Linda Mui Lim

Linda Lim was born on February 1, 1931, in Chao-Yang Village, Duan-Fen Township, Tai-Shan County in China. Linda was the oldest of three born to Johnny and King Yao Chan Moy. After graduating from Duan-Fen Primary School, she continued studying at True Light Secondary School in Hong Kong to complete her high school education.

She married her life partner Sam Chung Wing Lim in Hong Kong on October 19, 1953. After five years, in 1958, she immigrated to the United States with her oldest son, Ming to reunite with her husband in Houston, TX. Together, they successfully operated the Wing On grocery store on Canal St. for over 50 years. They raised three sons, Ming, Sing, Ling, and two daughters, Eva and Elaine.

She is preceded in death by her parents, younger brother Wing Chui Mui, son Ming Lim, and grandson Jared Lim. Left to cherish her memory is her loving husband of 70 years, Sam, children Sing (Sarah), Eva, Ling (Madelyn), Elaine (Scott) and grandchildren Amanda (Jesse) Hammack, Brenda (Sean) McArthur, and James Lim, Jordan, Jonathan, and Jason Lim; Ryan, Evan, and Kathryn Lock; Haley Willis, Great grandchildren Jacey, Jesse and Solomon Hammack; Robert and Elizabeth McArthur; Alexa and Makenna Lim. Brother Wing Fai Mui (Liesel) of Naperville, IL and Sister in law Mrs. Yiu Kwan Wong Mui of Chicago, IL.; and a host of nephews, nieces and cousins in Illinois and New York.

Linda loved sewing, gardening, and cooking. She would draw and cut out her own patterns on butcher market meat paper and then start sewing her magical outfits together. Having five kids in tow was easier to keep in various jumpers that was not gender specific. She actually designed and sewed the cheongsom that she is wearing now. She wasn’t much of a sports fan but she loved watching the Rockets games just to see what Calvin Murphy was wearing!

In gardening, she took pride in growing potted cane corn plants that she got to flower which was a sign of good luck. She loved her persimmon, guava, fig, papaya, and starfruit trees and fresh Chinese vegetable gardens for all seasons. She took pride in her Chinese long beans (Dow Gauk) that were over 24”; Chinese bitter melon (foo gua) that were longer and wider than a 2 Liter bottle. Winter melons that were huge and too heavy to carry. There was always an abundance of organic fruits and vegetables that she loved to share with all her family, friends, and even her doctors.

Another passion was cooking and baking. She often would say that when she first immigrated to Houston, to master her father-n-law’s “some of this and some of that” cooking style, she laid out all the ingredients in bowls and measuring cups to figure out the “how much” part of the recipe. She loved the challenges of trial and error, learning to cook and make foods like bow ties, lau po beng, pastries, char siu bows, and salty preserved fish that were not as readily available as they are today. She was delighted in fresh fish and seafood caught by her son Ming. She shared these and much more with family and friends.

She loved reading Chinese health booklets that were given out at health fairs that one of her school mates would mail to her. It was from one of the booklets that she learned and used techniques during Dad’s stroke in 2001 that offset potentially damaging effects from the stroke and aided in his recovery to the doctor’s amazement. This was Mom, she loved taking on the challenge in all the things she did. She loved keeping in touch with her schoolmates all over the United States and Canada and especially enjoyed the tours to China to see the most majestic scenes such as the Great Wall, Mt. Huangshan (aka Yellow mountain), Yangtze River, Xi’an, Guilin, Suzhou, and Jiuzhaigou Nat’l park (aka Fairy Land) and then always ending the tours meeting up with school mates in Guangzhou and Hong Kong.

She was well respected by relatives, friends, and community.

We will always carry her fond memories and beautiful smile in our hearts!

We send you off with our Chinese Long Life silk blankets. Soar high now Mom and Rest in Peace.