Rose Fong Eng

Former long-time Walla Walla resident and centenarian, Rose F. Eng, who resided in West Richland, WA, for the past 9 years, passed on to be with the Lord on August 12, 2019, in Richland.

Visitation will be Friday, August 23, 2019, at 11 a.m., at Herring-Groseclose Funeral Home, 315 W. Alder St. in Walla Walla. A funeral service will be held at 12 p.m., with Pastor Steve Morris officiating. Following that, there will be a graveside service at Blue Mountain Memorial Gardens, 300 S.E. Myra Road in College Place. A reception will then follow.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Christian Aid Center at 202 W. Birch St. in Walla Walla or another charitable organization of the donor’s choice through Herring Groseclose Funeral Home.

Rose was born in Haipeng, a village in Canton, China (now known as Guangzhou, in Guangdong province) to Sui Fong and Gim Lim. At age 16, she married Yew Foo (“Bill”) Eng. However, after only about a year of marriage, Bill left Rose behind in China and immigrated to the U.S. through sponsorship of his father, who operated a Chinese shop and pharmacy in Walla Walla. Restrictive U.S. immigration laws in the 1930s and 1940s favored people who owned businesses as sponsors of immigrants to the U.S. Coming to the U.S. enabled Bill to find a better means to financially support his wife. This was not an uncommon practice with many Chinese men during that time period. In the meantime, it was a Chinese custom for Rose to live and serve in the household of her new mother-in-law and two younger sisters-in-law. She continued living and serving in that all-female household for the next eleven years. She often recounted to her children the many hard and laborious tasks she had as a family servant.

In 1947, Rose was granted permission to immigrate to the U.S. and rejoin husband Bill, whose service in the U.S. Army enabled him to become a U.S. citizen and, in turn, sponsor her immigration. In 1948, the first of five children was born to Rose, and the last child was born in 1955. Needless to say, she had her hands full caring for young children for many years as she gave birth to five children over seven years. She became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1961.

After the children grew older, Rose began working alongside Bill, who at that time owned and operated the Canton Cafe in Walla Walla. She replaced Bill’s father, Jam Y. Eng, who had helped Bill operate the restaurant and then retired. For many years, Rose worked long hours as the primary cook at the restaurant, which had many loyal customers who loved the tasty dishes. Rose and Bill continued operating the restaurant until 1980 when it was sold, and they both were finally able to retire.

In her retirement years, Rose devoted time to her special interests. She enjoyed spending time gardening, which was one of her passions. She grew some of her favorite Chinese vegetables, among which were bok choy, bitter melons, winter melons, snow peas, and others. It was in her vegetable and flower gardens that she found sanctuary. Other hobbies included sewing and knitting. She was creative knitting sweaters for herself, as well as her grandchildren. She was a very talented cook who created many delicious dishes at family gatherings. Reading her daily Chinese newspapers, her Chinese-translation Bible, and her Christian booklets were things she relished in her spare time. She enjoyed spending time with family and close friends and when needed, loved to care for her two grandchildren who lived in Walla Walla. All her three grandchildren have many fond memories of the time they spent with their grandmother. Throughout her life, especially as a mother and grandmother, Rose exemplified the Christian ideals of sacrificial love and servanthood. She provided boundless love and care for her family, and she made many personal sacrifices of her time and financial resources for their betterment in life. Her family’s needs were always more important than her own welfare and comfort. All her family would say she was the best mother and grandmother they could have.

Rose is survived by her daughter, Ina Eng, of West Richland; son, Stanley Eng (Nancy), of San Francisco; son, Richard Eng (Hong), of West Richland; daughter, Wanda Schilling (Gary), of Petaluma, CA.; son, Gary Eng (Evelyn), of Seattle; granddaughter, Heidi Eng, of Seattle; grandson, Jeff Eng, of Seattle; granddaughter, Jocelyn Eng, of Los Angeles; step-grandson, Peter Chen (Ah-Bao) of San Jose, CA; step-granddaughter, Diana Chen of Beijing, China; an older sister, Woon Tai Eng, of New York City, NY; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Bill, in 1994; daughter-in-law, Cathy, in 2008; father-in-law, Jam, in 1978; mother-in-law, Wong Shee, in 1968; parents, Sui Fong and Gim Lim, as well as three sisters and a brother.