Lorenzo Lyons
| Lorenzo Lyons | |
|---|---|
Lorenzo Lyons circa 1880
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| Born |
April 18, 1807 Colrain, Massachusetts |
| Died | October 6, 1886 (aged 79) Waimea, Hawaii County, Hawaii |
| Other names | Makua Laiana |
| Known for | Missionary to Hawaii |
| Spouse(s) | Betsy Curtis Lucia Smith |
Lorenzo Lyons or "Makua Laiana" (April 18, 1807 – October 6, 1886) was an early missionary to the Kingdom of Hawaii. He was a songwriter who composed "Hawaiʻi Aloha", which was inducted into the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame in 1998. Lyons spent the last 28 years of his life as postmaster in the district surrounding Waimea, Hawaii County, Hawaii.
He was born in Colrain, Franklin County, Massachusetts, April 18, 1807. He graduated from Union College in 1827. Ordained as a Congregationalist minister at Auburn Theological Seminary, September 20, 1831.
He embarked from Boston, Massachusetts on November 26, 1831, on the Averick with his wife Betsy Curtis (1813–1837). Part of the fifth company from the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, they arrived in the South Kohala district of the island of Hawaiʻi on May 17, 1832.
He spent the remainder of his life dedicated to the native Hawaiians.
His Waimea parish eventually included the districts of Kohala and Hāmākua, making it the largest mission station in Hawaiʻi.
During his tenure, Lyons was responsible for the erection of fourteen churches, such as Imiola Church where he is buried. He was district postmaster from 1858 until his death.
He was fluent in the Hawaiian language and composed many poems and hymns; his best known and beloved work is the hymn "Hawaiʻi Aloha" sung to the tune of "I Left it All With Jesus."
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Wikipedia