Donna Shum Wong

Donna was born in China. Her parents expected her to become a physician in China, but Donna wanted to come to the U.S. She came to Fort Worth, Texas, under the sponsorship of Dr. W. T. Connors of the Southern Baptist Seminar. When she came to the U.S., she graduated from Paschall High School in Fort Worth in one year plus two summer sessions. She then graduated from Texas Wesleyan college in 1942, majoring in math and social science. During her college years at Texas Wesleyan College, she was known as Tachiu Shum, the girl from China. Also, during this time period, she was married and had two children; and worked long hours at a restaurant.

Following graduation, she move to San Francisco and worked for an immigration lawyer. In 1948, she became a naturalized citizen and chose Donna as her first name. 1952, she moved to Houston and took a job in the City Controller’s office where she was Houston’s first Chinese employee. At that time, she was certified as a translator and interpreter for the Immigration and Naturalization Service. She also had a part-time job working with an attorney on immigration matters. After more than 28 years, she retired from the City of Houston to devote full-time to immigration work, working to help Chinese people get out of China and into the U.S. before England turned Hong Kong over to China.

Donna is devoted to her family, the First Methodist Church, and looks back with pride to her stellar work with the immigration.

A Memorial Service will be on Saturday, August 30, 2014 at 12:30 PM in The Chapel at Clarewood House, 7400 Clarewood Dr., Houston, TX 77036, 713-774-5821.