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Immigrant Tan Siew Ewe, Tapah
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Subject :Immigrant Tan Siew Ewe, Tapah
Published By : None
Location : Tapah, Perak
Estimated Year : 1950
Media Type : Photograph
Source : Ong Kor Leong, Tapah
Remark : The first two of these photographs show Tan Siew Ewe, born in Fujian Province, China in 1886. She came to Malaya and Tapah before the First World War as the new bride of Ong Bee Thye, who himself first came to Malaya as an immigrant from China in 1904, prospered here through sheer hard work and returned to China to marry. Although named Tan Siew Ewe, she was known by all in the family as Luc Sim Ma (sixth Grandma) as she had married the sixth son.
Unfortunately her husband passed away at a very early age in 1924, leaving her with six children to bring up, three boys and three girls, the youngest being only three years old.
However by his passing in1924, Ong Bee Thye had left the family well provided for, with thriving businesses and their own premises in Tapah.
Tan Siew Ewe was a tough old lady and in 1926, two years after her husband’s death, she took on the Tapah Shell Petrol agency (which her grandson Ong Kor Leong, still manages today) while continuing to run the other businesses until her sons could take over. Her grandson remembers her fondly and happily recounts that when she died in 1964 at age 78 she still had a full set of her own teeth and could still bite raw sugar cane to enjoy it.
The third photograph (right) is of Tan Siew Ewe’s funeral procession in Tapah turning from the Main Road to the Old Chenderiang Road on the way to the burial grounds. A local bus led the procession carrying her photograph (the centre one shown above) displayed on the front, surrounded by floral decorations. A large group of mourners walked behind. The bus registration number was A3873 indicating that the vehicle was approaching 20 years old at that time.
To see portraits of Ong Bee Thye and his Wife Tan Siew Ewe, click here.
To read more about Ong Bee Thye, click here.
To read more about The Ong family of Tapah, click here.
To read more about the Ong family premises in Tapah, click here.
Unfortunately her husband passed away at a very early age in 1924, leaving her with six children to bring up, three boys and three girls, the youngest being only three years old.
However by his passing in1924, Ong Bee Thye had left the family well provided for, with thriving businesses and their own premises in Tapah.
Tan Siew Ewe was a tough old lady and in 1926, two years after her husband’s death, she took on the Tapah Shell Petrol agency (which her grandson Ong Kor Leong, still manages today) while continuing to run the other businesses until her sons could take over. Her grandson remembers her fondly and happily recounts that when she died in 1964 at age 78 she still had a full set of her own teeth and could still bite raw sugar cane to enjoy it.
The third photograph (right) is of Tan Siew Ewe’s funeral procession in Tapah turning from the Main Road to the Old Chenderiang Road on the way to the burial grounds. A local bus led the procession carrying her photograph (the centre one shown above) displayed on the front, surrounded by floral decorations. A large group of mourners walked behind. The bus registration number was A3873 indicating that the vehicle was approaching 20 years old at that time.
To see portraits of Ong Bee Thye and his Wife Tan Siew Ewe, click here.
To read more about Ong Bee Thye, click here.
To read more about The Ong family of Tapah, click here.
To read more about the Ong family premises in Tapah, click here.
Filename : 20080515-013