Meeting Grand Uncle Khaw Cheng Bor

Kaitlyn and Peter Chew with grand uncle Khaw Cheng Bor

After the meet up at Ipoh the Chews from USA moved on to Penang to take on the sights before meeting up with the rest of the Chew clan who reside there. 

Aunt Rose greets Esther and .....

...meets the rest of family.

The meet up was arranged for a Thai buffet lunch at the Cititel  Hotel courtesy of grand Uncle Khaw Cheng Bor.

Grand Uncle Cheng Bor and Grand Aunt Rose arrived with Moira their daughter. Esther with Phillip and Peter and their families arrived a little later together with Angeline and Michael Tan and their family.

(L) Phyllis with Grand uncle Khaw Cheng Bor (R) Grand Aunt Rose with Esther

Catching up after a long while

The last to arrive was Phyllis and John Lauber and family from their early morning sightseeing outing.

After the introductions were through it was time to feast and more catch ups were the order of the moment.

End

Chews From USA Are Feted With Dinner

The dinner gathering for Esther Chew, her family with the Chew clan of Ipoh. 
 

Chew Boon Juan's great grandchildren from USA were in Ipoh and were treated to dinner by the Chews of Ipoh but not before capturing the event with some memorable family photographs.

Esther Chew and her family from USA. From right, Philip Chew. Peter Chew (3rd from right) Esther Chew (in black blouse) Phyllis Lauber (green blouse) and Paul Chew (in yellow) and their families

The families who showed up at the Chew museum are the descendants of Chew Choon Siew,  Chew Gaik Hoon and Ong Kek Hoo, Chew Gaik Tiew and Yeoh Ghim Cheow, Chew Choon Kok and Yeoh Suan Bee and Chew Gaik Ee and Yeoh Cheang Peng.  

Left photo. P'ng Sin Aun (in wheelchair) David Yeoh, Goh Saw Chan and Esther Chew. Right photo. Philip Chew, P'ng Sin Aun, Yeoh Lam Swee and Patrick Yeoh 

From left Agnes Chew, Esther Chew, Florence Chew, Mary Lau Swee Kim and Phyllis Lauber

There was a brief catch-up and update by all inside the museum and even a durian delight was served courtesy of Peter Chew before adjourning for dinner.

Esther with the family of  Chew Gaik Tiew and Yeoh Ghim Cheow

Esther with Yeoh Poh See (in pink) and Yeoh Oon Kok (3rd from right) children of Chew Gaik Ee and Yeoh Cheang Peng

John and Phyllis Lauber with Richard Chew (2nd from left) and his son Colin and family

Phyllis Lauber with Yeoh Siew Yoong and hubby Sathyaseelan Sivanadian and family from Australia. On her left is David Yeoh Seng Yeow and his mum Goh Saw Chan.

There were more instances for getting together and mingling and getting to know one another. It wasn’t just the food that they enjoyed but also the remembrances and the camaraderie that contributed to a memorable night.

End

The Visit Of Chew Boon Juan’s Great Grandchildren From USA

From USA with Love, Chew Boon Juan's great grandchildren

The Chew clan of Ipoh received some very important guests in July. The great grandchildren of Chew Boon Juan from the United States of America were in Ipoh.

They are the children of Herbert and Esther Chew. Herbert being the son of Chew Choon Siew and Precious Kwan. 

Herbert had passed on in 2001 and Esther came out to Ipoh with her children and grandchildren.

Herbert and Esther Chew marriage in New York, USA. Back row (6th from left) Precious Chew, Esther Chew, Herbert Chew, Chew Wan Kong (Herberts brother). Centre row (2nd from left) Barbara Chew (Herberts sister) 4th from left Chew Gaik Swee (Herberts aunt) 

Seated Chew Choon Siew and Precious Chew. Back row Robert Chew Chi Kong (Herberts brother) Esther and Herbert Chew. Pix taken in Ipoh.

“It was not easy to gather the family to come out together but we managed it and here we are” said Esther.

Esther has four children and lives in New York. Her eldest Philip lives in Los Angeles, then Peter in Boston, Phyllis in Washington and Paul in San Francisco.

They had arrived at the Chew museum to view the family exhibits and was met by Florence and David Chew, Choon Siew’s children from his second marriage.

The Chew Museum was originally the home of their grandmother Precious Chew who lived there with her children until they went overseas for studies and settled in the United States.

As they went through the collection of photographs Esther recalled their visit in 1980 when Herbert and his sister Barbara came over for a holiday with their families.

“Choon Siew so loved his children and grandchildren. Between Barbara and Herbert we were twelve of us which made Choon Siew very happy then with all the grandchildren around.

Philip remembered his grandfather Choon Siew would have 2 vehicles to take them around, a large Land Rover and another car.

Esther and family in front of Precious Chew's home, now the Chew Museum. 

'as we entered on the right was the living room with mother of pearl furniture, on the left the room where our great grandparents photos used to hang and where Uncle Ee Kong’s friend taught us karate" ..Paul.

..this was 'the dining room...beyond that was the kitchen where 7th grand aunt chat yee por used to make really good kaya jam over a charcoal fire’ ... Philip.

Paul recalled the house being bigger. ‘As we entered the house on the right was the living room with mother of pearl furniture and on the left was the room that our great grandparents photos used to hang. This was where Uncle Ee Kong’s friend taught karate to all eight of us children’.

‘After the staircase was the dining room and beyond that was the kitchen where 7th grand aunt chat yee por used to make really good kaya jam over a charcoal fire’ added Phillip.

Upstairs there were two rooms, now taken down,  where we slept in bunk beds covered with mosquito nets. Across the hallway was where my grandmother Precious and Aunt Wing Seen stayed.

Basically the house is still the same but in 1980 Ban Hoe Seng business was good as there were a lot of motorcycle stocks at the side of the house.

getting reacquainted

....discovering their roots

One of the main objectives of their visit was to reacquaint Esther's children and grandchildren with their Malaysian roots and the old family home and for the family to take a photograph in front of great grandfather’s road sign, Chew Boon Juan Road, located across from the Chew Museum. 

...our Great Grandfather's road

Left photo: (from left) Philip Chew, Linda, Ariel and Rachel. Right photo (from right) Peter Chew, Kaitlyn, Conrad.

(left photo) John Lauber, Samantha, Eli, Phyllis Lauber and Matthew. (right photo) With Esther Chew are Ava and Schuyler Chew children of Paul and Angea Chew. 

They stayed in Ipoh for three days before moving on to Penang. 

End

A Visit To ‘Lausanne’ The Bungalow On Penang Hill – Yeoh Saw Kin

'Lausanne' on Penang Hill in 1970 

In 1970 Yeoh Saw Kin returned to Ipoh together with her husband Peter Latham. 

Besides Ipoh she made it a point to drop by to Penang and visit Lausanne, the Penang Hill holiday bungalow owned by the family. 

Recalled Saw Kin “the caretaker of the bungalow had come to meet us when we got off at the Viaduct station’.

 

Viaduct Station then another 1km uphill to Lausanne 

He came with a pole and two rattan baskets to carry our luggage. But we only had some clothing for a few days stay so he took that.

It was fine as we still had about a 1km walk-up the hill which helped Peter to enjoy the view of the place.

..garden full of flowers ...

... and a trim garden to view Georgetown 

Lausanne then was full of flowers and a trimmed garden which allowed for a view sitting on the front porch.

We spent a few nights at Lausanne. We came down during the day and did the sights of Penang. Some of the Penang aunties came up and cooked local delicacies for us and it was nice.

 

With (back row) Uncle Chew Chooon Siew and Peter. (front row) a family friend, Saw Kin and cousin Angeline

“Overall our time in Penang was great”.

JAG

Through The Years – Yeoh Saw Kin

Through the years, the life of Saw Kin

Yeoh Saw Kin, the grand-daughter of Chew Boon Juan, has had an interesting life.

She grew up in the east in the forties before moving to England in the fifties and became the first girl in the family to become a lawyer in England in the sixties.

Her mother Chew Gaik Tiew was the third of Boon Juan' 10 daughters. She was married to Yeoh Ghim Cheow, the son of Yeoh Kuan Joo and the couple had two boys, Kean Cheng and Kean Seong and Saw Kin.

The Gurney Drive, Penang bungalow of grand father Chew Boon Juan. Chew Gaik Tiew is seated (4th from right, 2nd row from bottom) Chew Boon Juan and grand mother Goh are 7 & 8 from right. Saw Kin is below her mum in floral dress. Yeoh Ghim Cheow is 3rd from left (last row)   

Describing her mother as ‘the only one of her 10 aunties that didn’t play mahjong’ but would rather would go down to the Chinese book shop and rent a book so much so she took to reading after her.

Her father Ghim Cheow partnered with Chew Choon Siew, Boon Juan’s 2^nd son to establish Kinta Rubber Works.

Her early years were spent at the Yeoh residence in Ipoh, 2 Jalan Bendahara before leaving for England at the age of 9. She never returned till age 16 to apply for her identity card.

At 2, Jalan Bendahara, Ipoh. Saw Kin with baby Tom (seated 1st from left) followed by her mum, grandmother Lim Siew Tong and her father Yeoh Ghim Cheow. Her husband is at back with her brothers and their wives and family

In England she was sent to boarding school at the Convent. Her father had bought a house in England for her mother to stay and for the children to come to during the holidays.

Saw Kin went on to study law at the University of Leeds and subsequently passed out as a Barrister from Grays Inn. It was during her this time when she met her husband Peter Latham. 

Saw Kin with her parents and brother at Dover, England

Saw Kin, in her teens (in black on the floor) and her mother (3rd from left) at a relatives home.

 

In 2012 she wrote her “Reminisces of Yeoh Saw Kin” where she mentioned the time when she was born and gave a brief description of her growing up years.

“It was 1942 in the vicinity of a village in Cameron Highlands. The women of the Chew and Yeoh were pregnant simultaneously.

An Orang Asli woman delivered all of us cousins. ”My cousin Mimi was the first followed by me then Saw Lian and Honey. We were the 1942 babies”.

On Penang she recalled her grandfather Chew’s ‘big house in Gurney Drive’ where ‘we used to stay during the school holidays’.

“The boys slept in one large room and the girls in another big hall, both upstairs.

‘In the daytime we would go to Tanjung Bungah for picnics and to swim and in the evening would play hide and seek in the trees at the back of the bungalow.

She even described her uncles accordingly. 2^nd uncle Chew Choon Siew was the “Ice Cream Uncle" and the most popular. He would shout ‘anyone want strawberry ice cream’ whenever he came over. 

10^th uncle Lo Chung Liang, aunt Chew Gaik Swee’ husband was the most terrifying and was known as the Kissing Uncle. When he came around all the girls would run and hide under the table and chairs lest they get kissed by him.

Saw Kin in her art room .....

.....or laying back listening to Bible Reflections ..... seen here with her son Ian

Now at seventy six years she spends her time doing art in her art room or just laying back and listening to the Bible Reflections over the tape recorder.   

When asked if life has treated her well her reply was it was all right saying she can’t complain too much as she enjoyed the time and events as being part of her life.

Saw Kin ..... 'i can't complain much' .....

 End