Ngoc Thi Nguyen

Ngoc Thi Nguyen was our loving mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Actually, that’s not all there is to it. A couple of years ago, she became a great-great-grandmother when one of her great-grandsons had a child, thus putting her in that rarified space reserved only for the few, extremely blessed members of the human race.

Yet, it all seems so fitting for a woman who made it her priority to live a life of love and compassion for others. She didn’t have it easy in life, but through her love and sacrifice, she was determined that her children, and their children in turn, will have a better life than she did.

“Grandma”, as most of us so affectionately calls her, was born in the City of Vinh, Nghệ An Province, in the Northern part of French Occupied Vietnam in the year of the Ox (1925). Most people from that part of the country back then lived in extreme poverty and Grandma only had her older brother to rely on, her parents having passed away when she was a child.

Grandma grew up poor and was not afforded the opportunity to go to school, she remained unable to read and write for the rest of her life. Not only that, but her brother’s wife also mistreated her, and she was no better off than a servant in the household. That is until one day, a dashing student named Trieu Van Thinh, our Grandpa, took notice of her. Her family provided meals for boarding students, and we guess he liked her cooking.

He rescued her from that life of suffering and together, they headed South to freedom as Vietnam tore itself apart. They had 8 children and raised a lovely family. They didn’t have much, but they were happy.

Then tragedy struck. Grandpa passed away at the age of 46 when his youngest child was barely one year old. Grandma struggled but held it together. This woman, who cannot read and write, and was left alone with 8 children in the middle of a country torn apart by war, managed to raise them all to adulthood. One can only imagine the perseverance it took and the sacrifices and heartaches that she had to endure.

But that’s not all, in addition to those from our family that call her mom, grandma, and great-grandma, countless others not related to us by blood, also call her “má”, the Vietnamese word for “mom”. Grandma had a peculiar habit of asking people to come live with her in times of need and many did. Her children just learned to live with it, and thus her house was always filled with people and full of love.

It’s no wonder that she’s affectionately referred to as “má” by so many people both in Vietnam and in the U.S. These people and their families remember and appreciate what she did for them. In turn, her own children were blessed with abundance and love. Call it karma or whatever if you will, we the family believe it’s all because of Grandma. She doesn’t just belong to us; she belongs to the world.

“Sic Parvis Magna”, from a simple beginning, greatness formed. That’s Grandma. That’s her story. Our family and many others owe everything to her and no matter where we all end up, she will be with us forever and always.

Our beloved grandma passed away peacefully at home on September 2nd, 2022, at the age of 98, enjoying a long and blessed life surrounded by her loving family. She left behind her greatest legacy, 8 families, five generations, and thousands of lives in two countries that are living well and thriving. Not bad for a poor little girl from Vinh.

Grandma was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Thinh Van Trieu. She is survived by her six daughters and their husbands, two sons and their wives, twenty one grandchildren, eleven great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild.

Chương Trình Tang Lễ / Funeral Service Events

Monday (9/12/22)

9am - 8pm Thăm viếng / Visitation (Chia sẻ hồi ức / Sharing Memories)

10:30 Opening Remarks

10am - 10:30am

Lễ Phát tang / Mourning cloth ceremony

10:30am -12pm

Lễ Cầu Nguyện / Praying Ceremony

Tuesday (9/13/22)

9am - 8pm Thăm Viếng / Visitation (Chia sẻ hồi ức / Sharing Memories, Điếu Văn / Eulogy)

9am - 10am Lễ Cầu Nguyện / Praying Ceremony

2pm - 3pm Đọc Kinh / Prayers

7pm - 8pm Đọc kinh / Prayers

Wednesday (9/14/22)

9am - 11am Thăm Viếng / Visitation

9am - 10am Lễ Cầu Nguyện / Praying ceremony

10am - 10:45am Viếng Bà Lần Cuối / Last Visitation / Closing Ceremony

10:45am - 11am Lễ Động Quan / Closing Casket Ceremony

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.kriegshausermortuary.com for the NGUYEN family.