We were privileged to meet several members of our extended Goo family in January 2022. I had been corresponding quite a bit with Gerry Goo Nihipali about her Goo/Gu pedigree and our common ancestors, since Louise Skyles connected the missing pieces and was able to obtain the rare Nazhou Gu jiapu.
We arranged to meet Gerry’s family at their home in Laie, Oahu during our trip to Hawaii in January 2022. She organized a wonderful potluck feast at her home, attended by most of her siblings and their spouses, and Ailene Hee Sproat and her husband. One sister was unable to attend due to Covid.
Ailene and I have shared Hee/Xu ancestors, in addition to our shared Goo/Gu ancestors. So three clans that intermarried several times over the centuries in Guangdong were represented in Laie that evening by lineal descendants: Susan Chock Salgy, Gerry, Eloise, and Charles Goo, and Ailene Hee Sproat.
Here we all are:
Back Row, L-R: Eloise Goo Tyau, Jeff Tyau, Ben Nihipali, Steve and Ailene Hee Sproat Cheney, Stephany Nihipali Vaioleti
Front Row, L-R: Charles and Helen Goo, Ric and Susan Chock Salgy, Gerry Goo Nihipali Rachel Nihipali Kaluma.
Eloise sent me a photo of the Goo family in 1993, taken at their parents’ 50th wedding anniversary.
L-R the kids: Gerry, Charles, Cynthia, Eloise, JoAnn
Seated- the parents: Charles Kan Chiu Goo, Mildred York Kwai Chun Goo
This is one of the sweetest parts of doing genealogy — meeting long-lost cousins and getting to know their beautiful stories, gracious hearts, and incredible talents.