Fee Har Fong Yee

YEE, Fee Har Fong, age 98 years, passed away on Wednesday, January 2, 2013 at Glenbrook Hospital, Glenview, Chicago, IL. Beloved wife of late Foo Lock Yee. Devoted mother of William Yee and his wife Donna Ang Yee. Loving grandmother of Lai So and her husband Allen So, Faye Yee, Weamein Yee, Timothy Yee. Cherished great grandmother of Jessica So, Ryan So.

Lai So (Granddaughter) wrote:

Thinking about my grandmother, many stories come to mind. She told me tales about growing up in China, getting married, and immigrating to the US. As the pampered youngest of 8, Grandma didn’t have to do many household chores. So marriage was a plunge into a pool of new experiences.

On the Yee family farm, Grandma learned how to plow, plant, and harvest. On top of that, she had to quickly learn how to cook under the watchful eye of her mother-in-law, my great-grandmother.

But the stories that stick in my mind the most--- involve a jersey cow. A city girl taking care of a cow, just let your imagine flow… Apparently, the cow had a mind of its own and would often run off to a neighboring farm.

She discovered half the fun was not in the chase… 

She realized it was necessary to retreat and wait for the cow to come home. Once, the cow ran off for 2 days and came home very sick. She managed to nurse the cow back to life. Afterwards, the cow never ran away from home.

Her acquired grit and strength was tested when she had to endure a long separation from her husband due to WWII. She had to raise my father by herself in war-torn China. When she immigrated to the US, the language barrier didn’t stop her from running a successful laundry business. Tough times or difficult circumstances didn’t dampen her spirit.

I never saw her give up. What I did see was her daily walk with the LORD. Every morning, she would read the bible and pray before the start of the day. I saw how my grandmother endured the loss of her husband, mother-in-law, daughter-in-law (my mother), and her first-born, my father. I saw how she took on the role to care-giver for my brother and sister when our mother passed away.

I also saw the joy in her eyes when she held her first grandson, Weamein, in her arms, when her great-grandson Ryan took his first steps, when her great-granddaughter Jessica demanded hugs, when her granddaughter Faye baked an apple pie or whenever her grandson, Timmy smiled.

My children were very blessed to have known their great-grandmother. She left a great legacy. She lived a rich life. There are so many stories about her life; it would take days to tell them all. I want thank her for being the matriarch of the family and for holding us together.

A funeral service will be officiated by Pastor Daniel Chan on Friday, January 11 at 10:00 AM at Boston Harborside Home of JS Waterman & Sons-Waring-Langone followed by a procession to Newton Cemetery. Family will receive relatives and friends at 9:00 AM prior the service. Parking attendants on duty.