The real Dr. Funk - Tiki Drinks and Food

T TikiTomD Grand Member (6 years) Flagler Beach, FL Joined: Sep 20, 2009 Posts: 700	T TikiTomD Posted posted on Tue, Apr 17, 2012 7:45 AM Not much is recorded about Dr. Funk’s sunset years. The factual information that follows comes from Leilani Burgoyne’s “Going ‘Troppo’ in the South Pacific: Dr. Bernhard Funk of Samoa 1844–1911” and Peter Maubach’s “Dr. Bernhard Funk (1844-1911): a Neubrandenburger in the South Seas” in the 1995 Local History Yearbook of the Regional Museum of Neubrandenburg. From his interview for the biographic sketch in the 1907 The Cyclopedia of Samoa, one could infer that Dr. Funk continued to be actively involved in Samoa’s public health care after his 1904 retirement. We know for a fact that he served on a casual basis to back up the government medical officer when short-handed. He likely also continued his private practice. Though speculation, it’s hard to imagine that he didn’t spend a great deal of time at his health resort on the crater lake, Lanoto`o, as well as continuing to host parties, including his popular Bierabend or “beer nights,” in the two Samoan fale behind his home in Sogi. Dr. Funk also continued to collect meteorological data for the government from his home through 1910. In early 1911, an ill Dr. Funk boarded a steamship for Germany to receive medical treatment there. It must have been an intensely emotional parting from the love of his life, Senitima, his Samoan princess and wife, as well as from an island home and friends acquired over his thirty years of residence in Samoa. On April 8, 1911, Dr. Funk died at age 66 in St. Urban’s Hospital in Berlin, after what was simply described as a “long illness.” On April 12, four days later, he was buried in Neubrandenburg, Germany, the town of his birth, almost 9,700 miles from Samoa. His headstone in Neubrandenburg Cemetery, no longer existing, was inscribed ”Dr. Bernhard Funk aus Apia” (“Dr. Bernhard Funk of Apia”)... The old doctor realized that he would probably never return to his beloved Samoa, so he made a provision in his will to ensure something of him would remain there. Following his death, a block of granite arrived in Samoa from Germany. On it was inscribed ”Dr. Bernhard Funk.” In October of 1913, his friends gathered around the shores of Lake Lanoto`o (Lanutoo) for a memorial service to the old German foma`i (healer). At this service, the inscribed memorial stone was erected, fulfilling the last of the old doctor’s wishes... And so we end the tale of Dr. Funk, with our old medico, “who was known throughout the South Pacific for his famous cocktail and his walks along the beach, cigar in mouth and cane in hand” fading into the fabric of turn-of-the century South Seas history... When word of Dr. Funk’s passing arrived in Tahiti, I can well imagine there wasn’t a dry eye in the Cercle Bougainville. I expect Joseph, the club steward, with Doctor Funk in hand, proposed a toast to Herr Funk, joined in raucous chorus by a colorful assemblage of sea captains, merchants, adventurers, artists, tourists and common seamen. -Tom

Not much is recorded about Dr. Funk’s sunset years. The factual information that follows comes from Leilani Burgoyne’s “Going ‘Troppo’ in the South Pacific: Dr. Bernhard Funk of Samoa 1844–1911” and Peter Maubach’s “Dr. Bernhard Funk (1844-1911): a Neubrandenburger in the South Seas” in the 1995 Local History Yearbook of the Regional Museum of Neubrandenburg.

From his interview for the biographic sketch in the 1907 The Cyclopedia of Samoa, one could infer that Dr. Funk continued to be actively involved in Samoa’s public health care after his 1904 retirement. We know for a fact that he served on a casual basis to back up the government medical officer when short-handed. He likely also continued his private practice. Though speculation, it’s hard to imagine that he didn’t spend a great deal of time at his health resort on the crater lake, Lanoto`o, as well as continuing to host parties, including his popular Bierabend or “beer nights,” in the two Samoan fale behind his home in Sogi. Dr. Funk also continued to collect meteorological data for the government from his home through 1910.

In early 1911, an ill Dr. Funk boarded a steamship for Germany to receive medical treatment there. It must have been an intensely emotional parting from the love of his life, Senitima, his Samoan princess and wife, as well as from an island home and friends acquired over his thirty years of residence in Samoa. On April 8, 1911, Dr. Funk died at age 66 in St. Urban’s Hospital in Berlin, after what was simply described as a “long illness.” On April 12, four days later, he was buried in Neubrandenburg, Germany, the town of his birth, almost 9,700 miles from Samoa. His headstone in Neubrandenburg Cemetery, no longer existing, was inscribed ”Dr. Bernhard Funk aus Apia” (“Dr. Bernhard Funk of Apia”)...

The old doctor realized that he would probably never return to his beloved Samoa, so he made a provision in his will to ensure something of him would remain there. Following his death, a block of granite arrived in Samoa from Germany. On it was inscribed ”Dr. Bernhard Funk.” In October of 1913, his friends gathered around the shores of Lake Lanotoo (Lanutoo) for a memorial service to the old German *fomai* (healer). At this service, the inscribed memorial stone was erected, fulfilling the last of the old doctor’s wishes...

And so we end the tale of Dr. Funk, with our old medico, “who was known throughout the South Pacific for his famous cocktail and his walks along the beach, cigar in mouth and cane in hand” fading into the fabric of turn-of-the century South Seas history...

When word of Dr. Funk’s passing arrived in Tahiti, I can well imagine there wasn’t a dry eye in the Cercle Bougainville. I expect Joseph, the club steward, with Doctor Funk in hand, proposed a toast to Herr Funk, joined in raucous chorus by a colorful assemblage of sea captains, merchants, adventurers, artists, tourists and common seamen.

-Tom

Post #632674 by TikiTomD on Tue, Apr 17, 2012 7:45 AM