Evelyn Konou

Evelyn Konou, 72, of Pearl City, Oahu, Hawaii, passed on peacefully at her second home in Pearl City (First home, Delap, Majuro) on December 1, 2020. The family had all gathered for Thanksgiving because of their understanding that her duodenal cancer could take her. Cancer had reappeared and spread in early 2020 in which she with radiation and chemotherapy.

Evelyn was, born January 11, 1948, at the U.S. Navy clinic at Laura, Majuro Atoll Marshall Islands to both parents who are predeceased, Selvenios Konou and Nina Matauto Konou. Evelyn was surrounded by siblings growing up; sisters Beton Mito, Hiromi Kabua, Rosalie, Aten Konou and brothers Ronald Konou and Ronna Konou (deceased).

The family moved to Jaluit Island, Jaluit Atoll where her Mother was from soon after birth. Evelyn fondly remembers looking after the free-ranging chickens, fishing with her father, and collecting coconuts that the men made into copra. She enjoyed sports, games, clubs, and hobbies. Although Evelyn did not start school at Uliga Protestant Elementary School until the age of 9 in 1957, she thrived in academia. From a young age, she was extroverted, intuitive, a multitasker, and flexible. She was level headed and based her decisions on facts.

Evelyn attended Marshalls Christian High School for one year and then transferred to Marshall Islands High School where she graduated with honors in 1968. Her favorite teacher was her math instructor, Takaji Abo.

During her college years, Evelyn met lifetime friends, Florina Bellu Nathan and Tarnin Luther Katjang. She attended the Trust Territory Nursing School in Saipan (where she and her husband Dan started dating) for the fall semester in 1968. Evelyn then won a scholarship to Maunaolu College on Maui and she quickly decided to take it. Evelyn resided in the dorms on Maui and was proud of her worth ethic as she earned her money by putting in time at the pineapple cannery during her summers.

Graduated from Maunolu with an AA degree in 1970, she went on to U.S. International University in where she earned her BA degree in political science and economics in 1972. A fun fact is USIU bought Maunaolu which is now the Job Corps center. In 1972 she entered a Master’s degree program in developmental education at Stanford University. Her favorite course and professor at Stanford was Martin Carnoy of Economics of Education. Evelyn graduated in 1974, all the while after marrying Dan in 1972 and raising their son Konou, born June 17, 1973.

Evelyn and Dan had only a brief honeymoon on Jaluit before finishing her education at Stanford. After her schooling, they raised more children; daughters Nina Todd Smith, 1975 and Nemokam Margaret Smith, 1920 as well as another son Daniel Takinal Smith, 1977. Evelyn and Dan are proud grandparents of 12. They have their names written with pride and gratitude on the back of their ukulele:

Children of Nina Todd Smith and George Saunders Coppedge

Iiep Jeltok Smith Coppedge, April 2, 2007

Keoki Jaki Bari Coppedge, July 21, 2010

Jelatae Iden Lot Coppedge, October 16, 2012

Children of Daniel Takinal Smith and Meryanne Samuel Smith

Daniel Takinal Smith, Jr. April 23 2007

Malcolm Ekonaak Smith, March 4, 2009

Troy Crane Labokjenwut Smith, June 9, 2012 (Same day as his maternal great grandmother, Todd)

Lucas Leverett Lane Smith, November 18, 2014

Children of Nemokan Margaret Smith and Burke Jeramon Vinluan

Lantis Lincoln Junmeto Smith, June 7, 2012

Todd Abigail Kaniakwe Vinluan, February 16, 2014

Ralph Atmi Mejleb Bear Vinluan, February 3, 2017

Jeramon Burke Crane Smith Vinluan, January 18, 2019

Children of Konou Ralph Smith and Abigale Prock

Daniel Kalamanu`u Smith, February 25, 2020

Evelyn was a member of Ainiken DriMajol (Voice of the Marshallese), a liberal political group in the 1970s and 1980s. She also promoted women’s organizations and women’s rights to support the importance of women being active in the community and government. She only retired from her Marshall Islands Commissioner of Education position in 2017 to get medical treatment for her Cancer in Honolulu. She had almost three good years with us following surgery in 2017 and chemotherapy in 2018. She continued her efforts to restore voting rights to overseas Marshallese and was victorious with her allies in the major voting rights case in 2019. She sometimes said that she was allowed to live to pursue that effort.

Evelyn also continued to help run the clothing store out of their Majuro house. Alongside her active career and personal life, Evelyn was a devoted, lifelong member of the United Church of Christ of the Marshall Islands (Jarin Radrik Dron).

On Evelyn’s quieter days, her pass times included sewing and gardening; cultivated around their Majuro house in particular. She was a big supporter of growing breadfruit trees.

Please join us in Evelyn’s Online Services to celebrate her time with us on December 22, 2020. The burial of her ashes will take place in the Mililani Cemetery at a future date when Covid-19 restrictions are no longer needed.

For more information on Evelyn’s career, please see the Marshall Islands Journal stories below.

'Every voter should say a prayer for Anna, Evelyn'

The Marshall Island Journal, December 11, 2020

In early 2019, Anna Anien Lehman joined with Evelyn Konou to sue the RMI government over the ban imposed by Nitijela on Marshallese voting by postal absentee ballots.

The lawsuit brought by Evelyn and Anna, both of whom died within a few days of each other in the past two weeks, was successful in restoring the right to vote of Marshallese living outside the country.

"Every postal ballot voter in the next election should say a prayer for Anna and Evelyn, as they sure did their part in fighting for the rights of non-resident Marshallese citizens to vote in local and Nitijela elections," said a local attorney David Strauss.

The lawsuit brought by Anna and Evelyn followed one filed by Betwel Lekka a few weeks earlier. The two lawsuits were ultimately combined and the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, upholding the right to vote enshrined in the constitution.

The action by these plaintiffs demonstrates the power of people to effect change and restore democratic processes for the nation.

"The price of freedom is eternal vigilance," said John Philpot Curran, a noted Irishman, a couple of centuries ago.

The observation is just as relevant in today's world where democracy in many countries is under relentless assault.

All Marshallese owe thanks to these three plaintiffs, and particularly to Anna and Evelyn because of their advocacy on the issue of the right to vote.

Farewell to trailblazer Evelyn

The Marshall Islands Journal, Friday, December 11, 2020

Evelyn Konou died on the evening of December 1 surrounded by her husband Daniel (Dan) and children Konou, Nina, Daniel, and Nemokam at her home in Pearl City, Hawaii. The cause was complications from intestinal cancer. She is also survived by her 12 grandchildren who were with her at home and with her at Thanksgiving this year.

More than her many accomplishments in government, Evelyn, 72, was proud to be Marshallese, encouraging caring for each other and the extended family, and learning the rights and responsibilities of Marshallese culture. For example, she promoted speaking Marshaleese at home so the grandchildren would learn Marshallese. Her roles as a compassionate, caring mother, grandmother, and wife are deeply missed. She regretted the prospect of not seeing her grandchildren graduate from high school and college.

Evelyn was a trailblazer in every sense of the word, breaking new ground for women throughout a long career in public service. She was an original member of the constitutional government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands taking effect in 1979. She was the first, and for many years the only, female Member of Nitijela (parliament). While not a member of the Constitutional Convention, she was nevertheless a passionate, successful advocate for the strong Bill of Rights in the RMI Consitution.

Born on Majuro in 1948 at the Navy clinic in Laura, Evelyn grew up initially on Jaluit and her family moved back to Majuro just before the 1957 typhoon. Her late parents are Nina Matauto of Jaluit and Selvenios Kokou of Majuro. Due to the virus and medical treatment, she was not able to return this year to her house in Delap.

Evelyn's early education was at Uliga Protestant Elementary School including from the Rev. Miss Wilson. Marshalls Christian High School at Rongrong was her next step in following by a transfer to Marshall Islands High School where she graduated with honors. While she started at the Trust Territory Nursing School on Saipan, she won a scholarship from the Kwajalein Yokwe Yuk Women's Club to attend Maunaolu College on Maui where she earned an AA degree. This was followed by US International University in San Diego (BA, Political Science and Economics), and Stanford University (MA Education). She started her career as a teacher at Marshall Islands High School in 1974. She soon became an elementary education administrator and was elected to the pre-constitutional Nitijela from Ralik Rak.

In the first half of her 16-year Nitijela career representing Jaluit, despite being a member of the loyal opposition, she persuaded the US Congress to fund the Jaluit Dock. She opposed the Compact of Free Association as inadequate, not the best deal available, for example because of its underfunding nuclear claims. In the Second half she served terms as Minister of Health and Minister of Education, becoming the first woman in Cabinet.

In 1996 she chaired the Public Service Commission, later becoming the non-resident ambassador to Taiwan.

She returned to Education as the principal of Delap Elementary School. Under her leadership, DES became the first public elementary school in the country to gain accreditation with the US Western Association of Schools and Colleges. After DES, she moved to take up the principal position at Marshall Islands High School, helping to get the RMI's largest high school WASC accredited as well.

She became the first Commissioner of Education under a revamped law governing the Ministry of Education and public schools. She held this role until cancer struck in 2017, only to return in 2020.

She expressed satisfaction with her recent collaboration with Biram Stege and Anna Lehman successfully challenging in court the RMI government's law that blocked postal ballots from overseas voters. The lawsuit, filed 2019, resulted in the RMI Supreme Court declaring the law unconstitutional, which will return the right to vote for Marshallese living overseas.

Arrangements for celebrations of her life to be held in Honolulu and Majuro are pending and complicated by the corona virus.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.BorthwickOahu.com for the Konou family.

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