Biography of Our Mother, Siu Tong Tse
Our mother, Siu Tong Wong-Tse, was born on the 21st day of the fifth lunar month in the sixth year of the Republic (July 9, 1917), in Tangdu Village, Heshan County, Guangdong Province, China, into a scholarly family. Her father, Wang Shao-he, was a Qing dynasty xiucai (provincial graduate), and her mother was Feng Dai-qun. From a young age, she was a diligent student and an outstanding pupil. After graduating from secondary school, responding to the needs of her hometown, she entered a teacher training college and subsequently taught at a county primary school. During the Second World War, she was active in women’s organizations in the county and met Mr. Tse Wing-po, who often visited the county government offices. At the age of twenty-four, she married Mr. Tse. After marriage, she continued to assist her husband in his work at the county government, supporting him and raising their children, until the change of government on the mainland.
At the end of 1949, Mother brought their son and daughter and followed our father to Hong Kong, hastily leaving behind her graduation certificates and other documents. Upon first arriving in Hong Kong, being unfamiliar with the place, she soon exhausted the money they had brought, and the family’s livelihood became an immediate concern. She would have been qualified to teach in Hong Kong primary schools, but unfortunately she had not brought her teaching diploma, so she had no choice but to take on arduous factory work. She willingly accepted this and labored for many years, raising her children to become accomplished adults. During those difficult years, however, the heavenly Father gave the family the opportunity to receive the Christian Gospel, and in 1959, she along with her eldest daughter, eldest son, and second daughter were baptized, testifying to the new life the Lord had given them.
In mid-1982, Mother and Father emigrated together to Hawaii to reunite with their eldest son, whose family had moved to Hawaii at the end of 1979. No longer needing to labor for a living, she could go every day with her husband to Chinatown for dim sum, freely participate in various community activities, and regularly join groups of seniors on bus excursions — this was a joyful period in her life. During their time in Hawaii, their younger son and second eldest son were successively approved to come to the United States, both choosing to settle in Seattle. Their eldest son also planned to move there after retirement to be closer to his daughter and son. So in August 2002, Mother and Father relocated to Seattle, living with their youngest son’s family and frequently meeting with their second son’s family, which brought her considerable comfort.
When they first arrived in Seattle, although already in her eighties, she still frequently accompanied her father on bus rides to explore the area. Starting in 2011, Mother began experiencing problems with her legs, making it difficult to move about, so she rarely went out. Living in her youngest son’s home, she received attentive daily care from her son, daughter-in-law, and two granddaughters — something that should have been a comfort. Unfortunately, the blood circulation in both her legs grew progressively worse, eventually requiring the amputation of both lower legs. For anyone, this would be exceedingly difficult to bear. Yet the Lord gave her great courage to face it, and she knew how to cherish the time the Lord granted her with her family. She was truly a model of submission within the Lord.
In early June 2017, just as her children and grandchildren were preparing to celebrate Mother’s hundredth birthday, her left leg developed another vascular blockage, requiring surgery to remove the necrotic portion. The surgery was remarkably successful, and by the Lord’s grace, Mother was able to see her children and grandchildren who had traveled from England, Germany, Hong Kong, and other American states, all gathering to celebrate her 100th birthday — truly a great blessing from the Lord. On July 19, 2017, Mother felt unwell and was admitted to the hospital, where she was diagnosed with pneumonia. After emergency treatment, her spirits recovered somewhat, but she had difficulty eating. Her loved ones stayed by her side every day, offering comfort. On July 23, 2017, Mother peacefully returned to the embrace of her loving Heavenly Father, at the age of one hundred.
Recorded by the eldest son, Shing-ching