Kien Tao

生平簡介

生於中國廣東省、番禺县、鴉湖村

曹作堅先生是中國廣東省番禺縣鴉湖村人，生於一九二三年六月二十八日，家中有兄弟姐妹五人，他 排行第三，有一個哥哥，一個姐姐，一個妹妹和一個弟弟。爲了逃避中國內戰 ，他的家人和他在1927年，當時他只得4歲時，從廣東番禺縣逃到中國香港。在香港沒有找到他們的理想生活，因此他的家人決定再次遷移，這次他去到越南定居。

在越南，家境亦屬清貧，故少年已要為生活奔波，他利用小小的本銭用一種原始的方法用單車與勞力運載白米從郷村到市區販賣，與此同時，因他的為人正直和中厚個性而得到白米供應商的欣賞，於1946年即他23歲時，米商決定將他的掌上明珠 Nguyen Thi Nam 許配給先生。曹先生喜出洋外，以先生當時的環境能夠娶得美麗與賢淑的妻子實屬三生有幸。

婚後，先生學習做瓷磚，並得廠方認同，其手工非凡，並介紹到隣國(寮國）工作，為確保有安穩的生活，先生決定到隣國( 寮國) 瓷磗廠做勞工，離郷別井，飽受雙思，過著孤單的日子，先生凌願意過平淡生活，好比遠隔他方，牽腸掛肚的豐富生活。回到越南為要幫補生計，曹先生與太太日間販賣牲口，夜間捱大牌檔，做其海南雞飯生意。

當儲蓄到小小資金，加上朋友與兄弟的幫助，先生開設一間非常簡陋的，制造瓷磚廠房。初時收入都算唔錯，但好境不常，越南內戰開始擴散，銷售漸減，甚至接到訂單，才有工開。

戰爭似乎對先生有太大的考驗，四歲時已嘗到逃避戰火之苦，想不到在1968年，越南內戰變得激烈時，波及先生家園，要放棄一切，帶同妻兒逃難到岳父家中。

待戰火平定後，他們一家回到原居地，眼前己不再是可愛的家園，換來的是

一片頽牆敗瓦，家園盡毀戰火中，先生又一㳄重新開始。

1975 年 越南淪陷，共產黨執政，先生與賢內助，怕兒女日後生活，想盡辦法，安排兒女離開越南。但只有部份兒女能幸運地抵達西方國家。他和剩下的家人都在不理想的生活中渡過，直至1991年(68歲)他最後一次移居，來到了美利堅合眾國的密蘇里州聖路易斯市。通過這次移居，他能夠與妻子一起和家人團聚，並幸福安寧地退休。

因爲曹先生的家人和朋友散佈于世界各地，他的孩子們曾帶他和他的妻子走遍多個國家，感受不同的文化，食物。他曾旅行過瑞士，澳大利亞，越南，中國等地。每次他旅行時都閃耀著自豪，滿意的微笑。他愛他所有的子女，內外孫子女，內外曾孫子女。

在他辭世之前，曹先生曾說他有一個充實而幸福的人生。他已準備好與他在另一個世界的妻子和兄弟姐妹們重新團聚。

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Kien Tao was born on June 28, 1923 in a small place in China called Crow Lake. It is a small town surrounded by nature in the northern suburbs of Panyu County, Guangdong Province. He was the third and middle child out of five. He had a big brother, a big sister, a younger sister and a younger brother.

In 1927, the Chinese Civil War forced lots of families to evacuate their homes and seek refuge in other towns or countries. Kien Tao was only four years old at that time. The war lasted 10 years as the communists and the nationalists fought to take control over China. To escape the warfare, Kien’s parents migrated with the rest of the refugees. Moving from Panyu County of Guangdong to Hong Kong in China. Unfortunately, they could not make a living in Hong Kong. A few years later, his family decided to immigrate again, but this time they settled in Vietnam.

At a young age, Kien developed a passion for many kinds of card games. Chinese poker and mahjong cards were his two favorites games. He was an experienced, talented and lucky gambler. Many might assume Kien had an addiction to gambling, but that wasn’t the case. He simply loved card games because he was very good at it. His mind was exceptionally quick in counting cards through these games. He once said, “it’s not gambling if you win most of the time and you are in control of the game.”

At a very young age with limited funds to his name, Kien Tao bought a used bicycle and some ropes. He started propositioning rice farmers to allow him to transporte their rice to the city‘s market for sale. While in his business venture, a rice supplier in the city took notice to Kien and agreed to allow Kien to transport his rice. The supplier came from generations of rice farmers and he had a village of rice farmers. Before long, the supplier grew fond of Kien’s impressive qualities such as having good morals, integrity, hard work ethic, honesty, and talent on the gambling table. Being knowledgeable on games of chance was a skill that was beneficial in the Vietnamese business world because this was how they networked and built connections back then.

As time passed, Kien had few encounters with the supplier's granddaughters. One particular young lady at the age of 17, was named Nam who caught his eye. He noticed her beauty, hard work ethic and resourcefulness to her family.

In the year 1946 at the age of 23, the rice supplier proposed to have Kien and his oldest granddaughter marry. Kien liked the idea of marriage, because of his age, but he did not like the chosen granddaughter. Instead, Kien had his eye on the younger sister, Nam. He counter-proposed to marry Nam. Just like that, Kien Tao and Nam Thi Nguyen were betrothed and wed that year. Their marriage lasted 67 years, until Nam died in 2013.

Kien and Nam started their married life together, but there were many struggles. Their first pregnancy was a miscarriage, their first child died at the age 12, and they had financial struggles while trying to raise a family during war time. However, Mr. Kien Tao stood strong for his family and stayed very disciplined, righteous, easy to get along with, and a charitable person.

When Kien was in his late thirties to early forties, he started his own tile production company. His business boomed and became very successful. Meanwhile, Nam started her chicken distribution and chicken congee food-vending business. Both of them worked very hard to build a comfortable and stable home while raising 10 children.

In 1968, it was the middle of the Vietnam War that gradually moved near Kien’s tile production factory. This made Kien’s tile production company suffer tremendously. The demand for tiles completely stopped and the bombing destroyed lots of his equipments. Without any other option, Kien shut down his tile production company and kept the chicken business.

Despite their efforts to settle down, North Vietnam won the war over South Vietnam in 1975. With the North’s victory, their hardships increased and survival was unpredictable. This forced Kien’s eldest daughter, Moui Thi Nguyen, second eldest daughter, Duc Thi Nguyen, second eldest son, Qui Xoung Tao, and youngest son, Minh Hung Tao, to leave Vietnam in a fishing boat in 1978 in hopes of finding a better life and better opportunities elsewhere.

In 1988, Kien’s eldest daughter applied and sponsored the remaining family members left in Vietnam to come to the United States of America. At the age of 68 in 1991, Kien immigrated one last time to Saint Louis, Missouri. With this move, he was able to retire with his wife happily and peacefully while being surrounded by family members.

With so many friends and family around the world, his grown children was able to take Mr. Kien Tao and his wife around the world to experience different cultures, foods, and adventures. He was able to enjoy many places such as Switzerland, Australia, and Vietnam. Every time he goes, there was a glow in his proud face. He enjoys and loves all his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Before he passed, Kien Tao said he had lived a long fulfilling, happy life. He is ready to meet his wife and bothers on the other side so they can be reunited once again. Mr. Kien Tao passed away on December 12, 2018 at 6:20 am at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Saint Louis, Missouri surrounded by his loving family.