Nalani (Kupau) Briggs
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Nalani (Kupau) Briggs

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Signed 28 Sep 2013 | 7,857 contributions | 286 thank-yous | 1,409 connections
Nalani M. Briggs formerly Kupau
Born 1950s.
Ancestors ancestors
Sister of , [private brother (1960s - unknown)] and [private sister (1970s - unknown)]
Descendants descendants
Mother of [private daughter (1970s - unknown)], [private daughter (1970s - unknown)] and [private daughter (1970s - unknown)]
Problems/Questions Profile manager: Nalani Briggs private message [send private message]
Profile last modified | Created 17 Apr 2014
This page has been accessed 3,035 times.

Contents

Biography

I was born in Middletown, Connecticut, on September 12, 1955.[1]My parents, Joseph N. Kupau, Jr and Alberta Vetu Kupau, moved to Enfield, Connecticut, when I was 3 years old, where I spent my childhood. Upon graduating from Enrico Fermi High School, in 1973,[2][3][4]I joined the Army, where I met my husband, Charles Briggs, while completing my MOS training at Fort Gordon, Georgia. We married 6 weeks after we met and just this past April (2017), we celebrated our 43rd wedding anniversary. After we married, we moved to Suffolk County, Long Island, New York, where my husband was born and raised, and within the first 5 years of marriage, we were blessed with 3 daughters, Jennifer Nalani, Jessica Marie, and Jamie Lynn. Once Jamie, our youngest, began Kindergarten, I found work as a security guard, working nights, while my husband worked day shift, so that one of us would always be home for our daughters. Over time, as our daughters grew into young ladies, I experienced various promotions until I finally reached my goal to become the Operations Manager for 2 prominent security guard companies, while working weekends as a certified instructor for security personnel, for the last 5 years that we lived in New York. During the early years, I became involved in a several volunteer opportunities, teaching Sunday School for 10 years, holding position of Superintendent of Church School for 2 years, several years, working in our local soup kitchen, and tutoring learning-disabled children. By the time our 2 younger daughters graduated from high school, with the oldest, completing a fully-paid, 4-year college scholarship, a once-affordable lifestyle in New York, no longer existed. Only several years prior, the end of 1994, the company that my husband diligently "gave his all", closed its door, due to high operating costs and decreased military spending by our government, relocating its business to St. Augustine, FL and while he was offered the opportunity to join them, I didn't want to leave New York until the two younger daughters graduated from high school and the oldest had finished up at Dowling (she was still living at home, while attending college). Now that our daughters had completed their studies, I agreed to make the move to Florida. My husband, daughter Jessica, and I made that move, in early 1997, where my husband was able to resume working for the same company he worked for in New York. I didn't want to start over in the security field, given that Florida had its own certifications so after working for 2 years as an aircraft mechanic, I became a Deputy Sheriff (1999-2007).[5] Due to a overwhelming number of unanticipated, untimely and at times, debilitating crises, in my personal and professional life, it was necessary for me to leave the St Johns County Sheriffs' Office in 2007, after serving 8 years. Probably one of the highlights of my stay at SJCSO was when I was awarded with the Life-Saving Award, at its annual Awards Banquet, in 200l. Out of all the jobs I've worked in my lifetime, this was my favorite. I met a lot of great people, who, to this day, when I meet them on the streets, come up to me, thanking me for the times our paths crossed, under less than perfect circumstances (incarceration), and how I always treated everyone with kindness, fairness, and respect. Once life settled down, several years after my departure, I had no desire to return to that field of work as I did not want to resume working 12-hour rotating shifts and mandatory overtime/holidays so I spent the the few years, working as a habilitation trainer for potentially-violent, mentally-challenged adult males. I left this field, after realizing that profit was considered more important than the welfare of these clients, so I decided to take an early pension from my work as a deputy, while working part-time, taking on merchandising and pet-sitting assignments as an Independent Contractor, and enjoying more time with my grandchildren. Seeing how many have left this world, before me, through their untimely deaths, has given me a deep appreciation to have made it through life for this long. At present, I have 8 grandchildren: Andy, Hanna, Christian, Karma, Gavin, Judah, Liam, and Mikenzie. Sadly, my youngest grandson, Grady, born in Jan. 2015, unexpectedly died, one month after his birth, due to an untreatable heart condition. I don't get to see my grandchildren as much as I'd like as they all live so far away but I'm grateful for whatever time I do get with them. It saddens me that my own mother never got the chance to meet and enjoy any of her great-grandchildren, before she passed away in 2005, as none of them were born, when she passed away. My dad died, in 2013, after meeting his first 2 great grandchildren, Andy and Hanna, but he, too, never got the chance to meet his other great grandchildren. Georganne, my step-mom for 33 years, and who I dearly loved like my own mom, passed from this life and joined my dad and mom, just before Christmas, 2016. With the deaths of my beloved mother-in-law, Rita Briggs, in 2008 and father-in-law, Frederick Briggs, in 2009, all those loved ones, closest to me and who "parented" and guided me through my own adulthood and beyond, are now gone, marking the end of an era with only memories to fill the silence.

Meaning of first name

[1] Whether or not the first name that we are given at birth, actually has some credit in helping to define our lives, it's fun to know what our name really means and where it initially originated..."Nalani" is Hawaiian, meaning, "The Heavens". Another meaning is "Calmness of the skies" but in my case, my father told me that he named me as it meant, "Of the Heavens". Living up to that definition, throughout my life, has me realizing how I've falling short to that name but overall, I believe I have...at least that's what I keep telling myself.

Birth

Voter Registration File

Parents

Father: Joseph Noa Kupau
Mother: Alberta F Kupau Vetu

Siblings

Sister: Leinaala J Kupau
Brother: Joseph N Kupau
Sister: Laurie A Kupau

Marriage, April 6, 1974, Fort Gordon, Georgia

Husband: Charles Briggs

In Dedication to my parents, brother, and sisters

[2] In loving dedication to my parents, brother, Joe, and sisters, Leinaala and Laurie, I created this 2 minute video. I initially created it for my brother and sisters, to help bring a smile to their faces, in light of the recent death of our dad, and the earlier death of our mom, but then, I thought it would be so nice to share it here, too.....

In Dedication to my husband and children

[3] Just a 2 minute video, set back in time, when life's wrinkles hadn't caught up yet, with any of us.

In Dedication to my cat family

[4] Since my marriage, I've always had a soft spot for kitties, especially those in need of a home. At one time, we had 9 "rescue" kitties, relying on us to watch over them~they mostly preferred outdoors but many a time, at least half of them would opt to join us indoors, as night would make its appearance. At present, we have 7 cats, between the ages of 3-5~This 2 minute video shows 5 of them: Callie, Monte, Tiger, Goldie, and Little Bear.

The Legacy Continues.....

[5] I made this 14 minute video of my first 2 grandchildren, Andy and Hanna, during one of the most turbulent and heart-breaking times of my life, coupled with being so far away from them, and I was especially missing their mom, my oldest daughter, Jennifer... It is my hope to one day create more videos, in honor of all my grandchildren but until then, I feel blessed to have this one.



Sources

  1. Florida Registered Voters
  2. Classmates.com for Enrico Fermi High School
  3. High School Network: Enrico Fermi High School
  4. Enrico Fermi High School Alumni
  5. St Johns County Board of Commissioners

Only the Trusted List can access the following:
  • Nalani's formal name
  • full middle name (M.)
  • nicknames
  • e-mail address
  • exact birthdate
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  • images (24)
  • private siblings' names
  • private children's names (3)
  • spouse's name and marriage information
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Comments: 35

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Please consider my request to be added to the trusted list for Henry Briggs. Beth
posted by Beth (Jones) Gay
Hi, Beth~Please check your private Wikitree message account.
posted by Nalani (Kupau) Briggs
Hi Nalani,

On behalf of the Connectors Project Leaders, we are doing a six-month check-in with members. Please let us know if you are still active. If you are active, please let us know in which ways you are currently contributing to the project.

All of us at WikiTree would like to thank you for your contributions and hope that you are enjoying exploring your roots.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Michelle ~ Volunteer Coordinator

Hello, Nalani,

Thank you so much for responding to our check-in for the Miltary and War Project.

We are sorry to hear that you are not currently active, but we understand that life happens and interests shift as we grow our shared tree and that some members may have moved on to projects more pertinent to the branches they are currently building. Please know that you will always be welcome to rejoin should your interests shift back in this direction.

Thank you so much for your participation; we genuinely appreciate it.

Deb ~ Volunteer Coordinator

posted by Deb (Lewis) Durham
Hello, Nalani,

On behalf of the Military and War Project Leaders, we are doing a six-month check-in with members.

First, we want to thank you for your past participation in the project. We appreciate your desire to honor your ancestors for their service to their countries, or even for your service, wherever in the world. We hope that your membership has enhanced your WikiTree experience.

Please let me know, by commenting on my profile or sending a private message, if you are still active in the project, and if so, in a general sense how you may have contributed to the main project or any sub-projects within the last couple months.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Deb ~ Volunteer Coordinator

posted by Deb (Lewis) Durham
Hi I would like to invite you again this year to join the 2018 Spring Clean-a-Thon and join the Team Tennessee Volunteers 2018 Spring Clean-a-Thon this year I am going to be the leader like I was for Team Tennessee 2017 Source-a-Thon. I will also be the leader of Team Tennessee Volunteers 2018 Source-a-Thon too this year. Notice the change in the name of the team. Here is our free space page:https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Team_Tennessee_Volunteers_-_2018_Spring_Clean-a-Thon. It is April 21 - 23. You need to register for this by April 19th that is the last day to register.

Star this is the link you need to go to and The registration deadline is April 19, 2018, at 12:01 am. Note: Please post as an answer not as a comment. Thanks! https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/586403/will-you-participate

posted by [Living Barnett]
Hi Nalani!

Do you happen to speak any other languages? Would you check out our languages template and add it to your biography? For example you might add

{{ Languages | en | be-2 }}

to the top of your biography if you speak English natively and intermediate Belarusian, or you could use fr-3 to specify advanced French or ru-1 for basic Russian, etc. It really helps to know who speaks all the different languages used on WikiTree!

If there is a language you speak that is missing from our categories, I would be happy to add it.

Thanks,

Karen

posted by Karen Lowe
Good day

Please check your pending merges

Hi! I invite you to tag any Tryon records you maintain so they may be listed in the Tryon Name Study.

We actually have three categories - one for the Americas, one for England, and one catch-all.

You can find these linked from my profile.

If you have any questions - don't hesitate to ask!

MM

posted by Michael Maranda
Thank you so much Nalani..!! Moses is my 7th Great Grandfather. I really appreciate the information.

Greg

posted by Greg Jackson
Hi Nilani, I am not getting any response to requests to Betty Tindle. You co-manage Green-1727, will you approve the merge or add me to the list. Thanks.
posted by Marj Adams
Hi, Nalani!

I was about to enter a Hiram P. Edmonds, farmer, born in Ogle Co., Illinois, who married a Helen Waldo and had three children. My source is the History of Ogle County, Illinois, 1878. Where is your Hiram P. Edmonds, of Illinois, from? Yours says he was born in 1844. Mine was born in 1843. I don't know whether add him or add to yours. Please respond, but not to my email, unless you use [email address removed] because I can't get into my other email. Am considering dumping it, anyway. Thanks. Jill Lee

posted by Jill (Turkington) Lee

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