Our Family: in memory of Papa Mama and Grandparents
by Tiao J. Chang Shiow M. Chang Leyen S. Chang
October 1, 2009 Papa, Mama and Family
Growing up in two adjacent villages of southern Taiwan divided by a stream, Papa and Mama were married through a traditional Chinese matchmaker in 1940. The union of Papa, a man of excellent build, and Mama, a woman of great intelligence, was unique in many ways, particularly for a poor family in the farming village. Papa was born and raised for farm work only, but Mama was quick with numbers and wanted to do more than farming for the family. It was with this contrast that we grew up with the other three families of uncles, two older and one younger than Papa, living next to each other and sharing a typical Chinese court yard.
Mama believed that she should and would have eight children and was determined to raise the eight children. Big brother was born when Papa was twenty-one years old and Mama, nineteen; Mu-Lin, the youngest in the family, arrived seventeen years later.
Naturally as a big family, we would have more helping hands for farm work. However, as Taiwan returned to China from Japanese occupation, Mama realized the value of education and believed that the family should take advantage of the mandatory schooling campaign to keep their children in school as long as they could. Of course, this would inevitably add financial stress to the family, but she was extremely determined with her belief. Indeed, I was literally forced to stay in the elementary school for the first two years before I discovered the joy and merits of schooling over farming.
One by one, we have grown up and formed our own families either following Papa and Mama’s wishes or our own ways. As the eldest child in the family, Big Brother set an early example for the rest of us by passing the exam for teacher’s college that provided free tuition and a job guarantee for teaching. My happiest memory and proudest time in my schooling was to have the privilege of helping Mama read and interpret the letters when she received Big Brother’s certified mail containing checks of his monthly earnings.
Papa and Mama together lived to see Big Brother, Second Brother, Big Sister, and Second Sister form their respective families. Then, Papa left us suddenly on November 30, 1977 while Mama was totally unprepared for his departure; she wept often for the rest of her life, even when she was happy. Mama was obviously happy but wept when she heard the news that I earned a scholarship from Purdue University for pursuing a PhD in 1978; I left for America in July.
Mama was apparently pleased to head YuFun’s wedding in 1980. When I received my PhD and returned home from America in January 1982, she was happy and proud to see me; the first thing we did for the reunion was to pay respect to Papa with incense. I spent three days with her, visited temples and listened to her stories of the past four years; we had a wonderful time. Then, she wanted me to touch a hard spot in her back where the kidney was located. Without much medical knowledge, I consulted with YuFun for an urgent exam; it turned out to be a fatal kidney stone that took her life eventually. Mama bid farewell to us on July 18, 1982.
The sprits of Papa and Mama have held all of us together as a family consisting of the eight families of their children. We are determined and continue to live up to Papa and Mama’s wish. Life goes on; it is a book with no conclusion, but a circle.
TiaoJen, September 2009 Our Family
1920 - Papa was born (October 1, 1920)
1922 - Mama was born (May 10, 1922)
1941 - Mu-Chuan was born (December 2, 1941)
1943 - Mu-Yin was born (June 14, 1943)
1946 - A-Dar was born (January 2, 1946)
1948 - Yu-Lan was born (March 30, 1948)
1950 - Tiao-Jen was born (July 9, 1950)
1952 - Yu-Fun was born (August 19, 1952)
1954 - Mu-Yen was born (September 10, 1954)
1958 - Mu-Lin was born (February 16, 1958)
1977 - Papa left us suddenly (November 30, 1977)
1982 - Mama bid farewell to us (July 18, 1982)
1984 - We returned home for Mama’s final wish (July 1984)
1988 - Our home visit and reunion (December 1988)
1992 - Our home visit and reunion (August 1992)
1995 - Our home visit and reunion (July 1995)
1997 - The reunion in Athens, Ohio (July 1997) (Papa’s photo on the Mu-Yin’s wedding day in 1968)
(Mama’s photo of her family reunion in 1969)
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(The eldest son: Mu-Chuan, born 12-2-1941; photo around 1955)
(The second son: Mu-Yin, born 6-14-1943; photo around 1955)
2 (The eldest daughter: A-Dar, born 1-2-1946; photo around 1963)
(The second daughter: Yu-Lan, born 3-30-1948; photo around 1965)
3 (The third son: Tiao-Jen, born 7-9-1950; photo in 1962)
(The youngest daughter: Yu-Fun, born 8-19-1952; photo in 1964)
4 (The fourth son: Mu-Yen, born 9-10-1954; photo around 1970)
(The youngest son: Mu-Lin, born 2-16-1958; photo around 1970)
5 (Photo of Papa and Mama with Yu-Lan around 1971)
(The only photo I had with Papa and Mama around 1971)
6 (Mama at the home that she laid out, around 1972)
(Mama with Wen-Fun, the first grandson, around 1972)
7 (Papa took a rare trip visiting Big Brother in Taichung, 1975)
(Papa and Mama’s photo in the Mu-Yin’s wedding, 5-27-1968)
8 (Mama with Jean-Hwa, Yu-Lan’s first daughter, around 1973)
(Mama’s photo with her siblings in 1969)
9 (Mama’s photo in our backyard, 1978)
(Mama with Mu-Yen at our backyard, 11-20-1978)
10 (Mama with the three daughters in 1978)
(Mama with the three daughters on the wedding day, 1980)
11 (Mama with Big Sister, ShiowMing, YuFun, and grand children, 1982)
(Mama with ShiowMing’s parents & family, 1982)
12 (Mama with family on the Chinese New Year, 1982)
(Our reunion except Yu-Fun in 1984)
13 (Big Brother in the college around 1960)
(Big Brother on the wedding day, 2-18-1972)
14 (Mu-Yin in the military service around 1968)
(Mu-Yin on the wedding day, 1968)
15 (Big Sister earned a rare sightseeing trip around 1972)
(Big Sister on the wedding day, 7-31-1969)
16 (Yu-Lan around 1969)
(Yu-Lan on the wedding day, 8-12-1971)
17 (Tiao-Jen on the middle school graduation, 1965)
(Tiao-Jen on the wedding day, 1-13-1982)
18 (Yu-Fun in the middle school around 1965)
(Yu-Fun on the wedding day, 1-31-1980)
19 (Mu-Yen in the high school around 1970)
(Mu-Yen on the wedding day, 11-20-1984)
20 (Mu-Lin in the middle school around 1972)
Mu-Lin on the wedding day
21 (Our 1984 home visit: Big Brother’s)
(Our 1984 home visit: Jean-Tzu and Ying-Hsu)
22 (Our 1984 home visit: Big Sister’s)
(Our home visit: reunion except Yu-Fun, 1984)
23 (Our 1984 home visit: Second Brother’s)
(Our home 1984 visit: Second Brother’s)
24 (Our 1984 home visit: Cousin Jon-Chang)
(Our 1984 home visit: Big uncle & Jon-Chang)
25 (Visited MuYen 1984)
(Visited YuFun & family at Shen-Yau Power Station, 1984)
26 (Our 1984 home visit: YuFun & WenFun’s family)
(Our 1984 home visit: YuFun & WenFun’s family)
27 (YinHsu, Leyen, and JeanTzu in Taichung, 1988)
(Our 1988 home visit: Big Brother’s family)
28 (Leyen, DanMore & YinChen at Big Sister’s in 1988)
(Reunion at Big Sister’s, 1988)
29 (With Big Sister and MuLin to Can-Din National Park, 1988 )
(With Big Sister and MuLin to Can-Din National Park)
30 (With Big Sister in the Can-Din Park, 1988)
(With Big Sister and MuLin in the Can-Din Park, 1988)
31 (MuLin and Leyen, 1988)
(At MuLin’s new home, 1988)
32 (ShiangChing and Leyen, 1988)
(Our 1988 home visit: MuYen’s family)
33 (ShinYee, JeanHwa, Leyen & ChangChing, 1988)
(Our 1988 home visit: Second Sister’s family)
34 (ShiangChing worked on Leyen’s hair, 1992)
(Our 1992 home visit: MuYen’s family)
35 (Our 1992 home visit: Second Sister’s family)
(Our 1992 home visit: Second Sister’s family)
36 (YingHsu, JeanTzu and Leyen, 1992)
(Our 1992 home visit: Big Brother and YuFun’s families)
37 (DanMore, YingChen, and Leyen, 1992)
(DanMore, Leyen, YingHsu, YingChen, and JeanTzu, 1992)
38 (Leyen and Ping Chang, 1992)
(Our 1992 home visit: MuLin’s family)
39 (Big Sister, ShiowMing, Leyen, and MuLin, 1992)
(Our 1992 home visit: Big Sister’s family)
40 (WenChi and Leyen, 1992)
(Our 1992 home visit: Second Brother’s family)
41 (MuLin led us to visit the southern tip of Taiwan, 1995)
(Our 1995 home visit: MuLin’s family)
42 (Visited TiaoJen’s Elementary School, 1995)
(MuLin led us to visit SunDeMen - Gate to native people, 1995)
43 (WenFun, JoCheng, Leyen, and ShowHer, 1995)
(Our 1995 home visit: Second Brother’s family)
44 (Our 1995 visit: Big Sister’s family)
(1995 home visit: Big Sister and Second Brother’s families)
45 (Leyen, Yinchen, Jeantzu, and Danmore, 1995)
(Big Brother &YuFun’s families, and ChangChin, 1995)
46 (Jeantzu led us to visit Dong-Hai University, 1995)
(Our 1995 home visit: Big Brother and YuFun’s families)
47 (Jeantzu led to visit Science Library, 1995)
(Visited Science Library in Taichung, 1995)
48 (Jeantzu led us visiting Science Library, 1995)
(Our 1995 home visit: Big Brother and YuFun’s families)
49 (Leyen, YuFun, DanMore, and JeanTzu, 1995)
(Our home visit: Big Brother and YuFun’s families, 1995)
50 (Our 1995 visit: MuYen’s family)
(1995 home visit: MuYen’s family)
51 (Our 1995 visit: Second Sister’s family)
(WenChi, FunSen, and WenLee visited us in Taipei, 1995)
52 (Water park in Taipei, 1995)
(YingHsu visited us in Taipei, 1995)
53 (Visit of Big Brother, Big Sister, YuLan and YuFun, 1997)
(Our reunion in Athens, Ohio, June/July 1997)
54 (Leyen and DanMore’s basketball game, 1997)
(Watched the game in the front yard, 1997)
55 (Face in on the front yard, Athens, Ohio, 1997)
(Three is a company in Athens, Ohio, 1997)
56 (Fun time on the way to Niagara Fall, 1997)
(YinHsu and Leyen’s fun time judged by DanMore, 1997)
57 (Fun time judged seriously by DanMore, 1997)
(Fun time on the way to Niagara Fall, 1997)
58 (Three sisters in the Niagara Fall, 1997)
(Misty Niagara Fall in the background, 1997)
59 (A boat ride below the Niagara all, 1997)
(A memorable experience in the Niagara Fall, 1997)
60 (Big Brother’s family, 1997)
(Another view of the Niagara Fall, 1997)
61 (Four children in the Sea World, Cleveland, 1997)
(Visited the Sea World in the return trip from Niagara Fall, 1997)
62 (Fun time in the Sea World, 1997)
(Fun time in the Sea World, 1997)
63 (Big Sister in the Sea World, 1997)
(The group photo in the Sea World, 1997)
64 (Independence Day in Athens, Ohio, 1997)
(Ohio University Gateway on the Independence Day, 1997)
65 (Serious croquette game in the front yard, 1997)
(Fun time of the croquette game, 1997)
66 (What a croquette game on our yard, 1997)
(Everybody had a good time for the game, 1997)
67 (Big Sister piloted the boat for sightseeing, 1997)
(Second Sister’s turn for steering the boat, 1997)
68 (Big Brother as an exemplary boat pilot, 1997)
(We had a good time for the evening boat ride, 1997)
69 (Cedar Falls at the Oldman’s Cave, 1997)
(A hike at the Oldman’s Cave, 1997)
70 (Three sisters at the Cedar Falls, 1997)
(A hike at the Cedar Falls of the Oldman’s Cave, 1997)
71 (A visit of the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio, 1997)
(A good ride through the Ohio country to Dayton, 1997)
72 (Leyen and DanMore went up to pilot the airplane, 1997)
(A photo inside the gigantic air force museum, 1997)
73 (We had a good time at the Air Force Museum, 1997)
(Stopped at the capitol of Ohio in Columbus, 1997)
74 (Mini golf games at the Athens court, 1997)
(Games at the court many a evening, 1997)
75 (Big Sister was aiming seriously, 1997)
(YuFun had fun at the game, 1997)
76 (Second Sister positioned seriously, 1997)
(Everybody had a good time for the game, 1997)
77 (Conclusion of the reunion in Athens, Ohio, 1997)
(A photo before we left for the Columbus airport, 1997)
78 (Big Sister’s big smile, 1997)
(The precious reunion in Athens, Ohio, 1997)
79 (We were grateful for the uneventful reunion, 1997)
(A good conclusion is a good beginning, 1997)
80