustained through challenges, and family bonds were strengthened through their adversities.
Love at first glance
Laga’aia, a senior political science major from Samoa, shared his grandparents’ love story. During his grandfather’s lifetime, he was a farmer, a hospital porter and a boxing trainer, Laga’aia said, and his name was Ielu Matavao Johnson. His grandmother, he added, Aiava Saolele, was a homemaker.
Before their passing, Laga’aia said they shared with him the heartwarming story of how they met. “They [first] met at the hospital where my Grandpa was a porter,” Laga’aia recounted. His grandfather’s job involved transporting patients, he said. During one of his duties, Laga’aia said his grandfather encountered his future wife, who had been admitted after being electrocuted while hanging up laundry.
“My grandpa was responsible for pushing her bed from the emergency room to one of the hospital wards,” he explained. Despite his shift nearing its end, his grandfather stayed to talk to her, he said. “He was supposed to finish his shift in an hour when my nana was brought in, [instead] he stayed the whole day talking to her,” Laga’aia said. This became a daily routine throughout her hospital stay, he added. Once she was discharged, they continued to see each other, he recounted, and eventually they got married and raised six children together. His mother is the fourth oldest of the six, Laga’aia explained.
In 1982, Laga’aia said his grandparents joined the Church and sealed their family in the temple, marking a significant milestone in their journey together.
Laga’aia said his grandfather affectionately referred to his grandmother as his “maasoama,” which is “a word in Samoan that can be roughly translated as rock or foundation.” He said his grandfather always spoke of her beauty. He added, “The first time [my grandpa] saw her at the hospital, he knew she was the one.”
“My grandpa and grandma always talked about how happy they were as a couple raising their kids [with] my grandpa’s [parents and siblings],” Laga’aia said.
Despite not having the luxury of dates or much money, Laga’aia said, they managed to till the land and grow a family.
In their early days together, they lived on a plantation where his grandfather would work after his normal job, Laga’aia said “They found happiness in all of [their experiences],” Laga’aia said.
Laulu shared stories about her deceased maternal grandparents, Siliva Lealao Sr. and Fiapito Lealao, who met each other in the village of Alao on the eastern side of American Samoa. She expressed her love for the humble beginnings of her grandparents’ relationship. “My grandfather was the first one to pursue my grandmother, writing her long love letters while serving in the United States Marines.”
Laulu shared, “I remember my grandma saying that my grandfather fell for her first, but she was not his biggest fan initially.” Laulu said her grandma used to tell stories of her future husband trying to woo her, but she had so many options to choose from, and the letters he kept sending were piling up. “I think it took my grandfather’s good looks and poems for her to consider him as a suitor,” said Laulu.
Lenora Tautiaga, a sophomore from Samoa majoring in computer science, said, “My grandparents [Huto Nan Yan from Moto’otua and Kirisitina Leota Nan Yan from Solosolo] met at a singing contest for the youth in the Saleimoa Ward in Samoa in 1978.” Tautiaga said her grandmother missed her youth group bus and caught a ride with another youth group on a different bus where she sat next to her grandpa. “He sugarcoated her with words and asked if they could date, but my grandma said, ‘Give me some time to think about it’,” Tautiaga said.
“My grandma had a very strict Samoan mother, so dating life back then was scary and intimidating,” Tautiaga explained. Her grandmother’s grandparents would usually call over the phone or meet up at youth activities, she said. She added her grandmother originally went to the youth singing contest to meet someone else, but she ended up meeting Tautiaga’s grandfather instead.
Challenges overcome
Laga’aia described his grandfather as “a bit of a hard man” who frequently got into fights as a young man. However, according to Laga’aia’s grandmother, it changed when they both became members of the Church. His grandfather, a semi-pro boxer, turned his life around and started a boxing club, training all his children, including Laga’aia’s mother, he said. In fact, one of his uncles represented Samoa in the South Pacific Games, Laga’aia said, after all the inspiration and motivation from their father.
Laulu said her grandparents decided to move to Hawaii with their 10 children for a better future. Her grandfather passed away when her mom, the youngest child, was about 3 years old, Laulu shared. “My grandfather took care of my grandmother and 10 children, and with his passing, [my grandmother] took on the role of both father and mother,” she explained. Laulu said she admires her grandmother’s strength to move on after losing her husband.
Qualities cherished
Laga’aia said one quality his grandmother admired from his grandfather is his diligence in working. “He was also a very loving man who became a great chief of the family. He would help anyone who came to ask for food from his plantation and farm. My nana was always the peacemaker and was a very hardworking woman too,” he added.
Sharing some of her grandparents’ admired characteristics, Laulu said, “My grandmother was a beautiful Samoan woman. She was very independent, outspoken and was not afraid of confrontation.” She said her grandmother took her responsibility of being born as a high chief’s granddaughter very seriously and was known amongst their village as someone who did not shy away from a fight if it involved her family. “I imagine my grandfather saw strength, resilience and power in the way that she held herself,” Laulu said.
She added her grandfather was a humble, handsome and collected man. “What a match they are, and I am sure they are enjoying [each other’s] company on the other side of the veil,” said Laulu. They are the definition of love, strength and perseverance, she said.
Tautiaga said, “Grandma admired grandpa’s bravery, handsomeness, and being a man of God. While grandpa admired grandma’s humility, patience, and great cooking skills.” She said these qualities helped her grandparents get through difficult times, especially because her grandmother’s family wasn’t supportive of their relationship.
Advice for the generations
Reflecting on his grandparents’ advice, Laga’aia said, “They always focused on school, maybe because of how hard it was back then. They always told me that finding a wife is easier than finding a loaf of bread [or choosing a career]. So, choose wisely.”
After reminiscing on the memories shared by her grandmother, Laulu said although there are so many great examples her grandmother left with her, her siblings and cousins, the one that stood out to her was her grandmother’s love for the Lord. “She would tell me that the choices we make in this life would either make or break us. It has stuck with me through all these years, and it has guided me in so many forks in the road of my journey on earth. We must strive to put the Lord first in everything we do,” she said.
Tautiaga shared, “Grandma always advised, ‘Don’t be too quick to date because you will find Mr. Right at the right time and place’.”