Tony Kwan Jue Village - Gong Gui Lei (Village of Multitude) 2010

This is a picture of May (sister) and Tony Kwan Jue (brother in law). We believe this picture was taken around 1940 after their wedding. Before Tony immigrated to the United States, they had a daughter, Marianne.

Gate entrance to the Kwan Village was donated and built by Tony and May Jue.

  

This is called "Sa Han" Protector of the village and its inhabitants. It was located near the entrance gate of the village.

 

The ever present pond at the Kwan Village. Except for the electrical lines, the village looked the same as 60 years ago. Thanks to the donations of Tony and May Jue and other overseas villagers, the money facilitated deferred maintenance and repair.

This whole area personifies peacefulness, no five o'clock rush here.  From the Kwan Village you can look across the pond and see lush rice fields growing in the next village and the distant mountains in the background.

The Chinese are predominately farmers, they love the feel of the soil in their hands. They have tilled their land  for centuries and tend their fields faithfully as they would in rearing their children.

 

The Tony Kwan Jue home where Marianne and cousin Gary were born. The rest of the nephews and nieces were born in the United States.

 

The kitchen prep area where the meals are prepared.

 No granite island in the kitchen here.

 

This is a two burner kitchen stove Chinese style. She is stoking the fire with kindling wood.

This is not "Yan can Cook", it's our Kenny Lau who has a perpetual smile and enjoys life to the fullest.

 

The roast pig is used for all festive occasions, our visit was considered such an affair.

 

The pig is ready, the five strings of firecrackers are ready. 

 Blast off! The firecrackers welcome the celebration and chase off the evil spirits.

The red paper is the aftermath of the big bang!

This is our travel group in a Kodak moment. Marianne is front and center in her Jam's World red flower shirt and Gary is to her right in the white shirt. It was the efforts of these two that made this entire trip "A trip of a lifetime".

Marianne with her siblings (my nieces and nephews)

Kevin, Karen, Gary, Marianne, Dianne and Peter Allen.

 

 Gary and Marianne's Uncle Jiang is 91 years old and head of the third cousins family. He has 7 sons and 2 daughters. He lives by himself and is in good health. His secret to his longevity and good health is due to his    concoction of soup with wine from 3 or 4 kinds of local poisonous snakes.

I am envious of those eyebrows...

 

 Here he is again with his young assistant.

 

The Kwan village relatives gathered with Marianne and Gary for this photo opportunity. The lady in purple top (3rd from right, front row) used to babysit Marianne. They are always happy to see relatives from the USA returning home for a visit and celebration.

In the 40's there were 290 Kwans (not counting females) living in the village, at last count there are only 60 Kwans left in the village, mostly elderly.

Typically, this is the pattern throughout the country, young people are moving to the larger cities for educational and career opportunities in China's growing economy.  

 

Vicky (left), with third cousins, Lee, Liang with granddaughter, and Murrie (right) sharing goodies with  the kids in the village.

Don, Milton, Ella and Julie enjoying the moment. 

 

Marianne and Gary were born in the same house but not the same bed. They're sitting on Marianne's bed reminiscing of their young years in the village.

 The collage on the wall is of their father, mother  and the family. These pictures were taken during our family get together's and we see them again 6,000 miles away in a setting vastly different than ours.

 Kristi is pointing at a picture of me taken when I was around seven. That's been a whole lifetime ago.

That's Tony in the larger picture in the middle.

(To enlarge the picture, click on it, to return to the blog again, click on your back arrow.)

Gary and Vicky with third cousin, Liang and granddaughter.

 

Aunt Jeanne and niece Marianne, Marianne used to introduce Jeanne as her aunt to some of the guys during their college days especially at dances. They are best buds and golfing addicts.

 

Gary, Kevin, Dianne, Marianne, Karen and Peter Allen is on the balcony where you can see forever.

 

Ella, Milton and Donna are in deep discussion of something important, 

 

Julie is on the top balcony enjoying some private time to reflect what she is experiencing.

 Paying our respects to the ancestors at the burial grounds by burning incense, burning paper money and offering food.

Chinese custom is to pay respect to their ancestors and thank them for everything they had done for the current generation. Incense is burned at the grave and fireworks are lit to scare away any evil spirits. Food is offered and taken back home where a feast ensues.

 

Here's the firecrackers to deal with the evil spirits.

 

Grandparents Kwan 

 

Walton Jue, Tony, Allen and Ed. 

Because Tony wore his uniform so did Ed and I, except Ed wore his army jacket with a navy hat, what's up with that?

Tony was assigned to the Presido of Monterey at the Army Language School which specialized in Russian, Chinese, Korean, Arabic and six other languages in its curriculum. The Presidio was a sub-installation of nearby Fort Ord.

In recent years, the Institute has taken on challenging new missions, including support for arms control treaty verification, the war on Drugs, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Restore Hope, and Operations Enduring Freedom and Noble Eagle.

A photo of Tony while he was working on the Jue's ' Bros Produce Farm in Oxnard, Ca. in the middle 40's The farm was located on Saviers Road which consisted of 15 acres. Most of the produce were sold to the Jue's family markets, local stores and the Los Angeles produce market.

After the farm closed, he came back to Jue's Market in Ventura. I remember everyday around 4:00pm, he would invite me to make home deliveries with him. The homes in those days (early 50's) were not locked and we would take the groceries into the house and put the cold things into the refrigerator and leave the bill.

While in Ventura, he made many friends and customers who still remembered him long after his move to L.A.

Tony and May went on to operate their own markets in the Los Angeles area until their retirements. They both have passed on, their legacy of a honest days work have lived on through their children and grandchildren. 

 

He was a quiet gentle person that was neither blessed nor burdened with the ambition of accumulated material things, there was a simple spirituality to Tony, he was about devotion to his wife, May, and to his children. He was about being a kind soul that always greeted you with sincerity along with a ready smile; he would always offer a listening ear no matter the subject.

He lived his life in a very positive way and expected others to do the same. He was just happy doing what he was doing. . . . There was no sense of urgency. This may seem simple to us, however, to do it day after day, year after year, even though difficult times, Tony mastered it.

I do not believe he knew his impact on others.  He was a person of purity of heart, and leaves a legacy to be emulated by his family and friends.

During the last years of May’s life, he was a pillar of support; he catered to her every need and made sure she was happy. When she cooked her festive meals for the family, he was more than happy and always ready to drive to Chinatown for her special ingredients.

We all have vision of moments and places and people that will never again seem quite as wonderful as when he was here among us.