Xia Xiong

Xia Xiong was born on December 8, 1953 in Xiengkhouang, Laos to Neng Chia Xiong (father) and Youa Lor (mother). In December 1972, she married Warren Wa Leng Vang, with whom she had seven children. Their first born, Ker, passed away at the tender age of three. The surviving six are Kong, Hou, Tiara, Mala, Va John and Lewis. Kong and subsequently Hou were born in Laos before the family fled the war-torn country in 1979. Xia carried the infant Hou on her back for three months through the jungle. They made it to the Ban Vinai refugee camp in Thailand where they stayed until resettling to Mobile, Alabama in 1980. Daughters Tiara and then Mala were born there. In August 1982, the family moved to Fresno, California to reconnect with relatives and to farm the fertile central valley. Youngest sons Va John and eventually Lewis were born in Fresno.

Xia could not read or write upon arriving in the United States but through sheer determination — and some stubbornness which she passed onto her children — she got through adult school, learned how to drive, obtained a California driver’s license and became a United States citizen. She held various occupations during her life. However, nothing matched her passion for farming. Against her children’s wishes she continued farming until her health declined to the point where she could no longer do so. In accordance with her wishes, Xia peacefully passed away on February 23, 2020 at home surrounded by her loved ones.

Xia has four surviving siblings; brothers Yang Ying Xiong and Cha Xiong, and sisters Pa Xiong (who still resides in Laos) and Mee Xiong. Besides her children and siblings, she also leaves behind daughter-in-law Vang Thao and sons-in-law Kong Meng Xiong and Robert Herrera. She also has six grandchildren: Sony, Lincoln, Kenayda, Seraphina, Thomas and Logan; all dearly loved by her from the moment they were born.