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.

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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.

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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