Born in Koloa Plantation’s German Camp in Kaluahonu Valley, east of Waita Reservoir, Kaua‘i, Isaac Kaleialoha Brandt (1905-92) was the grandson of German immigrants Gerhard and Margretta Brandt.
He was also the son of Herman Brandt Sr., the assistant manager of Koloa Plantation between 1913 and 1922, and Lillie Nauele Hart Brandt.
His father jokingly told him how he met his mother: “I know father tells a story in those days when there were no automobiles, just horses and horseback riding, and whatnot. He took a ride over to Waimea and as he got to Waimea River he said he made his horse jump down the cliff, swam across the river, picked up this pretty girl, put ‘em on the back of his saddle, and brought her back to Koloa, and started the Brandt family.”
Isaac Brandt grew up in Banana Camp, the Brandt family property situated mauka of Koloa’s Anne Knudsen Park, attended Koloa School, Kaua‘i High School and the University of Hawai‘i, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in agriculture.
After college, he returned to Kaua‘i to become timekeeper for Koloa Plantation.
As he explained: “As timekeeper. Covered the whole plantation. We had three horses, changed horses, three horses a day. And the luna, the foreman of each gang, he gives you the time that they working today or not working. And you put it in your time book. Then at the end of the day, you come back to the office and distribute the working force where their jobs were on what area of the plantation, what doing and whatnot, and turn the report in to the manager.”
Later, he was promoted to agriculturist, and after about 15 years at Koloa Plantation, and fascinated by inter-island ships, he went to sea as purser on the Inter-Island Steamship Co.’s “S. S. Waialeale,” which serviced all the main Hawaiian Islands, including Ni‘ihau.
He retired as the dock superintendent of Port Allen, Kaua‘i.
In 1929, he married Hawaiian educator and civic leader Gladys Kamakakuokalani Ainoa Brandt (1906-2004) and they had two daughters.
