Chung Thi Nguyen

Our Mom, Chung Nguyen, was born about the first of January of 1930 in Vietnam. Her home town was Tinh Binh Duong.

Her parents supported their family running a laundry service. They had to do it the hard way doing the washing in a nearby body of water, air drying the fabric and ironing it all before folding.

She had 6 brothers and sisters.

About 1949, our father,Trung Duong, went in search of Chinese medicine. He met a Chinese doctor there who helped him. This doctor said he had a beautiful niece, Chung Nguyen. They were introduced and fell in love. He asked the doctor to arrange a marraige. They were married three months later in 1950.

Their first child, Kim, was born three years later in Saigon. Brother Thanh and sister Khanh (Linda) were born soon after. Dad got a job working security and Hien was born. Then Mom and Dad ran a business at the market. Hung and Hong were born during that time. During the Vietnam War they both worked at a nearby US military base. She gave birth to Hoan, Anh (Ann), Lan (Jennifer), and Long (Kevin). Mom’s oldest son, Thanh, who was newly married, joined the Vietnamese army but went missing in action presumed to be dead.

In 1972, the military base closed. Mom started a business operating a food stand. Mom’s daughter, Kim, married to an American serviceman, left for the United States this year, also.

When the Communists took over in 1975, the family was forced to separate in order to keep their home. Dad and the younger children went to a re-education camp from 1977 to 1980 while Mom and the older children stayed home and worked in an open market.

After they were reunited, Mom sold rice for income and the children who were working contributed since their lifestyle was becoming increasingly difficult.

In 1980, Kim, their daughter in the United States, began petitioning to get her family into the Orderly Departure Program so that they could immigrate to the US. In 1983, Mom, Dad, and their eight children were allowed to leave Vietnam. Tired and weary, but full of hope, they arrived at Portland International Airport on a beautiful and sunny June, 16th of 1983 to live with Kim, Ken, and grandchildren Loan, Carl, and Andy in Vancouver, Washington.

Mom’s husband of 43 years died on March 11,1993.

Mom was always very appreciative of the life that she had here. She was able to raise her children in a free country with opportunity, healthcare and education not previously available. She had 18 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. During the early years here she did lots of babysitting. She liked doing activities with them like taking bus rides around town. Her grandchildren were Loan, Carl, Andy, Terry, Randy, Valerie, Kathy, Anita, Nancy, Janet, Victoria, Austin, Tyra, Kurt, Kyle, Dung, Duong, and Allison. She has two great-grandchildren.

Of course, as her health started to fail, she could not be as active playing with them but was always there to keep an eye on on them.

Mom’s hope was to see her family live their lives better and easier than she did, something that came true for her. She truly loved them all and hoped the best after she was gone.

We thank the Buddhist Temple for handling the services for her today.