Marjorie Murray Sumner

"Auntie Marge" was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaiʻi and was fortunate to study hula under  renowned composer and Kumu Hula Helen Desha Beamer. She was a teenager in the 1940s and part of a small group of girls who learned hula under Auntie Helen afterschool at her home called Halehuki on the banks of the Wailuku River. In our talk-story sessions with Auntie Marge she exuded aloha for her beloved Kumu. She and her schoolmates were among the last to formally study with Auntie Helen before she passed in 1952. Auntie Marge represents a glimpse into old-town Hilo, Hawaiʻi Island lifestyles, and families of the 1930s and 40s.