Name: Memorial Oaks Funeral Home & Cemetery
Address: Houston, TX

Although it is more common now than it was in the past for a person to live well into his or her nineties, it is still rare enough that it deserves mention not only for its remarkability, but also for our own natural desire to discern its secret.  And though we can attribute some or even most to genetics, good nutrition, and modern medicine, we should not discount the contributin of a loving, cheerful and generous nature.  While there may be some poetry in the notion that only the good die young, it is more accurate to say that only the good live to 100.

Hilda Chin, the third of 14 children and eldest daughter of Charles  and Daisy Lee Jackson first became a mother when, at age 19, Charles and Daisy both died and Hilda undertook the role mfor her younger siblings.  It is fair to say that any plans Hilda may have had changed that day; but her grit, her intelligence, her work ethic, and her dedication not only enabled her family to survive, but to thrive.

Chinese by ancestry and Jamaican both by birth and in her heart, Hilda immigrated to the United States in 1978 and settled in Houston where she spent the remainder of her life, and dedicated much of it to visiting patients at Northwest Hospital where she volunteered, sewing blankets for the Prayer Blanket Ministry here at Prince of Peace, and working closely with Fr. Ho Long and his ministry for the poor in Jamaica.  She was dedicated to and loved deeply by her family and her many friends.

I should mention here that a downside of living 99 years is the sheer amount of heartache one must endure.  Hilda during her life witnessed and endured the deaths of not only her parents, but a multitude of friends, all but two fo her siblings, he dear husband, and one of her own children.  The longer one lives and the deeper one loves, the more one suffers.  Thus is the irrefutable equation of life.

We gather here today to honor this good lady, but this funeral is not about Hilda. A funeral liturgy, like every other liturgy in the church is always about God.  For people of faith funerals are an opportunity to contemplate the works of God. And as we remember Hilda we pause to ask who, other than God, will remember her in a thousand years?  Who will remember us?  Who else will remember us when this world ceases to exist?  Who else will remember us when cosmic forces erase all evidence of existence?  Cast into oblivion, who else will remember us?  The questions answer themselves; there is no one else.  It is God who remembers Hilda and who will remember each of us and who has made us all worthy through His son, Jeasus Christ, who chose to die nailed to a cross rath than to live without us.  Because of Christ's death and Resurrection, Hilda's death is not the end.  Death does not have the last say.  Death does not win.  Thay is why in the midst of this sadness there is still joy.  We note that life is but a series of arrivals and departures.  Now that Hilda has departed this life we pray that she has arrived home and dwells in the place prepared for her by our Savior where she prays for you and loves all of you more now than she ever did or could have in this life.  May God Bless you! 

Lam 3:17-26
Rom 6:3-9
Jn 14:1-6

Good afternoon everybody.  My name is Wayne Lee and I am one of Aunt Sissy's nephews.
I would like to share a story with you.
Did everyone get a pack of Wrigley's Chewing gum?  It is being passed around, please take one.

When I was 7 years old my family and I along with Aunt Sissy went to Miami for a family vacation.
We did the usual things, saw the sights.  One of the things we did was to take a long greyhound bus trip to Key West to see the turtles.  I do not remember much about the turtles but I remember that Christmas Aunt Sissy gave me a toy Greyhound bus, something to remember the trip to Key West.
The thing I remember the most about that trip was what Aunt Sissy did.  It has stuck with me since that day.
We were staying a hotel in downtown Miami called the Everglades hotel, somewhere on Biscayne Boulevard.  One day she took my sister Paula down to Flagler Street and they came back with a huge case of Wrigley's chewing gum.  Gum, very similar to this pack of gum.  Aunt Sissy took that entire case, put it in her suitcase and took it back to Jamaica with her.  When I saw her again I asked her what did she do with all the gum?  She said Wayne I sold it, and there was nearly enough profit to pay for the trip to Miami.

Well, that little piece of financial Arbitrage, which Aunt Sissy was so good at, set a light bulb off in my brain.  Most 7 year olds probably wanted to eat the gum, not me I wanted buy the gum and then sell it for a profit.  I was 7 years old and I found my calling.  I wanted to become a business man like my Aunt Sissy.  My father was a physician, and wanted at least one of his children to follow in his footsteps, but when I understood what Aunt Sissy just did, medicine was not for me, business was for me!!
Every since then whenever I would see Wrigley's gum like this, it reminds me so fondly of Aunt Sissy.


Aunt Sissy was not only an entrepreneur and savvy business woman, she was one of the most determined, woman I have known.



A couple of years ago my cousin Richard Wong and I organized a family reunion, and when we started the process we asked ourselves how many do we plan for.  We had no idea who would be interested or how many would come.  We had a lot of questions.  However there was one thing that we were both absolutely certain of, Aunt Sissy was the key to the reunion.  It was imperative that she be there.
When Aunt Sissy was only 19 years old, her mother died and her father shortly after that.  It was Aunt Sissy that took charge and literally carried the family, and did so for years.  She took on the responsibility of raising so many of her younger brother and sisters, many were just babies, toddlers.  Somehow she was able to feed them, cloth them, nurture them, send them to school, take care of them and she did so for years.  She did this with very little money, and with very little help.  She did not even have any one to turn to for advice.  At 19 years old she stopped being a big sister and became Mother to so many of her younger brothers and sisters.  My father who was older than Aunt Sissy was away at school when their parents died and he was told not to come back until he finished, but he came back early, just before the war.  When he came back for that short visit, He was happy to see that Aunt Sissy was able to keep so many of their brothers and sisters together, but he felt so sorry for her.  For the burden she had undertaken.  
I asked her once, how did you manage?  She looked at me and said Wayne, you did not have time to think, you just had to do.  Whatever had to be done, you just did it.  I asked myself, If I were in her shoes, at 19 years old, could I have done better?  Not a chance!!
Well, in total, 184 people came to that reunion.  Aunt Sissy relatives came from all over the United States, Canada, Jamaica, England.  The reunion gave her a chance to see many of her relatives, but more importantly it gave her nephews and Nieces a chance to see again, many for the last time.  It gave them an opportunity to introduce their children and grandchildren to Aunt Sissy.  The woman who inspired many of us, the one woman we all admired, the one woman we were all proud of.  Aunt Sissy.
My cousin Matthew Chong Yen, whose mother was one of the children that Aunt Sissy took care of, wrote:
God gave her a long life to enjoy as much as possible in exchange for the heavy burden of caring for so many siblings as such an early age.  Aunt Sissy truly deserves a peaceful rest.

Rest in Peace Aunt Sissy.
Rest in Peace.

Mama. We are so happy you are in a better place now. No more pain and suffering. You will always be remembered for those untiring years for the blankets you personally made for the church to donate to the elderly that needed to be warm. Your entire family, especially Patsy, who treated you like her own baby, will forever miss you. Your special meals you so enjoyed preparing will be missed too. Mama you knew you were loved unconditionally and will be fondly missed by friends and family. I will remember you forever. Rest in peace.

My favourite memory of Aunt Cissy is while on a cruise she would give me advice on which slot machines she thinks was best.  All the best to you an the rest of your family

Our deepest sympathy and heartfelt condolences to the Chin Family on the loss of Mrs Chin -- a dear mother, grandmother, great mother, and sister.  We've known Mamma Chin for several years now and have found her to be a truly lovely lady. So soft spoken and sometimes funny. We've enjoyed memorable moments at company picnics or other events. All of which will be treasured. Whenever she would see me by my myself, her first question was "where's Ernie (my husband)?."  Such a gentle, warm and kind in nature lady. Hearing of her loss (and so short of her reaching that centurian milestone) is very sad. She will be truly missed. To Johnny and Patsy, my deepest and heartfelt sympathies. She's sleeping, but not for long. May you all find comfort and strength from the fond memories shared.

With Love and affection
Fay Sexton & Family

She was always so kind and considerate to our family. Her family will miss her so.

"A great soul serves everyone all the time. A great soul never dies. It brings us together again and again.' Maya Angelou.
This is a tribute to a remarkable woman: My dear Aunt Sis. I wish to thank you for looking after my Mom (Shirley Ho Tseung) and for being a second Mom to her.Your kindness will never be forgotten. It was a difficult and selfless job, but you did it. 
You are indeed a Great Soul, 
May God's perpetual light shine upon you. 
Love Angie (Aunt Shirley's daughter), Paul and Carolyn Wong.

May the wonderful memories of your loved one continue to provide a measure of comfort to you until God's promises are fulfilled. Psalms:37:10,11,29

My name is Anne Maria Ho Tseung-Yenn and I am Aunt Shirley's 4th daughter. I live in Toronto, Canada. This is my tribute for my Dear Aunt Sis.

Aunt Sis was a gentle soul whose generosity of spirit touched my life in many ways.

When I was a little girl, I enjoyed when my Mom (Aunt Shirley) would drive her Mini to take me to see Aunt Sis on the weekends. She was kind and treated me very well. She would prepare a great lunch and spend time talking to me. She would always have a special treat for me. I still have one of the special treats, it was a Jamaican T-shirt she gave me. 

After my family migrated to Canada, Aunt Sis would keep in touch with us. She would call and visit my parents and always find out how I was doing in school. She would always keep in touch throughout the years as I was growing up.

Although Aunt Sis was unable to make my wedding in July, she came up two months before to visit Toronto and told me that I would have a beautiful wedding. I remember her phone call the night before the wedding. She had kind words and good wishes.

Aunt Sis loved to knit. She was very modest about her knitting talent. She would knit beautiful crosses and send them to me. She told me to put a cross in my car for safety. I still drive with this beautiful cross in my car which always reminds me of her.

When Aunt Sis knew I was expecting, she knitted for my son a baby blue blanket and a knitted cross for his crib. I told her I will always cherish this blanket because it was a labour of love. She was very happy that I loved those gifts. Throughout the years, I would appreciate all of her letters ad her phone calls. I will miss her kindness and always asking me how my son David was doing. She showed love and always told me she hoped that I would raise my son with good values of the Lee Jackson family. 

Aunt Sis loved to keep busy and would share stories about being a volunteer at her local hospital. She was proud of delivering books and magazines to the hospital patients and talking with them. She would always tell me about the weather in her life in Houston, TX. She was also interested in how my family and I were doing in Toronto. She always said she missed living in Toronto but definitely did not miss the weather in the winter time especially the snow and the freezing temperatures. 

My dear Aunt Sis, I will miss you dearly and will always remember you. May Jesus hold you in the palm of his hand. Thank you for being an important part of my life. You will always have a special place in my heart. I love you.

Your Niece Anne Maria

As far back as I can remember my Grand Mother Enid had a thing for all the Grand Children's hands and fingers, when we sat beside her or on her lap she would massage our hands and fingers while talking about anything. 

We take for granted that the first feeling we have is touch and through that in every way that it is done it's impression is so much more complete than any of the other senses. "Granny" must have known that the bond though this would be eternal.

In remembering her at a Family Reunion in 2013 I took this picture of her 3 surviving sisters hands. Today my Grand Aunt, who's hand is seen here at the top, transitioned at the age of 99 years. What a blessing she was to so many of her Family and Friends and to me what significant to Family this image will always represent. (Appropriately titled "Reunion")

To dearest Aunt Sissy, you are beautiful, whole and young again as you have now joined in Peace the other members of our family who have also gone on to prepare for us in Heaven. 
God Bless, with love from your Grand Nephew.

Honoring the life of an amazing woman who has passed away at 99 years old. Aunt Sissie had a way of asking how you were and you knew and felt it wasn't rote, it was really from the heart. I held those hardworking hands of hers for the last time almost 3 years ago at the Lee Jackson family reunion when she asked that question. Feeble as she was at the time, her mind was still Lee Jackson sharp with all the right, caring questions. Thank you for approving Aunt Sissie and all the encouragement you gave me at this time. I will forever cherish those days you, Mom, Patsy and I would travel to Miami and go shopping, the yearly Chinese dinners at your home. I will never smell Chinese celery and not remember you. For you that was a 'capital' veggie in any chow dish; your most memorable visit to Miami where for the first time you saw me as a Mother and for the 2 weeks you helped me cater meals for Third World while they recorded in our studios, sharing many of your cooking tips with me. And your incurable love for perfumes and all I could think of when we'd get those little perfume testers was to collect them and bring for you. Aunt Sissie, thank you for the many positive childhood memories and for the lesson you thought was most to teach me- in life and in business, always smile, no matter what. RIP Aunt Sissie, may perpetual light shine upon you. Travel swiftly home. The Lee Jackson symbol you wear upon your chest in this photo, I wear proudly as a smile in my heart for you, Mom, Grandpa and Grandma Lee Jackson and our ancestors. My heartfelt condolences to my cousins, Bunny, Patsy, Johnny, Kevin, Julie, Heather. I feel your pain.

OBITUARY

Hilda Chin Wai Min

November 25, 1916 – February 11, 2016

Memorial Oaks Funeral Home & Cemetery

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