The Christiansen's

Ellenmae Kawaianuhea Parker Selu 1931 ~ 2009 Ellenmae Kawaianuhea Parker Selu passed away peacefully Tuesday, June 9, 2009 in Salt Lake City. Ellen was born in Honolulu, Hawaii on September 7, 1931 to Elizabeth Kaili Awo and Clement Kuakini Parker, Jr. She is the oldest of three daughters. Her sisters are Evanita Ilaban and Lanalei Kauhola of Honolulu, Hawaii. She married Wayne Isaako Selu Sr. on Sept 2, 1951. Their marriage was solemnized in the Hawaii, Laie Temple. Ellen is survived by her children, Lei Selu-Johnson, Penina Thomas, Teuila Puckett, Haunani Howell, and Parker Selu. She is preceded in death by her youngest son, Wayne Jr., her husband, sister (Evanita), and her parents. She has 13 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren. Ellen is a Kamehameha High School graduate of 1949. She spent most of her professional experience as an Assistant Terminal Manager and Terminal Manager for The Greyhound Bus Lines. She also contracted with Greyhound in SLC as a commissioned agent in 1986 and became President of Selu, Inc. Fifteen years before her retirement in 2007, Ellen worked for Cottonwood Hospital as Patient Service Registrar. Her community and volunteer service includes: Member of Governor's Utah Polynesian Advisory Council, Member of Ethnic Minority Health Commission, Board member for Utah Hawaiian Civic Club, Host for the "Voice of Polynesia" Radio KRCL in Utah (known as Mama Selu for over 20 years), Director on the Mainland Council for the Assoc. of Hawaiian Civic Clubs, and Board member for the Iosepa Historical Association. She is a recipient of the Governor's Award for Women for Outstanding Community Service for Polynesians in Utah. She is dearly loved by her children, grandchildren, and family and will be missed. As she always said during her lifetime, "A Hui Hou!" Funeral services will be held Monday, June 15, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. at the Granger West 11th Ward, 3901 West 2925 South. Friends and family can visit Sunday evening at 6:00 p.m. at the church and Monday morning from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. prior to the service. Interment: Redwood Memorial Estates. Online condolences may be sent to the family at: www.holbrookmortuary.com Flowers may be sent to Holbrook Mortuary, 3251 South 2300 East, Salt Lake City.

Last week on Tuesday, I found out that my grandma had passed away. I was at work celebrating my boss's birthday when I looked at my phone and had 2 missed calls along with a text from my little sister Kim, "Call me it is important" and that's when I knew something was wrong. This is my mom's mom and my family has always been so close to her. Just over Memorial Day weekend Eli and I spent the whole day with her watching GSN (Game Show Network) and eating Oreo's while Mike went golfing. I couldn't believe what my sister had told me on the phone..I remember feeling relief in a way but so sad too. Grandma had some health problems, she was a survivor of breast cancer and I know she had bad arthritis in her knee which caused her to use a walker/cane for the past couple of years. She was sooo good at going to the Dr.'s but the past few months she had gone to quick care or the er just to check up on things...she actually had gone to the er the day before her passing but they couldn't see anything wrong. She just felt sick and was dizzy..Tuesday morning came, she went to her regular Dr. for a follow up visit and headed to Moki's (her favorite Hawaiian restaurant on Redwood Rd.) for some lunch and drove herself home. I guess the Dr. had called my Uncle Parker to let him know how Grandma's visit went so Uncle called Grandma and as they were talking Uncle couldn't hear Grandma any more..just the TV. Thank goodness my uncle works close to her house, he rushed over and grandma was having a hard time breathing so he called 911. I am so grateful to my uncle for being there with her in the hospital. My mom was on her way to be there thinking that this was another "check up" but just a few streets away, my mom got a call from my uncle..the both of them have always been there for my grandparents since they live the closest...so grandma passed and at first they thought it was a blood clot but now they think it might have been an aortic tear by her heart. Not easy to detect and not much they can do to fix it...my grandma taught me the importance of family and that I should be proud of my Hawaiian heritage. She taught us different hulas and hawaiian songs/words...my cousins and my family would go practice hula for hours til we got it right and then we would all sleepover and eat pizza while we watched Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or some other karate movie...She loved McDonald's cheeseburger and their Oreo McFlurries...Almond Roca...Red Lobster :Shrimp Scampi with a cup of clam chowder (she would always talk about when she was a little girl back in Hawai'i with her dad, fishing and eating crab all day long...and about her basketball/rowing days at Kamehameha School) she loved Sister Act..I think anything with Whoopi Goldberg and Anne Hathaway were her favorites. The people at KFC knew her order right when she walked in the door...2 piece legs, macaroni and cheese and baked beans along with their chocolate cake...she loved IHOP..short stack of pancakes, 2 pieces of bacon and scrambled eggs...I guess we ate out alot! :) lol those have always been fond memories..

Her viewing services were on Sunday...so beautiful. So many people came to see her and show their support for our aiga. The funeral yesterday went smoothly but was a bittersweet...good to see family but bad that it was under these circumstances. She's now buried between my Uncle Wayne and my Papa at Redwood Mortuary. I love you Grandma..<3

Here are some pictures I took last night of my family at the house after everything was said and done.

Ethan, Eli, Madi

Mike and Eli in Grandma's chair

Kim and Eli @ Ruby Tuesday's

Kapono

Ethan & Aunty Lizzie

Alex, Eli, Ethan, Madi, Kim

everyone

+ some more

Aunty Teulia, Madi, Aunty Penina, Kaili

Elaina

Heather and Ethan

The Fa'alafua Family

Colton and Jen

James, Katie & Andrew

Uncle Gary and Uncle Bob

Aunty Teulia and Aunty Penina = The twins

Aunty Lei and Uncle Bob (Andrew in the back)

Kim and Madi

Nani (Mom), Aunty Teulia, Aunty Teulia, Aunty Penina and Lani

Laura, Tate, Jereme

The Fa'alafua Family

So once I found out that The Sounds were coming to Vegas, I knew I needed to go. It's been YEARS since I had seen them and the show was a blast. My dear co-worker Roxanne, scored tickets for me from her husband TK. (THANK YOU!) Mike was going camping with Eli and his dad that weekend up to Bryce..sooo I took Amber! We ate a little cafe before the show. I got a BLT and Amber had chicken fried steak...We danced and danced, drank some rock stars and went home feeling sooooooo good! I haven't gone out and done "girl" stuff in a long time. Being married is great but this concert helped remind me that I need to do things for me too! Oh ya, I totally got to be in the same room at Tiger Woods BEFORE Mike did...HAHA. I would say the Tiger thing..pretty big highlight of my night.