I had an interview with this lovely lady from the Quincy Wig and this is what she published. The photo at the end of these two articles is the one that the photographer took. I thought you might like to read these. Published: 2/24/2009 Updated: 2/24/2009
By DEBORAH GERTZ HUSAR
Herald-Whig Staff Writer
NAUVOO, Ill.
STRAINS OF "Abide With Me" played on the harp fill the living room of Irene Tukuafu's home.
It's music Tukafu loves, played on an instrument she made.
"I love making music," she said. "I want to build harps as long as I can."
Tukuafu has built 41 harps, each taking about two weeks to create from a kit in her basement workshop.
"It looks pretty messy down here," the Nauvoo woman said. "I do lots of work down here."
Tukuafu also builds the hammered dulcimer, mountain dulcimer, suitcase bass, bowed psaltery and other instruments related to the harp.
"A psaltery and dulcimer all come from zithers, which are a form of harp. Even the guitar was a form of harp; it was a lyre," Tukuafu said.
"The psaltery is the easiest instrument to play, not necessarily the easiest to tune. Each note has its separate string. This instrument I sell to people that always wanted to play the violin but don't want to deal with two years of screeching. You can easily play something from the beginning."
Music from the bowed psaltery beautifully complements the harp "at any time of year, especially at Christmas," Tukuafu said.
"My husband plays the autoharp. He plays the guitar and the mouth organ," she said. We would go as a family serenading at Christmastime because this is the Tongan tradition, to bring music to people that are shut-ins, that are neighbors, to hospitals and rest homes."
A Christmas present to her husband, Tomasi, introduced Tukuafu to the harp.
She saw a small harp during an early music class at the University of Hawaii.
"I sent away for that harp and gave it to my husband for Christmas," she said. "My husband knew I had lots of music in me. He said, 'Why don't you learn how to play it first.' I said: 'That's a good idea. I'd like to.' "
At a harp convention in Utah, she discovered harp kits sold by Musicmakers based in Stillwater, Minn., and bought one with no idea how to build it. Help came from the industrial arts teacher at the high school where her husband taught.
"He said, 'I'll teach you how to use the tools.' It changed my life," she said. "I built that harp, and I did tole painting on it. Someone else saw it and said, 'Can you make me one.' I became a harp maker."
The Tukuafus came to Nauvoo in October 2006, moving from Ashland, Ore., where they'd settled after living 30 years in Hawaii. They raised 14 children and are "up to" 45 grandchildren.
"I came here because a girlfriend I had known for 28 years was building a restaurant and wanted tables for the restaurant," she said. "I not only make instruments, but I make tables.
"When I came here, I fell in love with a small town."
Now they're putting down roots by building a roundhouse on the Mississippi. The home, designed of logs with a 5-foot skylight and arched windows, will be filled with music, much of it played by Tukuafu and her husband.
"We do this every day," he said after the couple played a duet on the dulcimer and autoharp.
She also plays with a purpose as a practitioner through the International Harp Therapy Program.
"I take my harp, either small or big, and play for people that are either dying through hospice groups, or I play in hospitals to help people feel better. They need something soothing," she said. "It is the goal of my friend who founded this organization to have a harp in every hospital by the year 2020."
-- dhusar@whig.com/221-3379Published: 2/24/2009 Updated: 2/24/2009
By DEBORAH GERTZ HUSAR
Herald-Whig Staff Writer
NAUVOO, Ill.
STRAINS OF "Abide With Me" played on the harp fill the living room of Irene Tukuafu's home.
It's music Tukafu loves, played on an instrument she made.
"I love making music," she said. "I want to build harps as long as I can."
Tukuafu has built 41 harps, each taking about two weeks to create from a kit in her basement workshop.
"It looks pretty messy down here," the Nauvoo woman said. "I do lots of work down here."
Tukuafu also builds the hammered dulcimer, mountain dulcimer, suitcase bass, bowed psaltery and other instruments related to the harp.
"A psaltery and dulcimer all come from zithers, which are a form of harp. Even the guitar was a form of harp; it was a lyre," Tukuafu said.
"The psaltery is the easiest instrument to play, not necessarily the easiest to tune. Each note has its separate string. This instrument I sell to people that always wanted to play the violin but don't want to deal with two years of screeching. You can easily play something from the beginning."
Music from the bowed psaltery beautifully complements the harp "at any time of year, especially at Christmas," Tukuafu said.
"My husband plays the autoharp. He plays the guitar and the mouth organ," she said. We would go as a family serenading at Christmastime because this is the Tongan tradition, to bring music to people that are shut-ins, that are neighbors, to hospitals and rest homes."
A Christmas present to her husband, Tomasi, introduced Tukuafu to the harp.
She saw a small harp during an early music class at the University of Hawaii.
"I sent away for that harp and gave it to my husband for Christmas," she said. "My husband knew I had lots of music in me. He said, 'Why don't you learn how to play it first.' I said: 'That's a good idea. I'd like to.' "
At a harp convention in Utah, she discovered harp kits sold by Musicmakers based in Stillwater, Minn., and bought one with no idea how to build it. Help came from the industrial arts teacher at the high school where her husband taught.
"He said, 'I'll teach you how to use the tools.' It changed my life," she said. "I built that harp, and I did tole painting on it. Someone else saw it and said, 'Can you make me one.' I became a harp maker."
The Tukuafus came to Nauvoo in October 2006, moving from Ashland, Ore., where they'd settled after living 30 years in Hawaii. They raised 14 children and are "up to" 45 grandchildren.
"I came here because a girlfriend I had known for 28 years was building a restaurant and wanted tables for the restaurant," she said. "I not only make instruments, but I make tables.
"When I came here, I fell in love with a small town."
Now they're putting down roots by building a roundhouse on the Mississippi. The home, designed of logs with a 5-foot skylight and arched windows, will be filled with music, much of it played by Tukuafu and her husband.
"We do this every day," he said after the couple played a duet on the dulcimer and autoharp.
She also plays with a purpose as a practitioner through the International Harp Therapy Program.
"I take my harp, either small or big, and play for people that are either dying through hospice groups, or I play in hospitals to help people feel better. They need something soothing," she said. "It is the goal of my friend who founded this organization to have a harp in every hospital by the year 2020."
-- dhusar@whig.com/221-3379
this is our Temple presidency. They all gave poems, or songs or wild stories. You can see the harp in the background. I played harp for them and all the folks that came to dinner that are Temple Missionaries. We work with these precious folks every Saturday.
Temple Pres and sweet darling wife sang "I give to you and you give to me, true love......." Her voice quavering and in tune.....not too many dry eyes on this song. Then there was someone that sat down to the piano and played a long waltz and even Tomasi danced with me this one waltz. It was a joyous Valentines Dinner and evening.
Tomasi has been teaching other folks how to play the autoharp. cute, yeah? My lap dulcimer is always ready for a tune. This is Ramona Halman. A very dear friend. We have had several other missionaries come over to learn how Tomasi plays the autoharp. I put on 6 strings on her autoharp............
This is Laurie Peterson, has 6 children.....marvelous home school mom...and this is the one that plays the violin...........she makes me look and sound good. She gave me these lovely flowers on my birthday as well. sweeeeeeeeeeet. 
this was one of the weird little houses on the walking place on the Beach. all $3 mill and up places. 
and look at this weird house....what views eh?
this is on the first day I got there and took the bus system to Mission Beach to see the sun go down. Vicki had picked me up at 6:15 a.m. in 
This was on the trolley and one picture out to see San Diego in the distance. It is 
this is the corner of the big outside Organ that I found in Balboa Park. When I went to this place riding on the Trolley........I heard the HUGE organ playing...so I said, "I want to get off here, how far is it to Old town?" the answer was 10 minuets. I came right to this organ and heard it and marvelous was the sound, outside. 
So 
this tells more about it. of course, someone else took this picture and I can see it's a bit 
Okay, folks, when I publish these posts, I'm still not too "swift" with it. I need to learn to publish the OLDEST pictures first then come to the newest, but if you want to just look see, that's okay, I'm not going to rearrange these, just post more often. This huge fish I "petted" every time I passed him in the lobby of the Hotel where the convention was held. I so love 
I have met many wonderful folks at these through the years.....
okay, 
this was a great picture of me, even if I do say so myself.....a few days before turning 68.............oh happy day.