Life in Hawaii in the 1930s was drastically different than it is today. Back then, Hawaii was a U.S. territory, not an official state. Visitors arrived by cruise ship, docking in Honolulu Harbor, not far from where Barbara Lee grew up. She was born in Honolulu in September 1923. Her father, Lee Ah Fey, was from Hawaii; her mother, Chew Shee, from China. She was the second of three girls.
The family home was in a small lane off Fort Street, now a main artery running through downtown Honolulu and Chinatown. The home no longer stands; it was torn down and replaced by commercial buildings when the area was redeveloped during the 1950s.
Chinatown was a thriving neighborhood when Barbara was growing up. As a child, she did all the grocery shopping. Every day, she’d leave home in the early morning hours – while her sisters were still sleeping! She’d purchase fresh produce, poultry, and fish from the outdoor open-air markets.
Barbara attended Central Intermediate School and McKinley High School, two of the oldest public schools on Oahu. She graduated from McKinley in June 1941.
During her daily morning grocery run, she recalls seeing many planes in the sky on Dec 7, 1941. She learned later that the Japanese staged a surprise strike on Hawaii. Barbara’s life changed after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
Upon graduation, Barbara got a job at the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard. It was during this time that she met her future husband, Nom Sing Lau (Bill). Born in China, he had immigrated to the U.S. in 1938. During WWII, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy, serving as a Seabee from 1942 to 1945. He received the Bronze Star for his participation in the 1944 recapture of Guam.
After Bill was discharged, Barbara followed him to California. They were married in December 1946 and raised their three children, Yvonne, Johnston and Stanford, in South Sacramento. The extended family includes four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
“My mom’s baking was a highlight for us,” says Johnston. “She’d make German Chocolate Cake, Pig Pickin’ Cake, Krumkake cookies, and lots of other cookies. We enjoyed those much more than the Chinese medicinal soup we had to drink when we got sick!”
Barbara worked at Hale Brothers Dept. Store and later retired from the Franchise Tax Board. Besides baking, Barbara stayed busy making clothes on her Singer machine, crocheting doilies for every room in the home, and knitting afghan blankets for everyone.
Barbara’s life is quieter now. Family visits are a highlight, especially if you bring madeleines, her favorite cookies.
Add a Comment