ARTICLE
If you’re driving through Honoka’a town, you may notice a new sign at HFS Federal Credit Union (HFS FCU) paying homage to the legacy of its historic building. In 2016, HFS FCU merged with the credit union previously located there, joining this tight-knit community with so much history. HFS FCU is housed in the Awong Brothers Store, the oldest building in Honoka’a and listed in the National Register of Historic Places with the United States Department of the Interior. Just recently, HFS FCU updated its building signage that features its logo and the Awong name. What makes this even more special is that Gilbert Awong, the last owner of the Awong Brothers Store, could see his family legacy etched on the building. A staff member from HFS FCU recently sat down with Awong and his daughter Beverly to talk about what this means to him and his family. Gilbert’s father, Alfred, was a founding owner of the Awong Brothers Store with his brother Henry. Along with running the general store, Alfred was also a fisherman, rancher, cane planter, bandmaster of the Hamakua County Band, and was a founder of the Honoka’a Library. At 102 years old Gilbert has a wealth of knowledge to share. He took over the store after his father passed away in 1956. He shared stories of days selling $0.31 loaves of bread, showing kindness to neighbors in need without question, and being a one-stop shop for everything including coffins at one time. Portions of the building were rented out at various times throughout the years to house establishments like a beer parlor for Marines, a warehouse, and Honoka’a Community FCU. When asked how he felt about seeing his name on the building, Gilbert says “Oh, that’s wonderful! At least people will recognize that it was Awong’s before”. His daughter Beverly added that she “wanted it to happen in his [Gilbert’s] lifetime, and it did”. “The Awong Store holds a special place in Honoka‘a’s history and we are honored to be able to continue serving the financial needs of the community from this historic building. We recognize the immense historical significance of the Awong Brothers Store and are committed to being responsible stewards of its preservation.” – Nathan Abe, President/CEO of HFS Federal Credit Union
If you’re driving through Honoka’a town, you may notice a new sign at HFS Federal Credit Union (HFS FCU) paying homage to the legacy of its historic building.
In 2016, HFS FCU merged with the credit union previously located there, joining this tight-knit community with so much history. HFS FCU is housed in the Awong Brothers Store, the oldest building in Honoka’a and listed in the National Register of Historic Places with the United States Department of the Interior. Just recently, HFS FCU updated its building signage that features its logo and the Awong name. What makes this even more special is that Gilbert Awong, the last owner of the Awong Brothers Store, could see his family legacy etched on the building.
A staff member from HFS FCU recently sat down with Awong and his daughter Beverly to talk about what this means to him and his family. Gilbert’s father, Alfred, was a founding owner of the Awong Brothers Store with his brother Henry. Along with running the general store, Alfred was also a fisherman, rancher, cane planter, bandmaster of the Hamakua County Band, and was a founder of the Honoka’a Library.
At 102 years old Gilbert has a wealth of knowledge to share. He took over the store after his father passed away in 1956. He shared stories of days selling $0.31 loaves of bread, showing kindness to neighbors in need without question, and being a one-stop shop for everything including coffins at one time. Portions of the building were rented out at various times throughout the years to house establishments like a beer parlor for Marines, a warehouse, and Honoka’a Community FCU.
When asked how he felt about seeing his name on the building, Gilbert says “Oh, that’s wonderful! At least people will recognize that it was Awong’s before”. His daughter Beverly added that she “wanted it to happen in his [Gilbert’s] lifetime, and it did”.
“The Awong Store holds a special place in Honoka‘a’s history and we are honored to be able to continue serving the financial needs of the community from this historic building. We recognize the immense historical significance of the Awong Brothers Store and are committed to being responsible stewards of its preservation.” – Nathan Abe, President/CEO of HFS Federal Credit Union