Gwendolyn Gaspar:
CLASS OF 1967
Kailua High SchoolClass of 1967
Kailua, HI
Gwendolyn's Story
Well where do I start but from 1967 when we graduated from Kailua High School. As most of you know I ended up going steady with George Souza who is from the Class of '66. I married him when he was still in training in The Army stationed at Fort Ord, California. He got drafted that year he grad in November of '66 and left for basic training in January'67. After basic he went to Ft. McClelan in Alabama for Chemcal warfare training and was leaving in May of 1968 for Vietnam. He came home unexpectedly for 5 days of leave so we got hitched on May 23rd. We did not have a big wedding but a quick one on the spur of the moment. I had my sis be my matron of honor and George's best friend Wally was his best man. Just us no families attended very quick kind of wedding. Then off he went to Vietnam. He was in till he got discharged in August of 1968.. He got 6 months early out due to he extended 72 days in Vietnam. We moved to Kailua and rented an apartment and had my first girl Geogina Mae Lehuanani Souza on August 7, 1970. I had my last daughter Gisela Matilda Kahealani Souza on September 27 in 1975. I was still living in Kailua in our 1 bedroom apartment with our 2 girls and then we decided to buy a condo 3 bedroom two-story in beautiful Kahaluu. We were married for 16 years and I got divorced left for the mainland in 1981 to visit a sick Aunty until she passsed on 3 years later. in a place call Ridgecrest, California which was in a desert called Mojave. Then my cousin came and gave me 2 weeks to decide to relocate to Northern Calle to work on a beautiful resort called Lake Berryessa. I had a quick garage sale and I had my baby girl, a boyfriend named Ed and my doberman Malia and a U-Haul truck and headed out of town on a 7 hour drive to Lake Berryessa which is in Napa wine country in Calle. I enjoyed my years on the Lake, which was fulfilling, enjoyable met tons of people being my cousins and I were the only Hawaiians up there. The locals especially were very hospitality anf showed us the aloha and were very nice to us. I have been there and I learned every job that there was concerning the Resort. I started as a Gate Manager which consisted of checking in campers, and day users and tenants and restaurant and...Expand for more
boat rentals for people who wanted to eat or rent water crafts for the day. The job was sweet with free rent and a trailer one bedroom which the gate was right there in front of your home to work. Then I was Security also to handle security and also worked in the local restaurant that was managed also by my cousin too., including the Boat rental business my cousin bought 2 years later. I was 36 yrs old when I left Hawaii for Calle and since I livedon the mainland all those years I worked as a waitress, cook in the snack bar helped in the hotel , worked as a cashier in the store and restaurant, been a bartender and a Bar Manager and an Office Secretary too as well as head of Security and a bouncer for many years on the lake. I have loved it and I partied alot and rode boats to swimming and doing all kinds of fun things and also got to learn country dancing at the Senior center there and be part of all kinds of clubs and functions but I had the time of my life that I am considering if I get around to it to write a book about my life and escapades on Lake Berryessa when I was there till I moved here to Moloka'i in August of 2008 and the rest is history. I said I would never moe to Moloka'i and as the saying goes never say never and wallah here you are in Moloka'i but after settling here it was not so bad. The food is pretty high but the island lives off the hunting and fishing so you will never starve here. People malama you here on the island. What I love now about it is it is not so crowded, peaceful no freeways and stoplights and very ancient and slow moving here, the Moloka'i style easy, easy!!!!! I forgot to say before I came to the mainland I worked for Hawaii National Bank in Hawaii for 10 years before I left fot the mainland in 1981. I started off as a bookkeeper and I worked myself up and when I left I was an Operations Assistant Supervisor in charge of the bank tellers and getting reports out. So that is my story and I am sticking to it. Mahalo for taking the time to read my story and if you are on Moloka'i come and visit me anytime just give me a call I am on Facebook andI am listed in the phone!!! God Bless and Ahui Hou!!! Kawena Peace Out!!!
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