Yu Ying Lin

Yu Ying Hsieh was born on May 22, 1930, in Pingtung, Taiwan as the youngest of seven children. Her father, Hsieh Tsai Long, was principal of a renowned middle school in Pingtung, and her mother, Lin Shing Di, was a loving wife and mother. Yu Ying was raised in a family of scholarly educators, and she too embraced academia early on. Though she excelled as well as her brothers did in grade school, traditionally males were given priority in continuing in higher education, and like most of her fellow female classmates, her highest level of education was middle school. Nonetheless, she longed to join her brothers who went to some of the best educational institutions in Taiwan (Taiwan University, Shi Fan University).

At the age of 22 Yu Ying married Yun Hsiang Lin and they resided in Miaoli, his hometown, where their four children were born (Lee-Yun, Chong-Ho, Lie-Hwei, and Lee-Fang). Soon after their youngest daughter was born, the family moved to Shulin. She took care of her children full time while her husband worked as an Agriculture Specialist. To help support her family, Yu Ying made clothes and knitted garments for many years. Her exceptional craftsmanship kept her in high demand with many clients, with whom she enjoyed helping customize different clothing styles and yarn colors. Later she worked for several years as Professor Assistant at Taiwan University in the veterinarian department to help support her four children through their university education.

In 1980, Yu Ying moved to the United States to look after for her youngest daughter, Lee-Fang, who was attending university in Texas. Yu Ying went on to take care of her newborn grandchildren from Dallas, Houston, to Washington DC. For most years thereafter, she lived with her second daughter, Lie-Hwei, and her family in Houston. She participated in Houston community activities such as chorus, dancing classes, and the Houston Formosan Evergreen Association. A devoted church-goer, Yu Ying insisted on attending church each week and has been a member of Formosan Presbyterian Church in the Greater Houston for nearly two decades. In the thirty years she lived in the US, she made trips back home to Taiwan each year and enjoyed traveling abroad to destinations such as Australia, Japan, China, most of Europe, and major cities in the US.

She enrolled in the Houston Taiwan Institute for Senior Citizens with incredible enthusiasm and determination, and was a member for many years. She pursued her education as the most important achievement in life. While she was hospitalized, she was able to attain her lifelong dream of receiving her college diploma for senior citizens with the approval of college president Hsu and committee.

Yu Ying passed away peacefully on September 15, 2010. Among many attributes, she will be most remembered for her lively spirit, love of singing, and the skills she passes onto her children and grandchildren in crafts and craftsmanship, music, and Taiwanese specialty dishes.

Yu Ying has eight grandchildren. Currently some are attending college, some have graduated, and others are attending graduate school.